We leave on our big vacation in one week. First we fly across the country to spend a couple of days with family, then we board the cruise ship. This will be our second cruise with T1D. We know the drill. And yet I’m starting to lose my shit a little bit as we are preparing ALL the things.
V had her regular Endo appointment last month where we discussed cruise BG management strategies. Endo made suggestions re: some dosage adjustments. But her main recommendation for V was to remain active. Last cruise was 5 days long and she spent the majority of it running high. She felt it and it was not pleasant. We could let it go for 5 days, but this upcoming cruise is 9 days. Running high for 9 days straight is not going to work. We’ve been talking about being more reasonable with food, being even more aggressive with insulin, and about the added importance of moving around. We’ll have to take walks around the ship. There are other fun active things to do onboard and there are more choices than on our last cruise. And we’ll get off the ship a few times to go to beaches and snorkel. This time it has to be different.
Then there is so much stuff to pack. So.much.stuff. I generally love trip planning but packing all the medical crap is the bane of my existence. We will be in the middle of nowhere for 9 days and I feel like there is no room for error. I’m making a list and checking it twice. The Insulet rep gave us a loaner PDM (pump’s remote) to take with us as a back up in case V’s fails. How many pods to bring? I’m thinking at least 10. No, I’ll feel more comfortable with 14. Two or three vials of insulin for the pump plus a vial of back-up long-acting insulin. Syringes, strips, meters… Do we have any unexpired ketone strips? Must check. Glucagon! How many? I’m thinking at least two? Because you never know and I do not want to take any chances. AAA batteries. Dexcom sensors and charger. Wipes galore. And so much more. I’m half-panicking that we will forget something important or not bring enough of it. Yes there is an infirmary on the ship. No I don’t want to rely on it for anything because I have no idea if they have anything we need. WHAT IF WE FORGET SOMETHING IMPORTANT?!?!?
OK, breathe. Breathe. We got this. Need to bring some snacks for air travel and shore excursions. Also need to pack gels and glucose tabs. At least there will be easy 24 hr access to food/juice. And there are plenty of gluten-free eats on the ship.
Trip insurance was purchased long ago. In fact, it was purchased within two weeks of booking the cruise so that we could get a waiver for pre-existing conditions. With three out of four in the family living with chronic health conditions, there is no way in hell we are going on a trip without trip insurance. Have to remember to print out insurance paperwork. Should probably print out a travel letter from Endo? Though we’ve never needed it before so maybe not…
And then there are other meds and equipment including a nebulizer (because F U asthma and you never know…) Have a duffle bag that will be dedicated to medical supplies. Bought more luggage tags. Need to put tags on V’s diabetes backpack and the duffle bag and clearly label them as medical supplies. Need to make sure all devices are properly labeled.
So.much.stuff.
We got this. I am going to overpack like we are going away for a month but I will leave knowing that we have everything V needs to have a fun and safe vacation. Soon we will be back on the high seas having a time of our lives. All this prep is worth it.
T1D and Gluten-Free 