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Were you nervous and or anxious the first time you traveled on an airplane with T1D? Share your experiences in the comments!
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Ha! I was 12, flying from Tehran to Geneva to go to boarding school for 6 months. Leaving my mom and attending a new boarding school where I knew no one were my big worries. ( I really should write a book!)
This was 1962.
Please, do. āļøš«
I was a bit anxious the first time I flew with T1. Everything went very smoothly and the security people were very helpful.
No. I understand if someone is scared of flying, but i don’t get what this has to do with T1D. It is no different if I sat at home sofa or in an aeroplane. Crossing multiple time zones takes some planning, but that is easy enough.
The first time I flew on an airline was in the late 1980’s, a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I was concerned about my blood sugars, and also about airline folks taking my syringes. I packed some in my luggage and carried on some. I carried on my insulin, and almost all of my diabetic supplies. I never want those things out of my sight. I explained to the TSA (pre-TSA) and custom folks that I was a diabetic and was carrying my medical supplies. I had no problems.
I still approach the TSA’s with caution, making sure they know that I am wearing an insulin pump and a CGM. Generally, I’ve had no problems, except having a hand scanner used on me.
Not the flying part but itās always stressful traveling with T1D. Having to remember all your supplies and how much space they take up in luggage, being on a different schedule, eating different food, etc all make BG management more difficult. Flying itself has never been the issue for me.
My first flight with diabetes I was not on insulin. But my second one I was, and I had a metal needle and glass syringe to keep in alcohol. It was 1971, and no one screened luggage, so it was not a problem. The first time I worried was flying from England to the U.S. a week after the shoe bomber. They were very suspect of all luggage and I could only have a single small bag on the plane. I stuffed it with syringes and insulin. We were moving back to the U.S.A. after living abroad for 15 years, and I needed to bring a 3-month supply so I could have time to move into a house and find a doctor to prescribe new supplies.
I mistakenly answer Yes, however, I never had any problems flying. I have best guess because I have been in Aviation since 1963, and flown well over 2000 flights, especially when I was an Airworthiness Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). I flown all around the world. Ask me if I had problems after the flight because of time changes and I would comment very strongly, YES.
I have been in Sales my whole career and until recently traveled in a twenty state territory. During that time I was diagnosed with T1 and it was just one more thing to deal with. I no longer travel quite as often or extensively but thatās because my wife and I have 2 sets of twins and 5 girls under 7. 5 small kids is much harder than Air travel.
I was super nervous and it was horrible. They stabbed my pump and hands for bomb residue. They detained me for a long time. It was embarrassing and humiliating I learned not to wear it through the metal detector. If I put it in my purse they just thought it was a beeper and I got through with far less issues.