Question about Airport Security and X-Rays

Diabetes Technology Insulin Pumps
1

Hi,

So I just moved to Italy, and I travel by plane around Europe about once a month, sometimes more. (I know, it's a hard life!)

I have been flying with my pump for a while, and I usually just wear it through the scanner, set it off, get patted down and swabbed for explosives, and move on. Not a huge fan of the process, but it makes me feel better than when they just wave me through, so I put up with it for security's sake.

However, I just now read that it's not advised to put your pump through the X-Ray, but instead do a walk through. Wow, how did I not know this before? Have I been damaging my pump for all this time?

So my questions are:
1) What exactly is a walk-through? Does one just request that before walking through?
2) Does anyone have experience doing this all in Europe? Should I memorize how to say "I am diabetic and have a pump" in the language of the country of the airport? what do you all recommend?

Thanks!
~Vic

2

here's a discussion with almost 300 replies on the subject

https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/new-tsa-screening-procedures

I learned on Tu some time ago it helps if you put the pump in your waistband behind the middle of your back. I tried it seveal times, and I didn't set off the alarm.

3

Thanks so much! Super helpful! I was happy to read that someone else who has my pump (Animas OneTouch Ping) found in their user manual that it's ok to go through the body x-ray scanner, which is awesome because I haven't been doing it wrong all these times!

Thanks :)