LYD1A KERR

Travelling with Type 1 Diabetes requires extra preparation, but you can rest assured knowing you’re equipped to handle it with my top tips!

And trust me, I know the stress and anxiety that can come with travelling with diabetes. But once you prepare accordingly, and have a plan in place, it’ll be smoooth sailing!

Plan ahead

Make sure you have valid travel insurance which covers pre-existing medical conditions. You can search comparison websites for the best deal, but make sure you go through the specific channel for medical conditions.

It’s also a good idea to locate nearby pharmacies, medical centres, etc, even if it’s just saving their location on google maps.

You never know when it’ll come in useful!

Pack extra’s

The general advice is to pack double of everything you need. For example, if you need to do one sensor change, bring two sensors. If I have room in my carry on, I’ll bring more than double, but that’s just for my own peace of mind.

Make sure you have enough insulin left in your pen or vials, and bring a back up.

Just in case you have delays, or your sensor falls off early, it’s good to know you have some spares.

Carry-on only!

This is rich coming from me because I packed one third of my diabetes supplies in my hold luggage for a long haul flight BUT, if you are going on a shorter holiday, carry on luggage only for diabetes supplies will do you just fine!

If you contact airlines ahead of time, they may allow you to bring on an extra medical hand luggage item. I’ve done this before with Ryanair who sent me a form to fill out, and I was able to bring an extra medical bag. I’ll take a win when I can!

Research the manufacturers advice

Look up what the manufacturers of your specific diabetes device advise for airport security. Most have sections on their websites explaining what you should do in airport security, and what you can and can’t put your diabetes device through, e.g. X-rays.

Here are a few examples of manufacturers advice for airport security:

Dexcom G6, Dexcom G7, Freestyle Libre 2, Tandem T-Slim X2 , Omnipod

Bring plenty of hypo snacks

You never know if a flight is delayed, or you’re on the plane for longer than expected, so it’s better to have a hefty back up supply of hypo treats.

While you’ll rarely be far from a source of sugar, it’s always good to have plenty on your person while you’re travelling. Especially as you adjust to somewhere new, the last thing you want to do is be trying to find hypo treatment in an unfamiliar environment.

Monitor blood sugar levels

Being out of routine can cause chaos to the blood sugar levels. On the first few days of any trip, I can almost guarantee my levels will be allll over the place.

This is perfectly normal and to be expected! SO many factors are at play here: temperature, food choice, drinks, hydration, sleep deprivation, time changes, etc etc!

My advice to try and resume any ‘normality’ is to monitor your levels closely, be alert for any hypo’s, and try to reduce any major high blood sugars, while being cautious for any sudden drops. Easier said than done, I know!

I also recommend you take your manual blood sugar monitor with you just incase your CGM fails.

Research carbohydrate counts

Honestly, my main method of carb counting is google. I just type into the search bar ” … carbs” and 99% of the time, a carb amount will appear in grams alongside a serving size.

This is a real saving grace when I’m trying new foods and need to figure out how many carbs there are.

I’ve found in particularly interesting the difference in amount of carbs in food and drinks in Australia vs the UK. There is almost always more carbs in the Australian versions, even if its the same brand as the UK. Check the backs of those food packets too people!!

Most of all – enjoyyyy! Don’t let diabetes hold you back!

Thank you for reading ❤

Love, Lydia x