Guest post by Kenny Stank

As summer approaches, it would be good to see what kind of questions/thoughts come up, as you get ready to travel/vacation. I will give you some information to keep in mind. Let us know in the comments how you handle traveling with T1D, and any other tips/topics you think might help others!

The first discussion is long-distance traveling. You need to be aware of sugar levels during long road trips, or long periods of just sitting. Your blood sugar may be higher during these times, as you are not as active and possibly snacking or eating fast food more often. Be aware of this and check frequently to make sure you are keeping your levels at a good rate. I spoke with my doctors before going on any trip, just to see what I should be aware of. I would recommend that before you do any trip, to discuss this with your doctor. I did that before going on trips where I knew I would be in a car for hours at a time. If you are traveling by plane, make sure you always take snacks to be prepared. Sometimes they have food and drinks on planes, and sometimes not, (depending on how far you are going). It’s always better to be prepared than not.

The next thought I had was the sun/heat. If you know you’re going to be outside swimming, playing, etc; be aware that the heat & activity will lower your sugars. If you are at the beach or at a pool, be sure to be checking your sugars more frequently because you may not even realize that your blood sugar is dropping. This is just a precaution to make sure you don’t have your blood sugar crash while you are in the pool or in the ocean. Always have snacks around to make sure that you are keeping levels at a good rate. These things have happened to me while doing these same activities.

Another circumstance that may come up is making sure you stay hydrated. Being dehydrated can affect your blood sugar levels. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids (even those not diabetic) if you will be in the sun for long periods. If you choose to drink a sports drink, be aware of the carbs in these. Sometimes it would be good to have those if you know you will be exhausting energy in the sun & water all day. Just be aware that it will cause your blood sugar to increase, as there are carbs in these drinks. I know they do have sports drinks now that have minimal carbs in them too. It doesn’t hurt to have something around that will bring your sugar up quickly, in case of a low. You always want to be prepared, just in case something happens. This is one valuable lesson to learn from here. If you stay prepared for any circumstance, you will stay ahead of the game.

Another thought that I had was after a day in the sun, be aware that your blood sugar could crash later on in the day/night. Be aware of the activity you do during the day, monitor your sugar levels, and make sure you are eating. I have had an experience where later on at night, my blood sugars dropped low because of the activity during the day at the beach. Be aware of this & discuss this with your doctor as well. They will be able to give you an idea of what to do, that may be similar to what I have described here.

My last tip of advice/experience is always packing more than you would need. What do I mean by that? If you are going away for a week of vacation, pack to make sure you have enough supplies for 2 or even 3 weeks. I always made sure I had extra insulin, supplies, and batteries just to be on the safe side. I would bring a lunch box with ice packs in it, to keep my insulin cooled while driving. Once you get to where you are going, you can always place the insulin in the fridge. If you know you are traveling on a plane, take the extra insulin as a carry on (just so it doesn’t get lost). Be sure to tell the people at the check-in that you are diabetic and these are you’re extra medications that need to stay cooled. I’ve only traveled a few times by plane since being diabetic, and haven’t had any issues with this. Just be sure to tell them that you are diabetic and that it is your medication, and there shouldn’t be any problem. The last time I flew was in 2012, and they just looked in the lunchbox and saw the medicine. They let me through and I went on my way. I kept this as a carry on.

These were some initial thoughts I had from my experiences. I look forward to hearing your experiences, questions, concerns, or just to talk with me! Feel free to ask any questions that you may have or may think of.