July 15, 2008
The Healthy Hearts Team: Claudia Dunn, Ben Marx and Susie Peter.
Traveling with Type 2 Diabetes
by Claudia Dunn RN, BSN, PHN, YKHC CVD Coordinator and Ben Marx, MS, YKHC CVD Case Manager
Improving life quality requires paying attention to daily lifestyle activities and making healthy choices. Many people with type 2 diabetes need routine schedules for daily health maintenance. However, they need to practice healthy lifestyle activities daily, whether staying at home or traveling. Trip preparation allows health maintenance in non-routine situations.
A traveler should start planning at least one month before departure. Once a well-organized healthy travel plan is established, the frequent traveler can become prepared much sooner. For the Yukon-Kuskokwim resident, types of travel include both airplane and fish camp travel. Below is a list of tips for both travel types.
Airplane Travel
Get information about your destination, especially location of medical clinics. Go to the Center for Disease Control's Travelers' Yellowbook Internet site at www.2ncid.cdc.gov/travel.
Keep your schedule close to your daily routine. Ask your diabetes educator to help you plan for medicine, food, and activity times.
Bring your medicines, glucose testing supplies, and written prescriptions with your carry-on luggage. Make sure all medications are in the original pharmacy container with a printed label, which clearly identifies the medication.
Arrive early to the airport. Inform the TSA agent that you have diabetes.
For more information, go to the following Internet sites: www.faa.gov or www.tsa.gov
Fish Camp Travel
Keep your schedule similar to your daily routine. Ask your diabetes educator to help you. Medicine should be taken on the same schedule as at home.
Bring your medicines and glucose testing supplies. Be sure to have enough supplies to last the trip. You may need to contact the Diabetes program for more.
Have some hard candy available to help prevent low blood sugar that may occur from long durations of physical activity.
Drink plenty of water. Drink 1 to 2, two-quart bottles daily. Contact Diabetes or Healthy Hearts for a bottle.
Always wash your hands before testing your blood sugar level.
These simple steps will allow the person with Type 2 Diabetes to maintain a healthy life, even when traveling on airplanes or going to fish camp. Awareness and appropriate preparation are key principles in making your trip an enjoyable one.
For more information, contact Diabetes or Healthy Hearts at the numbers below.
Diabetes: 907-543-6133 • Healthy Hearts: 907-543-6999
