Be prepared when travelling with diabetes

If you have diabetes, remember your feet. It is easy to burn feet on hot pavements and sidewalks, as well as on tiles around pools. Remember to wear good shoes that are comfortable and that protect your feet from the heat.

Some Bermudians travel in August and September to get away from the heat. When travelling, it is important to wear comfortable shoes. If you purchased brand new shoes, you may find that your feet have swollen during the flight because you have sat still for an extended length of time.

Those new shoes will be too tight and tight shoes can cause blisters. That holiday you looked forward to all summer may be ruined even before it begins

If you have diabetes, there are some simple steps to take that will make your trip stress free. Make sure you have enough medicine with you. Take more than you need. Some physicians recommend taking another week’s supply, as you never know when you might be delayed. If you are on insulin, pack extra and make sure you have enough syringes, pens and needles.

• Make a list of all of your health providers including your doctor, dentist and diabetes educator. Write down their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses and keep it somewhere safe. Ask your physician for a copy of your prescriptions.

• Write down a list of all of your medicines, including blood pressure and cholesterol medicines. Ask your pharmacist for the generic name, as well as the brand or trade name and write this down. Keep a copy of your medicines in your passport and give a copy to a family member or friend who is not traveling with you, just in case you should lose your medicines.

• Make sure you have a copy of your health insurance.

• Make sure you are wearing a medical alert bracelet or necklace — this is especially important for those taking insulin or medicine that may lower blood sugar too much. Symptoms of low blood sugar can look the same as someone who is drunk, so it is important that people know you have diabetes in order for them to help you, if necessary.

• Find out what language is spoken in the country you are visiting. If it is a foreign language, find out how to say some important phrases, such as asking for juice, where the hospital is or that you have diabetes.

• Carry a letter stating you have diabetes and that you are carrying medicine for your diabetes, as well as a glucose meter to test your blood sugars.

• Carry your extra medicines, test strips, an extra meter and batteries, as well as extra insulin and syringes (if you are taking insulin) in your carry-on luggage.

You don’t want to run the risk of losing your luggage or having your medicines freeze. Keep your diabetes supplies separate from other medicines so that if you need to explain why you have these items, it will be easier to make yourself understood.

• Make sure you have enough glucose tablets or something similar to treat low blood sugars.

• Pack some snacks. Very often airlines serve nothing at all and you may need to eat.

Do not rely on picking something up at the airport as you may run late, the airport has run out of food or you forgot to bring money.

Check with US Customs to make sure you can carry that particular item on the plane.

• Make sure you pack some comfortable walking shoes and exercise while you are holiday.

• And finally, make sure you have fun!