Additional "pattern" for travel--how to?

Hi all,

I've been traveling a lot lately with work, and am beginning to notice that when I travel, the stress, or flying, time change or whatever shoots my sugar sky high, and it's becoming a pain and difficult to manage. I want to set another "pattern" for travel, and am wondering how to do this? Forgive me, i can't find my user's manual right now.

Thanks for any advice!

Gina

Hi Gina -

I used to travel extensively (worldwide) for work, and I understand the stress, and toll it takes on a T1! My bg’s would go absolutely crazy whenever I was on the road, which was basically every week! I am retired now, so no more of that crap for me…fortunately! I would typically have to increase my basal rate whenever I had to set foot in an airport…usually by a full unit (and my basal is 1 unit/hr. so that is 100%!) I would sometimes go a ltitle low later each day, but it took care of the bg stress reaction. If you dont have your manual on you right now, just select “home” and then “suspend” (you need to turn off the pod to make any changes) then I typically select the default choice of .5 hr (plenty of time), then you just have to “confirm”, your insulin delivery will be stopped for 30 minutes (all insulin delivery, basal and bolus) so you need to go back later and “resume”, for now, just go to “home” agaijn, then select “my settings” then “basal setttings” and the rest is intuitive, just dont forgert to “resume” when you are finished. HOpefully, this will do it for you…if not, you can always call insulet and have them walk you through it, if you dont have the # it is (800) 591-3455. Happy travels, and PEACE!

Thanks Steve. So to confirm, did you set a whole new pattern for travel, and then switched from Basal 1 to that other pattern when on the road? Or did you just temp basal each time? Sorry if that’s a dumb question, but I’m sick, and my eyes are about to pop out, so I’m not as sharp as I normally am today :wink: Thanks again!

You got it right the first time…Gina! I actually had a “basal 2” called “road basal” that I would switch to whenever I traveled, still use it whenever I travel (to go see family, vacation, etc.) Sorry to hear you arent feeling well, and hope you get well soon! (If you are sick, you know that drives your bg up anyway, so maybe its not the road stress…stupid thing to say, I know, but I am just running off at the mouth) ( frequently do)…GET WELL and PEACE!

And, Like I am sure you’ve heard a thousand times before, (especially here at TU) THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DUMB QUESTION!!!

Interesting how everyone is different. I used to travel 2-3 weeks per month. Now it is only once a month, but my BGs collapse and go low. I remember in college when I studied for exams I had to eat constantly to stay conscious.

Now, when I get sick with a fever my sugar drops, the first time my new endo told me to increase my insulin when ill I thought they had lost it, but again that is me.

Everyone’s bodies just work differently.

I plummet with travel, illness and stress too! Glad I’m not the only one!

Jeeeesh…You two are just FREAKS!

Well (speaking for myself) I think we’ve known that for a looooong time!