air travel and type 1

[gogirlnyc]

I am an adult with type 1 and I am about to embark on my first international travel since I have had type 1.  There are so many restrictions with carrying food on board, liquids, gels etc.  I have spoken to airlines and they can't tell me the finer details - they just say I need to get a letter from my doctor.  I need to carry food items with me at all times and am feeling very anxious about going through security procedures.  I would like to hear stories from those who have travelled by plane either domestically or internationally and if you have encountered difficulties with security measures.  I have travelled domestically and there is always some degree of difficulty with the staff as soon as I tell them I have sharps....

[gogirlnyc]

thanks you to jdrf vol and larry 68, extremely helpful information and yes I was going to ask the question about travelling between different time zones and larry already answered my question.  I will be travelling from australia to new york city so there are many different time zones.  I asked my doctor about how to best manage with injections and was totally confused by his answer ??

[Larry68]

I am a long term T1 (42 years) and I have been a mostly international traveler for the last 25 years. Current restrictions have caused me little trouble, but you must be prepared and knowledgeable to avoid issues. Review the TSA directive at http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/special_needs_memo.pdf

1. Carry a copy of medication (prescription) labels for insulin, needles etc. to prove you are diabetic.
2. If you carry liquids (I carry 12 oz juice boxes), state so at the check point and state that you are a diabetic and they are medically necessary. You may be given special screening (which can be faster than regular screening), but they have always been polite and trained on our needs (so far)...
3. Be polite, but know you rights. Carry the above memo.
4. On flights other than to/from the US/UK, you probably will have no issues with liquids, but check with the country to be sure.

Another note on international travel is that the time change can throw you off. If you take a long acting insulin, and travel 5-6 hours east, watch out for an overlap the evening after arrival, as it is less than 24 hours. Additional coverage may be needed when you travel west, and you may get an extra meal to contend with.

Finally, if possible, take a spare meter extra insulin (more than would normally be needed) and extra or a spare of any other items you may need. Replacing a critical item overseas can be very inconvenient, or even impossible.

Remember, insulin can be left unrefrigerated for extended periods. Check with you doctor of the manufacturer for specific periods when unopened and after it is in use. Just don't let it get hot.

Enjoy your travel.
Larry

[JDRF-VOL-RL]

Hi!  I'm the parent of a child with diabetes, and we've made many trips since diagnosis, all domestic travel.  The best backup you can have is the letter from your endocrinologist explaining you have diabetes.  They've likely done them for others, so they would know the format.  We've never been asked for ours, but it's good to have along.  Announce you have diabetes before you go through the screeners, and that you have your supplies with you.  Bring plenty of supplies, split them between your bags, both carry on and stowed.

We bring a small cooler with ice packs to carry juices.  Make sure they're the small juices, so they go through screening easier.  Our daughter wears a pump, and that's not caused any problems, either.  For the insulin bottles we've kept them in the boxes with the prescription sticker on them, and then placed that in the clear plastic bag.  We figure we can always take the bottle out of the box if they need it.  

We've never really run across any problems with sharps, keep them with the original packaging as best you can.  There's a ton of tips that I'm sure other people can share as well.