Traveling

Leann thinks that traveling for diabetics might be interesting after the recent incident.  Try flying with a CPAP, it was a PITA last year.

An aside for those that don't know, a CPAP is for treating obstructive sleep apnea, and if I don't sleep with one, there is a possibility that I'll stop breathing in my sleep and die.  Just a minor life function.

Let's say I want to go to a typical three day teacher workshop.  Like the one I did in Missouri.  I need to take:

• Laptop (I do teach computer science, I DO need a computer)
• Phone
• CPAP Machine
• Diabetes supplies for 6 days (remember, I pump, and can't just get spares at a local pharamacy
• •  6 cartriges
  • 6 sets
  •  Meter and test strips, at least 3 vials
  • Insulin – 2 vials (I also use an insulin that is usually not in stock)
• 3 days of clothing

I want to take and usually do

• toileties
• emergency battery for CPAP (at least twice when traveling this has saved my butt)
• MP3 player and accesories (listening to music helps me sleep in a strange environement)
• Camera and accessories

First, I dare you to get that all in one carry on — oh, the good news, is that since I have a medical reason, I get three carry-on.  I usually put everything but the CPAP machine in one bag, carry a large Ameribag, and the CPAP bag. 

You DO have to call the airlines ahead of time and tell them that.

You also have to put everything into three bins when you go through TSA.  Which wouldn't be a huge problem, except that

• you hold up the line
• until last summer TSA wasn't good at keeping things together

I have to patiently and nicely requst that the keep everything together as they pat me down — I invariably set off the medical dectector, as the aggrate metal in my clothing sets off their machine.

What I try to do, is stake out an area with my three bins, get as many people that can go around me, and then try to go through the screening by myself as much as possible as I am terrified that someone will take something out of one of the bins.

Or I'll forget something (I have, the laptop!).

Trust me every time I've gone through TSA some type of minor delaying disaster has happened.

Broken insulin vials
Lost laptop
Someone picks up my bin by mistake.

Oh and don't forget they have to hand swab my CPAP machine (gross, remember I have to breath through that thing all night and I really don't like strangers near it).