Holiday Tips

Part of what keeps my diabetes in such good control is routine. Every morning, I make the same lunch (78 carbs), I exercise at the same time every day, I steer towards the same foods at restaurants I go to, I eat at the same times every day, and I refuse to get a new type of pump, even when my insurance is up. This helps me keep my blood sugars in range because through years of practice (I’ve actually packed the same lunch for three years) I’ve found what’s worked and used that to keep myself in range.

However, all the work that I’ve done during the years I’ve had diabetes always goes to waste during the holidays. The actual travel is the first issue; I hate planes and always get very, very anxious before I go on one and this spikes my blood sugar like crazy. Also, the pressure changes during takeoff and landing make all of the insulin in my tubing go “bad,” so I squeeze it out and make the whole plane smell like an emergency room. Also, the security line always brings problems, unfortunately. Last time I traveled, they found “bomb residue” on my pump (they told me later, after everything checked out, that it was most likely a compound in the hand lotion I use) and, like a trooper, I started bawling in the security line.

These problems can make it harder to manage diabetes. Also, at my destination, it’s harder to focus on checking or bolusing when I’m surrounded and distracted by friends and family, or, when I go to visit my uncle and his three little kids, it’s very stressful to have to constantly watch my kit to make sure it’s close to me but far enough away so that they won’t find my syringes or strips and ingest them. Or, when my little cousin tries to push the buttons on my pump to see what they will do.

And, of course, all of my food regimen that has been perfected for years goes out the window during the holidays; grazing all morning and not having a solid meal until 4:00 creates a CGM map that looks like a tennis match between highs and lows.

So, a couple things I’ve started to do to alleviate holiday stresses and complications are to keep all my medical stuff in a plastic bag when going through TSA so that it’s easier for them to check all at once. And, I pack my own snacks so that, even if I don’t eat them in the airport, I am less worried about finding something and know I have backup. For the actual plane ride, I now bring a napkin to let the bad insulin out into and throw it away with my drink cup.

Unfortunately, for the flying anxiety, the only thing I’ve found to help with that is testing a lot to make sure I don’t spike. I’ve also started using Tupperware to hold my kit when I visit my family because the little ones can’t get into it and I can leave it close to me, and I tell my little cousin that if he pushes my pump buttons it tells Santa to bring him coal for Christmas. And, during the holidays, if everyone else is grazing in the morning and eating a big meal in the evening, I try to stick more to my own schedule and avoid grazing, eat a real breakfast/lunch, and then eat a smaller meal at dinner (with less of an emphasis on sweets at the end J).

So, over the years, I’ve accumulated these tips so that I can enjoy the holidays to their full potential, and I hope you can, too!

Happy holidays!