Pumps on a Plane

No, this isn't a blog about some sort of trashy sequel to Snakes on a Plane. I am back after a weekend in Prague celebrating my 21st birthday. I have had my insulin pump for over 3 weeks now and this was our first adventure abroad together. To say the least, I was a little apprehensive about the whole thing. I had a few worries and played out horrific ‘what if’ scenes in my head in the run up to my trip.

Having volunteered myself as a human guinea pig, I can now inform and advise fellow pump users, or people thinking about pumps, to the do’s and don'ts of pumping on a plane.

At the Airport

DO prepare yourself for a frisking. Airport security was one of my main concerns in pump travel. We’ve all been there. You remove your jewellery, your hat, your shoes and even your belt. But still as you walk through the airport detector (holding your trousers up so they don’t end up around your ankles), you beep. So what chance did I have with a metal, liquid machine attached to me? None!

I'm not taking my shoes off...you might steal them!

DO carry medical proof. Like I mentioned in my previous blog, it is really important to have a letter from your consultant handy should anyone question your pump. Even if you aren’t planning on flying, you should still really carry something around with you just in case. As soon as I beeped, I thrust my doctor’s note in front of the security lady’s face. She didn’t seem fazed by it at all and probably sees them all the time. Nonetheless, she had to ‘swab’ my pump screen and give me the once over. Apparently the ‘swab’ is to test for chemicals, according to Google.

DO take some hypo treatment with you. Hypos are nasty and a pain at the best of times, but more so when you are just about to board a plane or checking your bags in. Because airport security is so strict these days, you aren’t allowed to take any liquids on board over 100 ml. Well, not if you’re diabetic! You are entitled to take some gluca-gel or a little can of fizzy pop on board a plane to treat a hypo. Of course the security guards will examine the cans and poke around in your bag, but once you wave your medical letter in their face, it is A-OK. I can’t stress enough how important a medical necessity letter is for a smooth and stress-free journey. I just wish mine said:

Kim is Type 1 diabetic, and as a result suffers from poor blood circulation. This means she will require a foot massage every 60 minutes.

Don’t cause a scene. Yes, it is embarrassing being beeped and searched at the airport but it happens to a lot of people, not just diabetic pump users. Try not to be rude to the security guards; they are just doing their jobs at the end of the day. I for one am thankful that security is as rigorous as it. We would be the first to complain if it wasn’t and something went wrong.

Don’t take off your pump. It won’t be any easier disconnecting the insulin pump going through security. They will still have to search your bags and it will probably look a bit weird if you’re not wearing something that is so vital it can’t be stored in your case. Don’t be ashamed of the pump. It is your right to wear it and nobody can make you take it off. All hell would break loose if they did.

Photo from here

Don’t forget to change the time on your pump if you are in a different time zone. Always stick to local time when it comes to going abroad. Things will get complicated if you try and stick to ‘home’ time.

I have quite a lot to blog about this week following my trip away, so I have decided to break down my posts into smaller chunks so it is easier to digest. I wish I had this mentality when it came to eating birthday cake. 

Come back tomorrow for my blogs on foreign food (mmm!) and how I found the insulin pump on my travels once I made it to the other side. 

Beautiful Prague

 If you would like to know more about planes, airports and insulin pump therapy, check out this website for more info.

Pumps, Planes and Prague

I need a break. And so does my pump. Life is whizzing past me at a ridiculous rate and a need a couple of days away with my family. I am moving to London on my own to start life as a grown-up in less than 2 weeks. As I am leaving soon, and it is officially my 21^st birthday this Saturday, my parents agreed to take me away to Prague for a long weekend after weeks of nagging.

I’m really excited for this trip, but where I go, the pump follows.  It’s a bit like having a cat. Occasionally I have to pay the pump some attention and load it up with more food (insulin), but most of the time it likes to be left alone and doesn’t cause me too much trouble (this week anyway).

Leaving the country is a different story. It is like I have gone into panic mode and think the world will be out to get us.  Here is a list of my main concerns:

1.  Airport Security

Photo from here

This is a headache and a half. I’m positive that the pump will set off alarms as I walk through security, and I will get frisked, causing my pump to fall off and shatter into a million pieces. Or worse, they will rip out the tube and I will be left standing in a pool of my own blood, insulin-less. OK so this is a slight over-reaction, but you know what airport security is like these days and I don’t know how they will react to it.  I know at the end of the day the security people are doing their job, and I am thankful for it. But I’m carrying a little machine full of liquid onto an aeroplane for crying out loud; this is a recipe for disaster. Thankfully I have my trusty letter from the Doctor explaining everything, and I am prepared to waft it in the face of anyone who questions me.

