Last December, our family travelled to the United States to spend Christmas with the in-laws in a holiday resort. Covid came too; both teenagers fell victim, and we ended up stranded for an extra few days. It was an incredibly stressful time filled with trying to rebook flights, accommodation, rental car, trying to find antigen tests as well as places that did PCR testing (answer not that many as it turns out in South Carolina), while trying to keep stocked up on paracetamol, throat lozenges and tissues.
Now that we are fully in the Summer holiday season and everyone except me is mad to get to places where sunshine and warmth are guaranteed, I thought I would share a couple of things I’ve learned about being in other countries with diabetes and having to plan for mishaps.
The Backstory
My husband is American and had not seen many of his family in two years and in the case of one family it was three years. Like many, we were supposed to meet up for Christmas 2020, so we were cautiously eager to meet up for Christmas 2021. We were anxious but weighed up the factors that we were all vaccinated, some of us boosted plus we adhered to all the public health guidance in preparation for our trip.
However, as they say, the best-laid plans … covid came to the party … and both our teenagers caught it. They were both symptomatic and my daughter had a really bad sore throat which persisted for more than a couple of days but thankfully not at the point where we needed medical assistance.
Once the positive tests glared at us, my husband went into practical mode and the first question he asked me was about my diabetes supplies. Thankfully my years of travelling and reading about other people’s mishaps have taught me to pack extra, maybe not twice or trice as much as needed which has often been recommended by some, but enough to have backups for my backups. So this was one less thing we had to worry about. I actually still had a couple of spares left when I arrived home.
These are some of the things I think about once I’ve figured out how much of everything I need to bring with me.
Tips for travelling
Always Pack Extra
I was so glad that I had an extra week's worth of everything with me when we were stranded and that it was enough. However, in the wonderful world wide web, I felt if I needed to I may have been able to put an S.O.S. out on Twitter using the #DOC (Diabetes Online Community) that would have reached someone who could help that was close by.
European Health Insurance Card EHIC
If you’re travelling in a European country the European Health Insurance Card is essential. lets you get healthcare in another EU or European Economic Area (EEA) state for free, or at a reduced cost. They are really easy and quick to get; this is the link to find out how to apply.
You can also use the EHIC at the pharmacy where it “entitles you to receive necessary treatment with the same rights to health care as people insured in the country you are in. If you have a prescription from the country you are in, you should present it together with the EHIC when you go to the pharmacy. This means that you will pay the same rate at the pharmacy as someone who was insured and living in that country. In some EU countries, this may mean that you won't pay anything, while in others you may be required to pay a certain amount towards the cost of your prescription.” from the European Unions Citizens’ Rights webpage.
Bring Copies of prescriptions
As mentioned above you may be able to get your medications for free or at a reduced cost if you have a EHIC but you will most likely have to present your prescriptions, so do bring a photocopy of the original.
Airport Security
I think this is by far the most stressful part of any trip - airport security. I have been so lucky all these years to not have had an unpleasant experience at all but it’s still a pain and we always try to send me through first because I’m most likely to set the metal detector off and be held up for a pat-down. Thankfully, the number of female security agents has increased a lot over recent years and the wait for one isn’t always necessary.
Needles and Insulin may be spot-checked but I think this very rarely happens these days, however, do have a letter from your doctor stating why you are carrying them just to ease your mind.
Sensors and Pumps: each manufacturer has issued guidance on their devices around airport security and the consensus is that pumps and CGMs should NOT go through full-body scanners or X-ray machines but metal detectors are alright.
For device-specific information, I was able to find this information from Dexcom and this from Medtronic, unfortunately, I was unable to find any information from YpsoPump or Accu-Chek. I also found this Medical Device Awareness Card created in collaboration with UK airports which is excellent.
Keeping Insulin Cool
Keeping insulin cool or from freezing depending on the time of year you are travelling is a huge concern for many and lots of people use the Frio-type cooler pouches. I personally use a thermos flask with some reusable ice cubes and I’ve found that when I’m travelling for 24 hours or more to get to my destination and a fridge that it works really well.
Do NOT put your diabetes supplies in checked bags!
You should ALWAYS carry your medications and supplies in your carry-on hand luggage. The biggest reason to do this is that they are less likely to get lost if they are with you all the time. And secondly, the temperature in the airplane where the checked luggage is kept can reach below zero which will damage the quality of your insulin and your test strips.
Extra Carry-on Bags Allowed
Bringing all those extra supplies in your carry-on may be problematic with airline bag restrictions however many, if not all, airlines will allow an extra bag. This is something that needs to be organised well in advance and may require a doctor's letter.
This webpage from T1Resources is a list of the most common UK & Irish airlines and a link to their information about medical baggage waivers.
Aer Lingus - website maintenance issues.
For US airlines it seems that it’s standard to allow extra baggage for medical supplies without advance notification, I had a look at a couple of the airline websites which state similar to this one from Delta Airlines. However, do look up your airline carrier in advance just to be sure.
“Medical supplies or equipment are allowed on board as additional items at no extra charge. Some medical items can be carried on the plane, as an "additional carry-on item", as long as they meet the standard size and weight limits.” Delta
As with everything else with diabetes, travelling adds an additional layer of planning and I really hope that this post has helped you get a bit more organised and less stressed about it so that you have a really good, well-deserved holiday or trip. Bon Voyage!!
