Our first vacation after diagnosis was a success. I was very nervous and worried because we were traveling by plane to visit family in Puerto Rico for 10 days and I have heard horror stories about airline travel with diabetes supplies and pumps. Thank goodness it went off without a hitch (at least as far as the T1 stuff was concerned, but everything else is another story entirely.) I was trying to be extra prepared. We took a whole box of pods (10) even though we only needed to change it 4 times, a bag of syringes, two bottles of insulin, glucose tabs, juice boxes, ketone strips, snacks, all of our pump change supplies, and even got a note from the endo about Brennen being treated for T1 and needing to take his medical supplies with him on the plane. We were also worried about his insulin staying cool enough while down there as we were staying with family in a house that had no air only a few box fans, so we got a Frio pouch. It is amazing!!! Great investment if you are out and about a lot in warm weather. Anyway, long story short, the airlines workers didn’t even ask about his supplies being in the carry on bag even though we didn’t even show the doctor’s note on the way home. They were more worried about confiscating my Victoria Secret body wash and lotion that I had accidentally packed in the wrong bag!!! Let’s see, needles and injectables or lotion? Which could be more of a potential security threat? Must get rid of that lotion!!! Everything went great aside from dealing with a much lower intake of insulin and considerably more lows and a few pod failures. Brennen was even a champ and was brave enough to do several of his pod changes on the go (at the beach/pool, etc.) and in front of family and friends without shedding a single tear or protesting. Now he tells me, “Mommy I am going to be a big, brave, boy for my pump change!” Vacation #1 = success!!!
I am facing my first vacation as well since diagnosis. We are going to the beach and I have the minimead revel that can’t go into the water. I am going to buy the frio pack. Did it really work well for the pump while in the heat? I’m glad your vacation went great!
I have a frio pack jut just for insulin bottles. I love it too.
And yes, any time I travel I keep all my pods in the carry-on, and they’ve never questioned any of it.
Glad you had such a great vacation! Sounds like the family had a great time!
What is a frio pouch? I always travel with a copy of my prescriptions. That was real smart of you to do. Also like how you took 10 pods. I switch from podding to Animas and either way I bring about enough to last 3 times what the trip calls for. way to go! www.thediabeticcamper.blogspot.com
@ TDC, here’s a link for the Frio Packs (for the U.S.).
Stardust31,
I am not sure about the frio for the pump working or not. We are on the Omnipod, so the frio pouch for the pumps was not something we tried. We just had the one for insulin vials and it was wonderful. I would imagine the one for the pump would work well too.
That’s pretty great about your son. good job! i have yet to take a vacation since being dx’d t1. i want to go but i don’t know that i can count on my wife to help me very much. sigh/
Yeah these are the ones https://frioinsulincoolingcase.com/eshop/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=37 I got mine off of amazon. They keep the insulin the pump cold, or warm. I’ll let you know how they work!
Guess I’ll suck it up and take the boys to Disney World this winter then – I’ve been waffling on it for a while because I didn’t want to deal with the airlines, but if it’s not as bad as I’ve been imagining, then…
Yay!!! We went on our first vacation too since dx. We went to California/disney for 9 days in June and a week after left for our month long trip to Illinois. Won’t be back home for another 2 1/2 weeks and all is going well. TSA also could have cared less about my 5 yr old dtr’s dm supplies but she did get her hands swabbed for explosives at the Orange County airport!! She says “whew, I thought that was going to hurt” 