Kuandaa. To Prepare.

Travel, holidays, exploring, new places… Love it. I am in Zanzibar writing this and having an incredible time. However I will get to that later.

Today I feel the need to share/moan/laugh about the preparation that occurs when a T1 diabetic travels. When I was diagnosed, I was due to depart for Tanzania only 6 weeks later, so I was thrown into the challenges of travel right from the beginning, and for this I feel somewhat grateful.

The key is organisation and preparation. Organisation of supplies, and preparation for the worst.

Here is photo of my medical supplies for this week in Zanzibar. It pretty much says it all. This is the day to day equipment I need to stay alive for one week, but going away, I need doubles or triples of everything, just in case something is lost/stolen or damaged. I always lay everything out one or two days before departure, and triple check I have everything. Travelling in developed countries this is not such an issue, as replacements are possible, however the lack of easy access to medical supplies in developing countries deems this necessary.

Ready for anything! Type 1 diabetes supplies for 1 week away.

Perhaps I overthink things, but I also consider natural disasters, political unrest, transport delays. For everyone else, getting stranded somewhere probably means a bit of discomfort. For a T1 diabetic who has lost their insulin or sugar, it’s a lot more serious. There is no need to let these worries prevent you from doing anything, but I believe it pays to plan for a worst case scenario. In addition, I always wear my medic-alert bracelet and an ugly medical wrist-band when travelling. There are so many unknowns being in this part of the world, and you are not always with people who know you. It is just better that people can easily see that you have a medical condition for if you are in an accident.

I really think that I should be allowed excess baggage on medical grounds, however I’m not so sure they will go for it. Maybe next time I fly I will ask and let you know. For any T1s reading, I will make a list of travel tips soon. For anyone who doesn’t have to carry this amount of medical equipment with you everywhere you go, feel grateful next time you are packing your bag and trying to organise your toiletries!