I am writing this post from Downtown San Antonio, Texas. Dr. C and I are here attending the annual Texas chapter of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. No lie, we are probably the coolest people here...just don't tell the other nerds..ahem..doctors.
You are probably wondering about the title of my post. Actually very fitting! Funny story: we drove from our home in Southeast Texas (near Houston) to San Antonio, which is in Central Texas (see also: Hill Country). Following our arrival and check in to our hotel, I promptly discovered a packing mistake. I forgot to pack undies. Party FOUL. So yeah...I'm sans panties in San Antonio. That sounds a helluva lot cooler than "sleepless in Seattle".
My epic EPIC fail brings up a good point. Last weekend I was visiting friends and family in Austin (my hometown) and realized I had not packed extra pump supplies or insulin. And my pump (of effing course) started beeping "No Delivery" at bedtime. The wonderful folks at Medtronic offered to overnight me a new pump, and my local rep wanted to drive me a new pump...at midnight! Seriously, how great can a company get??? Love
my MDT-Minimed friends!! In lieu of those two options, I opted to test and inject every 2-3 hours with Novolog. It was super fun and practical...said no one..EVER.
I have always instructed my patients to calculate how many supplies they will need during a trip, and then DOUBLE that amount. Bring a travel letter, keep your insulin cool and have your pump settings written down somewhere (you would be surprised by how many people have zero clue).
So, I'm a big fan of the "do as I say, not as I do" rule...well, obviously because my brain isn't running on all pistons. Speak with your CDE or Endo regarding travel letters, a copy of settings and an action plan in case something goes awry.
I was flying to Boston out of Houston, and TSA pulled me aside and started pilfering through my bag. They weren't sold on my Schmomni Pod not being a weapon of mass destruction. They started ripping open pods, touching syringes and subsequently smashing my vial of Novolog. I was in tears. I began taking pictures of the TSA agents with my phone, which they told me was against the law (it's not). Their search cost me my flight and my pride. I then contacted ADA legal services, and said TSA agent ended up losing his job. Part of me felt bad, part of me felt vindicated. TSA itself says that insulin pump users have the right to request pat downs, and in fact, don't even have to disclose that they are wearing a pump or carrying supplies. I would like to teach incoming TSA agents that touching pumps, telling people it's "fiiine!" to put them through X-ray and to always trust that passengers know what's best for their health and $6,000 pancreases...pancrei..? Hmmmmm.
So..yeah, good talk everyone! I'm headed to the mall to buy some undies.
