A PWD in the Wild: Taking Diabetes on Vacation

by kerri morrone sparling

Going on vacation requires planning and packing for everyone, but for a person with diabetes, there’s a bit more in the carry-on than toiletries and a paperback. Last month, my husband and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary by flying to Miami and taking a cruise to the Bahamas. Preparing for a day at work keeps my purse stocked with diabetes supplies, but traveling by air and then by sea for a week is a whole different carry-on entirely. I try and plan for unforeseen issues, but it’s impossible to plan for everything. There's a lot of stuff to remember! Extra infusion sets, enough test strips, glucose tabs for a low, an insulin pen in case of a high ... and back-ups of these back-ups. (A diabetes pack mule?) I’m careful to keep all my diabetes supplies in my carry-on bag when I’m flying. That way, I’m never separated from the things I need the most. While my husband packed his suitcase and brought a backpack as a carry-on, I brought just a wee bit more.

I packed a modest (read: big enough to hold a reclining chair) suitcase and a carry-on bag that was stuffed to the gills with diabetes goodies. This black bag just about fit into the “your bag must be NO BIGGER THAN THIS” stand at the airport, and it contained the following:

• Two bottles of Humalog insulin in their original packaging

• Six infusion sets

• Three reservoirs for the insulin pump

• I.V. prep wipes for site changes

• A bottle of Lantus (in case the pump failed on me)

• A package of AAA batteries for the pump

• Several boxes of test strips

• A back-up glucose meter

• A bag of syringes

• Some SkinTac in case my pump infusion sets came loose

• A handful of lancets

• A travel sharps container

• Several canisters of glucose tabs

• Medical alert card

• Emergency contact numbers

• Letter from my endocrinologist stating that I have diabetes and use an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor to manage my condition (this comes in handy when people at the airport ask me to check my pump in my suitcase.)

People have asked me why I bring so much stuff everywhere. Why I'm always toting a bag that makes my shoulders ache after a few hours of carrying it on my shoulder. Why when someone says, "Oh, do you have a pen?" or "Anyone have some gum?" or "Hey, would anyone happen to have grape flavored glucose tabs?" - I'm their go-to girl. It's tough to pack light when you're trying to prepare for all the diabetes variables.

But planning ahead does end up working out for the best. For example, when we were on the boat, my “LOW BATT[ery]” alarm on my pump went off. Prepared, I unscrewed the battery cap, pulled out the dead battery, and slid in a brand new Energizer AAA.

Boop beep boop!

FAILED BATT TEST.

I proceeded to try almost all of the batteries in my suitcase, and they all refused to work. “What is up with this pump? Why isn't it accepting new batteries?” I grumbled. This happened once before, of course when I was traveling, and it caused panic on my end. Even though I had a tattered box in my medical bag with an almost-expired bottle of Lantus in it, and even though I had enough syringes to finish the trip without the pump, coming off the pump isn't easy. I did it once before and it was a hassle of highs and lows - not what I wanted to wrangle with while I was on vacation. Thankfully, the pump finally accepted a new battery. But also thankfully, I was prepared to deal with whatever happened, thanks to my overstocked bag of supplies.

Aside from the “what to pack” aspect of traveling is actually being a “diabetic in the wild.” Since my husband and I were off on a tropical vacation, there was plenty of sand, sun, and salt water to contend with. For me, I found a few useful things to bring along on the beach (aside from sunscreen for my pasty Irish skin).

Bring. A. Water. Bottle. I cannot stress this enough. If you're like me and you love to swim around like an awkward little dolphin, you'll find that the infusion set can get covered in salt and sticky sand. Sometimes I have trouble reconnecting my pump due to the salty build-up. That’s where a water bottle comes in. (It’s not just for hydration!) Using it to rinse off the site helps remove the stick and get me reattached without any trouble. If the water bottle doesn’t do the trick, or if there's a malfunction with you pump, it's important to keep an insulin pen in your beach stash. (I have one of those Frio things that works great to keep the pen cool and protected from the elements.) Also, a Ziploc bag is perfect for stashing the pump, CGM, or any other diabetes technology bit while you’re disconnected, keeping these expensive and important devices safe from sand and sea.

Also, an extra t-shirt on hand is a very handy item for covering up your insulin pump or CGM while you’re laying out on the beach. If you are like me and you stay attached to your pump while you lay on the blanket, make sure you keep it covered. An extra towel or t-shirt is good to wrap up the pump in, keeping it cool and away from the heat of the sun.

A little preparation, a little “winging it,” and a good sense of humor help me enjoy the experience of traveling. And when I’m short on something to laugh at, all I need to do is find a nice, airport security person that has questions about my pump:

“Is that your garage door opener?”

“No, sir. This is not my garage door opener. This is an insulin pump. For diabetes.”

Oh, good. I was thinking to myself, ‘That girl loves her garage door opener! Bringin’ it all the way to the airport.’”