2.   It breaks 

Play nice...

If you have been following my previous posts, then you will know that my pump hasn’t exactly been playing nice. The last time I tried to catch a train the tube was faulty and I had to change my infusion site. I missed my train and had a bit of a tantrum. So in terms of tubing and cannulas I am armed with a spare, a spare for the spare, and a spare for the spare’s spare. Is my carry-on luggage over the weight limit yet?? Don't make me chose between my pump and my shoes.

3.   Food

Photo from here

I plan on eating. A lot. What!?- it’s my birthday I’m allowed a piece of cake or 3. Trouble is I doubt my meals will come with a handy carbohydrate count and sugar content label, and even if it did I wouldn’t understand a word it was saying.

So these are my worries right now. Pumps and planes, do they mix? I don’t know. Stay tuned to find out how I get on, I plan on writing a lengthy post preparing future pump users for plane travel. I'll be your guinea pig, thank me later. I should be back from my trip Monday, so if you don’t hear from me….I’m giving you permission to panic. 

Wish me luck, and a Happy Birthday :)

To pump, or not to pump?

Throughout my life I have always been told “There is no such thing as a stupid question”.

Whilst the question itself might not be silly, you might feel like a bit of a plonker saying it. Chances are though; you’re probably just saying out loud what everyone else is thinking. So here are a few questions that I have asked for you. Thank me later.

Q. Will I gain weight on the pump?

A. Maybe. Eating and carb-counting is so much easier with the pump and you might be tempted to gorge on things you wouldn’t have before. But, you are in control of your own body, so if you decide to eat a lot of high-fat food – it’s your own doing.

Q. What happens if I lose the pump?

A. Losing the pump is a bit more serious than losing your keys. Firstly, if it came off and disconnected you’d probably hear it fall on the floor. It may be small, but it isn’t exactly light. If you took it off, say to go swimming and left it behind, you would have to claim it back on your house insurance. The hospital recommended insuring mine for £3,000. The same applies if the pump was stolen. You would have to resort back to your insulin pens until your pump company provided you with a new one. If your pump broke however, it is the pump company’s responsibility to replace it.

Q. What happens when I go through airport security and set all the alarms off?

A. When you’re going through airport security, or any security for that matter, you should always be prepared to show officials a letter from your Dr, explaining what the pump is and why you have it. I’m going away at the end of the month, and worried that I will get frisked at the airport. The animas trainers assured me that the pump shouldn’t set any bleepers off, but warned that I can’t be X-Rayed as it will interfere with the pump technology. So it is important to take a valid letter with you.

Q. Can I keep my pump on during a roller-coaster ride?

A. No! The magnetic forces in rollercoaster’s will damage the pump. So leave it with your scaredy-cat friend or relative and reconnect afterwards.

Q. Can I swim with the pump?

A. Depends if your pump is waterproof. Mine is, and when I asked my diabetic nurse about holidaying etc. she said to swim for an hour, reconnect for an hour, disconnect and swim for another hour and so on. Your blood sugars won’t be perfect that day, but you can still enjoy the pool.

Q. What happens if the pump breaks on holiday?

A. With Animas, you can take a spare! If you tell the company when you are going away they can supply you with a spare free of charge, should anything go wrong. I imagine this would be particularly useful and reassuring to parents of diabetic children.

And the final question is probably the most awkward...Mum, Dad, it’s time to look away now.

Q. Can I still have sex when I’m on the pump?

A. Um, yes. You can still ‘get intimate’ (my instruction guides' words not mine) whilst on the insulin pump. As I’ve said before, you can disconnect it for one hour. It might not exactly be romantic, but it is still possible. And if you’re lucky enough to go more than an hour, stop. You are making the rest of us jealous.

These are just a handful of typical FAQ’s concerning the insulin pump, but if you have any others that haven’t been mentioned, ask your diabetic specialist. You might think it is a ‘stupid question’, but I bet they have heard it before. If not, check out this YouTube link below for some answers. Warning: He is a very happy American, and makes me look like a miserable teenager in my clip, but he does offer some very helpful and informative advice.