I travel by plane every so often and thus have to deal with TSA security folks in every airport. My fluids and other related supplies have not been a problem, but on my last trip, my pump was a huge issue. My dr. and my supplier had both stressed that the pump should not go through x-ray or the magnetic scanner because of the high risk of it getting de-programmed. I have a letter from my dr. to that effect. Previously, TSA personnel have obliged by examining the pump themselves and not running it through any scanning devices. But the last time I flew, TSA officials demanded to x-ray the pump and said that anyone could have written the travel letter I showed them. With fear and trembling, I held my ground. After a long bruhaha, they finally relented. I wrote to TSA to tell them what happened, asking for them to consider amending their guidelines on medical devices so that others of us don't have to go through such an ordeal. I have heard nothing back from them.
Have any others of you had to deal with this?
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Getting through security!!!
- By davethegardener
- Posted March 25, 2009 at 2:34 pm · 25 replies
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- By daviandsteve
- Posted March 25, 2009 at 4:09 pm
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I also would be interested in hearing peoples' security experiences. I haven't taken my pump as carry-on, but pack it carefully in its carrying pack inside one of my suitcases; I know it's taking a chance, but I just can't carry the pump, drinks, a book, sweater,etc.
It's the drinks I've been having a problem with. I have a doctor's note, on a prescription slip, saying that I should be alowed to bring Gatorade on board, but the last few times I flew they gave me so much grief about it. One time I got so angry I just dumped my two unopened bottles in the trash; once through security I spoke with a supervisor who said they should have let me bring it through, and next time I should ask for a supervisor. Well the next time I did ask for the supervisor, and he told the TSA rep to open the bottle and test it with a dip stick! I was so turned off by the whole thing that this summer we drove to Maine instead of flying! In December we visited my mom in Florida and I decided that I'd avoid the whole hassle by bringing an empty Rubbermaid bottle and a packet of ORS salts and mix that up once through security. The only problem with that was it was difficult to completely fill the bottle from a water fountain because when I got to the last few ounces, more water spilled out than went in. I got a paper cup from one of the vendors and was able to fill it the rest of the way, add the powder and, voila, I had my hydrating beverage! But, it was a lot of work; it used to be so simple when I could just bring Gatorade on board without being questioned! They don't get it that I can't drink water, juice or most sodas, and that I have to drink frequently.
Well, Monday morning I have to fly again - Mom isn't doing so well and her aide is on vacation. So, any suggestions will be most appreciated!
Davi
- By davethegardener
- Posted March 25, 2009 at 4:41 pm
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Davi, your gatorade experience sounds familiar. I always carry a 1 liter tanker with oral rehydration stuff (either Ceralyte or homemade world health organization formula). I make a point of emptying it before going through security, then once through, do exactly as you do, namely, fill the tanker with water and add in premeasured stuff. I suppose I could try to fight that battle but I know my attention has to be focused on the liters of TPN and related stuff that I just don't mess with fighting about my drink.
btw, does Gatorade work for you? I had to give up all the commercial drinks like that because they are waaaaay too sweet and cause me to lose more fluid than I gain. But you use what works for you....
davethegardener
- By daviandsteve
- Posted March 25, 2009 at 6:19 pm
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Gatorade does work for me, but I've switched to mostly using the ORS packets that I get from Jianis Bros. The main reason I switched was that the Gatorade was gradually dissolving the enamel on my teeth. I found out that the pH is 3! Most of the rehydration experts, especially Dr. Kelly, disapprove of sports drinks. Not only do they have too much sugar, but they don't have as much potassium or salt either. When I do use Gatorade these days, I add water and salt to it and use a straw to keep it away from my teeth. Sometimes it's just so much more refreshing than the ORS.
For travel, though, it was convenient. I'm thinking about buying a quart bottle of Pedialyte for the trip.
I can understand your not bothering about the drink issue if you are taking a pump and TPN bags on board. That's more than enough to worry about.
Happy traveling to one and all, and keep those suggestions coming in!
