’tis the season of, ‘use up your remaining vacation days’.
i am going to italy with my family in a few days and we’re spending 8 days there. so, naturally, about 17 days ago, i wrote down a list of all the stuff i’m going to need to bring in order to ensure that i don’t have any hiccups between logan airport and the vatican. but how prepared it too prepared? is there even such a thing? since this will be my first international travel experience with my pump, i’m thinking that being a crazy organized type – A freak may be on my side this go around. i’m not saying i’ll bring an additional duffel stuffed to the brim with infusion sets, let’s be serious, bag fees are astronomical these days! but at the same time, the trade-off of peace of mind vs. a scramble for a panicked situation is totally worth the hassle. andiamo!
so, what was it that got me to this point of being an uber-organized/mini mobile CVS? welp, i used to panic at airports about this stuff. like full-blown, sweating profusely, shaking hands, speaking broken english kind of panic. i got to a point where i was totally convinced that my blood sugar would drop below 40 before i’d even reached the gate and i’d hit the deck in front of hundreds of strangers that don’t care about me. pretty bleak outlook overall, and generally shitty attitude, i know.
what i’ve realized is that being prepared takes the edge of the whole scenario. well, that and coming to terms with the fact that an airport is areguably like, one of safest place ever for mistakes to happen. not only are they loaded with doctors (albiet totally random doctors, but hey, proof of a degree is fiiiine by me), military personel, puppies, police, grandmas, other diabetics, people in wheelchairs, people that have saved kittens from burning buildings, etc., also there is food literally everywhere.
yes, it might be a little embarrassing to walk through security presenting a crumpled, food – stained letter from your doctor and a stash of needles all while digging my pump out from in between my boobs to put on the security belt. maybe it sucks a tad to explain to TSA that your pancreas is just broken, not that you’re trying to threaten national security. yes, it’s a little less than ideal to cram tons of bags into the bathroom stall with you when all you have to do is pee yet you look like you’re moving to kenya for 3 years. but at the end of the day, the comfort in knowing that you’ve got your butt covered when things don’t go according to plan is huge and will make for smooth sailing every time (yes, pun intended.)
The Sugars 