I figure out what I usually use over the given time period and then double
it. Somebody mentioned batteries - good point… And they’re small so triple
them. Strips are easy to underestimate - so triple those too! Keep in mind
that you are likely to be trucking around by foot more, perhaps
significantly more that you do in your typical routine - and your insulin
requirements may go down due to using lots of temporary basal rates below
your normal. Overpack glucose tabs and suck them back if you start to feel
odd and don’t have access to your meter - you can bring yourself down easier
than dealing with a serious low.

And wear identification!

Enjoy Germany - Europe is wonderful and Disetronic is a Swiss company with
strong sales in Germany - you may find that folks are more aware of diabetes
and pumps than here at home.

Tchuss,
John

You ask some excellent questions about travelling and how to deal with the pump
when in that situation.

I live in the San Francisco area, and have traveled to Europe many times while
using the pump.

Good news: It is not a problem.

In fact, it is a blessing. You can eat when every one else does, and just do
what you always do. The only worry is the change in the basal timing.

I have experimented with changing the clock on departure, on arrival, and have
found that it doesn’t make much difference. The most important thing is to

take frequent Bg readings, while in flight, and act accordingly. If you are
using Humilog, this helps considerably, since the time constants are so short,
you cannot get into trouble unless you overreact.

As far as educating your teacher, the best thing is to be patient, and keep
him/her informed about what happens when you have a low Bg. Make sure that
they understand the symptoms, the treatment (on a plane, orange juice!). Have
plenty of glucose tablets as well. The worst thing is to hide the problem from
unsuspecting people; let it all hang out.

But, I have never had a serious problem travelling Europe, and I have made at
least 10 trips there over the past few years, using the pump. Biggest
problem: running out of batteries! They can sometimes be hard to find, and
they are expensive.

Also, be prepared for a total failure. If the pump crashes for some reason, it
is a good idea to have some Lente (and some needles, of course) with you to
allow you to go back on multiple injections easily. That never happened to me
in Europe, but it did once at home, and having something to fall back on
immediately was very worthwhile while the pump was replaced (usually within 24
hours).

Not a big deal.

Enjoy yourself!

David

> ~As I already mention my teacher doesn’t really know much about diabetes.
We
> are planning to meet before we leave for Germany to go over what diabetes
is.
> I have found that she gets very nervous around me when I get low, what
> should tell her about diabetes? I don’t want her to get scared, but she

knows SOUNDS LIKE KIRSTIN IS OVER BOLUSING DURING MEALS….
SUGGEST USING SMALLER BOLUSES TO AVOID THOSE LOWS..BUT DO
TEACH EVERYONE WHAT TO DO IF THEY NOTICE CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR