# Holidays with an Insulin Pump!



## helz95 (Oct 14, 2010)

Hey everyone, I'm going on holiday with school soon . Only problem is, I've never been anywhere with my insulin pump before... 
I've got a letter for customs from the hospital but I was wondering what to do for the scans and the x ray things. Do I keep it on and walk through the scan or put it in the box with bags and shoes etc?  

Any other advice for going on holiday with an insulin pump would be much appreciatedxx


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## Adrienne (Oct 14, 2010)

Hi

You do not take your pump off, you can walk through the normal scan things.  However if you have a sensor and transmitter (CGMS) this needs to be turned off for that bit and infact the whole flight.

Holidays with a pump are so much easier than injections as you can use the temp basal for lots of stuff.  You can disconnect and make up basal later if you go swimming etc.   If it is a beach holiday then remember to take the caps with you from the canula box as if you get sand in the canula where it clips back in you are stuck !


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## sugarfreerach (Oct 15, 2010)

you CANT go through the X ray thing, but normal scan is fine. I went on a cruise this year and i was fine. When i first went through i told them about it and i had to have a body scan with the lady (no sense of humour that one!) but on the way home i didnt mention it to anyone and no one said a thing to me, didnt even question it.


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## Copepod (Oct 15, 2010)

Probably the first time I became aware of insulin pumps was at Bogota airport, where we changed planes on way to Ecuador, and I read a sign (in Spanish, obviously) saying that anyone with an insulin pump could ask for a hand examination, instead of walking through scanner.


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## Sugarbum (Oct 15, 2010)

I walk through a body scanner several times a day at work with the pump on if thats any reasurrance to you. I dont think the magnets are strong enough to cause your pump any harm, or to be honest, mine would have died by now!

Sometimes on random searches I am body scanned with a wand (you know the one that looks like a large remote control?) which I request not to have done and that hasnt been a problem so far- touch wood. I dont like the thought of that one being put right over the pump. I believe its part of your human rights to refuse that with a reasonable explanation. At the end of the day, if it caused such a drama work wise I would consider removing it to have the scan done (I understand completely why it needs to be carried out) and then re-attach.

Security devices I really dont see as a problem, as mentioned above, if you are having an XR or MRI for emdical reasons then you MUST remove the device.


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## tracey w (Oct 15, 2010)

Cant add to whats been said.  Except, 

have been on holiday twice now with the pump and walked through scanners no problem (checked with roche rep before hol), as i have bluetooth connection for my pump and handset, this has to be switched off for the flight. Like a mobile phone. And i just used it manually for the flight.


Never been asked to show letter, even been body searched and just said thats my insulin pump, no response, think they see them all the time so dont worry. 

Also had mamograms and switch off and disconnect for those, as you need to for x rays.

Have a great time!


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## helz95 (Oct 15, 2010)

okay thanks for the help everyone x


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