Davi
- By Western_T
- Posted March 25, 2009 at 9:34 pm
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I've taken my pump (Curlin 4000) as carry-on. It's been zapped by x-ray at least 8 times in the past year and I've had no problems at all. For the on-board TPN, they check to make sure your prescription labels match your boarding pass. I also have help from a very nice strong husband. I generally have a few more problems at smaller airports where TPN and medical devices are a bit more rare.
- By davethegardener
- Posted March 27, 2009 at 5:11 pm
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Davi--do you have the oral rehydration formula from the World Health Organization? I got it from the Mayo team and have started using it exclusively, largely because it is dirt cheap and easy to use. (1 liter water, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. salt substitute, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Then I add a titch of Crystal Lite for flavoring.) I make a bunch of packets ahead of time in ziplock snack bags so all I have to do is dump it in a liter of water, shake, and drink.
- By davethegardener
- Posted March 27, 2009 at 5:25 pm
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Well, well... thank you, Western T for sharing your experience. That's very interesting...my pump is a Curlin 4000, also. So to try to clarify the confusion, I called Curlin directly. I just got off the phone with their clinical specialist, who says that the pump won't be harmed by going through x-ray. Ah, me.... I think somehow the thought that it would be harmed became part of the oral tradition with my supplier and my medical team. Curlin is going to send me by email their technical sheet about these pumps with that information specifically in it.
Oh, also about your Curlin----do you have or use a rechargeable power pack or are you generating a mountain of partially used C batteries like I am? I've been told that a power pack is not available for this pump, but I find that hard to believe. I used to use a CADD pump that did have a power pack. I used batteries with that only when I was in the Boundary Waters!
- By Western_T
- Posted March 27, 2009 at 5:56 pm
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I'm generating that same mountain of partially used C batteries. I can't get them to last two nights. The only eco-friendly thing I can say is that we do recycle them properly.
Boundary Waters, eh??? I was there once long ago. I should have guessed from your cross country skiing picture.
- By daviandsteve
- Posted March 27, 2009 at 9:40 pm
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How do you recycle the batteries? Can you set them out with your curbside recycling?
- By davethegardener
- Posted March 27, 2009 at 10:35 pm
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No, you can't set batteries out with other recycling, at least not around here in MN. As it happens, our little City Hall in our little MN village has a battery recycling barrel which I more or less fill myself (well, slight exaggeration...). I've also seen deposit sites at the County Library. I can get a 12 hour TPN infusion and a 4 hour hydration infusion out of the same batteries, but not two 12 hour TPN infusions. Since I infuse at night, I am not wild about starting up with batteries that I know will conk out sometime in the middle of a dream. If Curlin doesn't come through with a usable power pack, my next step is to try to find some social service agency that could use batteries with a little bit of juice left in them, like for kids' toys or whatever.
- By Sanford
- Posted March 28, 2009 at 10:45 am
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I have flown several times since I got my tubes (including to Oley conferences is Salt Lake City and San Diego), and have never had a problem with security. I make a beeline for a security agent and tell the I have a medical device (and I always travel with the pump attached so there's no doubt), and ask for a hand search. I've asked for strip searches and body cavity searches, but no matter how I beg and plead, no luck so far (but that's for another blog). I've also been to the US Open in Queens, and NBC Studios in Manhattan, where no backpacks were allowed, and done the same thing.
- By dreamlady1931
- Posted March 28, 2009 at 11:45 am
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DAve,
Like the original NiCad battery rechargers, there are alkalyne battery rechargers--found them on First Street, but also googled them and found a variety of vendors.
Might help with partially used C's
- By Kristin_F
- Posted April 1, 2009 at 11:30 pm
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I'm really glad someone has posted about traveling with a pump. I am diabetic and have had to fly with insulin and syringes as a carry on. Sometimes there are no ques. what so ever, other times the airlines have pitched a fit about it, even with a note on a prescription pad from a physician. A friend of mine has offered to fly me to TX a few times since I've gotten my tube, so that I can see her, and see if getting a way for a while would help with my bouts of depression. But I've been so scared of dealing with airline security now that I'd have to carry the pump and the insulin and syringes that I've told her I can't come right now. Can someone also tell me, how do you carry enough cans of food with you on a plane? I know I can check them, but that could cost an aweful lot to carry enough cans to stay for a week. I'm on Jevity 1.2 so they come in metal cans, about the size of ensure.
