First Time Traveling after my Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
I was lucky enough to have a family that was able to go on yearly family vacations. We didn’t travel much before I was diagnosed because my brother and I were pretty young. My brother is 2 years younger than I am, and at the time of my diagnosis, my brother was 3-years-old. The first time my family went on vacation after my diagnosis was to visit my aunt on Shelter Island, NY in the summer of 1995. This destination was a favorite of my family’s and we traveled there many times over the years.
This is the story of the diabetes side of traveling. I don’t remember this specific vacation as I went many times when I was young. My parents completed all of the diabetes travel preparation.
Diabetes Packing List
- Vials of the two kinds of insulin I was on
- Soft cooler and ice packs
- Syringes
- Fingerstick
- Test strips
- Spare batteries for Fingerstick
- Lancets
- Sharps container
- Prescription documentation
- Snacks and juice
Going Through Airport Security
My parents told the TSA agents that I’m a diabetic and that there was prescribed metal (syringes and lancets), although in very small amounts in the carry on. To my memory, they didn’t give us any trouble. If they did give us any trouble, my parents would have shown them the prescription documentation. As we all know or can guess, airport security was much more relaxed in 1996 than it is today.
Insulin Storage at the Beach
When we traveled to Shelter Island, we would spend multiple days at one of the many nearby beaches. The largest challenge with going to the beach on a hot summer day was making sure that the insulin I needed was kept cool. My parents packed my insulin in a small soft cooler bag with ice packs.
In 2024, my mom told me that at the beginning, it was difficult to figure out how to ensure that the insulin stayed cold and did not freeze inside the bag. She could not remember exactly how she made sure the insulin didn’t freeze. I assume my mom wrapped the insulin in some sort of bag or cloth napkin.
Insulin Storage Guidelines
In 1996 it was important that insulin always be kept in the fridge when not in use. It was not recommended to keep insulin at room temperature for extended periods of time.
A 2017 article from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says “According to the product labels from all three U.S. insulin manufacturers, it is recommended that insulin be stored in a refrigerator at approximately 36°F to 46°F. Unopened and stored in this manner, these products maintain potency until the expiration date on the package.
Insulin products contained in vials or cartridges supplied by the manufacturers (opened or unopened) may be left unrefrigerated at a temperature between 59°F and 86°F for up to 28 days and continue to work. However, an insulin product that has been altered for the purpose of dilution or by removal from the manufacturer’s original vial should be discarded within two weeks.”
Low Blood Sugar at the Beach
My parents checked my blood sugar number more often when we were at the beach, in order to catch potential low blood sugar levels. Increased activity such as swimming, walking, and running would tend to drop my blood sugar. As a child these were activities I would do regularly, especially at the beach.
Beach days were planned in advance and gave my parents time to adjust my daily insulin doses to accommodate for my increased activity.
If my blood sugar did drop, I would have to sit still and have some juice and maybe a snack, depending on how low my blood sugar was. I would have to sit still until my blood sugar number went back up, which usually took 15-30 minutes.
Please visit the following websites to learn more about low blood sugar numbers and how to treat them. (There will be blog posts telling stories of how I have dealt with low blood sugars while traveling – stay tuned!)
Writing this now, I am very glad that I was too young to understand all of this. Thanks to my parents for figuring all of this out and taking care of me. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.
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