Packing the Pancreas

The taxis were scheduled to pick us up at the flat and take us to St. Pancras national train station at 5:15 a.m....I was woken up at 5:10 by a flat mate. Talk about a stressful and rushed morning. Luckily, I had packed everything for our weekend in France the night before, including my diabetes supplies.

Our instructions from our professors (who were orchestrating the trip to Normandy) were to pack light. That meant 1 backpack. This isn't the first time I have packed for a long weekend in nothing but a single bag, but it's always a challenge when you take the need for medical supplies into account. Here is how I pack for a trip to another country (or anywhere really) in a single backpack

Pictured below are all the supplies I brought with me on the trip. It can be hard to balance being prepared and packing light, so I had to be realistic yet aware that anything could happen.

I have a designated pocket in my traveling bag for diabetic supplies. This pocket gives me easy access to things I might need quickly such as glucose tablets and my testing meter. I put an extra Dexcom site in this pocket because of its size. The glucagon is strategically placed as one of the first things you would see upon opening the compartment because I wouldn't be the one to access it if it were ever needed.

In the diabetes pocket is a smaller zip up compartment. Here is where I put my sites, insulin cartridges, batteries, and extra test strips

Next, I put a tube of glucose in one of the most accessible pockets of my backpack, along with the other essentials (sometimes I put it in a side pocket so I can reach it while wearing the backpack. It depends).

Now for dear 'ole insulin. In addition to novalog I always bring a long acting pen just in case my pump quits working. These two medicines need to be refrigerated if they are unopened. For this trip I was only gone for four days, so the insulin I brought did not need to be constantly refrigerated. On a previous trip I did need these two things chilled so I wrapped them in a paper towel and put them in a small pocket of their own along with a baggy filled with ice. I made sure to use a paper towel so the ice wouldn't be directly on the bottles and they didn't have the chance of freezing. If insulin freezes it looses all use.

Phone chargers are the life source for everyone. Not having a cell phone charged would be so difficult for anyone. For diabetics who get Dexcom readings sent to their phone, a charger is as important as an actual medical supply. If you are on the same system as me, DON'T FORGET THE CHARGER!

Once all of my diabetic supplies are situated I throw in all my clothes. When packing light for a weekend trip don't be scared to wear the same thing a couple of times. It's part of it!

And finally, for an early morning train ride make sure you get the most important supply. I cannot stress the emotional, physical, and mental need for this item enough. Some say they can go without it, but I say: don't trust those people. Do not forget to grab a cold Diet Coke. Like insulin, if not chilled it won't do the trick ;)