- By Sanford
- Posted April 2, 2009 at 2:52 pm
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I don't carry the cans on board; I board with a full bag set of either water or formula. And I use the largest bags sets (1200 mls) so that I don't need to add more cans.
- By Kristin_F
- Posted April 3, 2009 at 9:37 pm
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So how do you get more food if you are gone for a wk or so? Does your homecare pharmacy help you to get food once you arrive at your destination?
- By davethegardener
- Posted April 20, 2009 at 1:25 pm
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I am responding to two items in this discussion-- one, getting enough supplies at a travel destination, and, two, more airport security stuff.
About supplies to a destination, although I don't have to worry about diabetic supplies, I do have to fret about enough TPN. At 3 to 4 liters a day, it would be impossible for me to carry enough, especially since it has to be kept cold. My suppliers, bless their hearts, have been great about shipping to a destination and packing it all in enough frozen polar packs that it arrives nice and cold. I just have to be sure someone is on the other end to open it up and stick it all in a refrigerator. I do carry enough supplies with me for about two days in case of airport delays. I wonder if those of you who need diabetic supplies might get the same kind of support from your homecare pharmacy. I could not travel without this help, and with it, have been on four trips the first four months of this year.
But that leads to the second matter--airport security. Grrrr. Most times all I have to do is to tell the TSA people what I am carrying and once in a while they will want to look it all over a little bit. But this last time they insisted on disgorging the suitcase I had carefully packed with all my sterile supplies and then put the bags of TPN, heparin syringes, injectable vitamins, etc., in the same gray bins people put their shoes in so they could run it all through x-ray again! When I growled at them complaining that I never know what to expect from them, the supervisor whispered, "That's deliberate. Otherwise the bad guys would know our system and would figure out how to get around us. This way we stay a step ahead of them." So I guess it is sort of a game. I have to figure out how to accommodate security without compromising my sterile supplies....
- By cp20855
- Posted May 28, 2009 at 3:51 pm
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Re the Boundary Waters trip, how did you get your TPN supplies to Canada? We'd like to have them shipped but (so far) the supplier says no.
- By Katie811
- Posted May 28, 2009 at 4:03 pm
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Dave...I am on a PEG tube for feeding...my husband and I are planning our first air travel trip from the US to England in Sept...the company that supplies my canned food does not ship outside the US...I went online to see if I could find a company in the UK that could supply me...no luck...I'm a little nervous about being stuck somewhere with no food...I've read some of the postings here and it looks like the best thing I can do is carry enough cans for 2 days...that would be 10 cans...have you ever had any of your supplies shipped ahead by UPS to a destination?...if so, how did that work out?...any tips you can send along would be very welcome...Katie811
- By davethegardener
- Posted May 29, 2009 at 5:15 pm
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My supplier ships by UPS and they tell me they have done it around the world. I have only done it in the USA. My supplier hovers like a Mama Hen over the shipment by tracking it almost mile by mile (well, not quite). But once, one of the bags broke and UPS and my supplier discovered that immediately and took care of it before I ever arrived at my destination.
- By davethegardener
- Posted May 29, 2009 at 5:20 pm
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Well, I will have more to say after August of this year! Although I have been infusing fluids for 2 1/2 years, I started on TPN just last October, and so haven't done a BWCA trip with TPN. My Mayo team tells me there is a formula similar to my requirements that does not need to be refrigerated, which would be great. Then I would just carry everything I need, minus a cooler with dry ice. Oh, btw, we base camp. We don't portage, and we stay on the US side of the border... I can't imagine portaging all that TPN!
- By cp20855
- Posted May 30, 2009 at 8:55 am
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Our supplier called yesterday to explain about why they won't ship out of USA. The long and short of it is that they can't control Customs. (Before 9/11 they did ship to other countries w/o difficulty.)
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