Airline Travel With FRIO Wallet

[Worldcrzr]

I always take my insulin in a FRIO wallet when we travel and never have had any problems taking it. The wallet keeps the insulin almost as cool as keeping it in a refrigerator. With new airline security, I'm wondering if they will take it away from me since it is cooled with gel inside.

Has anyone flown with a FRIO since the new airline restrictions came into effect? We will be leaving for the Antarctic on January 24th and will fly from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires on our first leg via LAN Airways. Then we will fly from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina where we will board our ship. We will fly back from Santaigo, Chile to Los Angeles.

I know I can leave a vial out of the refrigerator for 28 days, but I will be taking two vials and don't want to have to throw the second vial away after the trip. I will use the entire first vial but only a partial of the second.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks...

[Blue Knight]

I have traveled internationally since the new restrictions and dont use the FRIO but I do use liquid gel packs which are larger in volume and no problems at all.

[notme]

I used my FRIO packs when I went to Africa last year with no trouble. Now granted, this was EXACTLY the day that the new restrictions were implimented. KGM flew with gel packs shortly after the new restrictions and they tried to take them away from her and she battled a bit and won.

Honestly, there is a way around this. I would take your FRIO packs while you are flying and put them in your checked luggage. Carry your insulin on board with you. If you are really concerned about temp fluctiations then have them refridgerated on board the plane. I don't think you really need to. You are not going to hot climates, your insulin isn't going to go bad for the hours you are on a plane. If the bottle is unopened and on board a plane with you, you can easily just refridgerate it when you get to your destination.

Have fun on your trip. Sounds exciting!

[BriOnH]

Wow! The antartic! Wont be needing the frio much once you get there! :) Why are you going there if I may ask? That sounds like quite an adventure.

[Blue Knight]

This is taken directy from the TSA.gov website...

"We continue to permit perscription liquid medications and other liquids needed by persons with disabilities and medical conditions. This includes:

Gels or forzen liquids needed to cool disability or medically related items used by persons with disabilities or medical conditions."

TSA: Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions (http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/index.shtm)

Have fun on your trip.....

[Worldcrzr]

Thanks Blue Knight. I hadn't read the TSA site recently. I'll print the information out and take it with me. Unfortunately TSA regulations do not pertain to other countries. I'll take it with me and see what happens.

BriOnH...we have wanted to go to the Antarctic since we sailed around the horn back in 2001. Some passengers on our ship had the opportunity to fly over and came back with amazing pictures and stories. The ship we are taking makes several daily landings and we go ashore in Zodiacs to visit the research stations. They give us bright red parkas to wear so they can tell us from the wildlife. We quit taking luxury cruises several years ago and now only do adventure trips. We are getting older and not many years left to see what there is out there. So, we have to do it while we can.

[Worldcrzr]

I forgot to mention that the FRIO wallet keeps the insulin from freezing as well as over-heating. By keeping it at a constant temperature, I feel more secure that my insulin is still good. It gets very hot in Buenos Aires and Santiago this time of year. It is their summer. So, it is heat in the north and freezing temperatures in the Antarctic.

[BriOnH]

Good for you world. That sounds like so much fun. I hope someday I can go on such adventures. Need to plan some. I will get to the galapagos islands some day. Would love to see some pictures of the trip you take if you care to share. Is it a sail boat you travel on?

[Worldcrzr]

BriOnH...no sailboat would be allowed in that part of the world. We are going on Norweigian Coastal Voyages. The ship has a ice-breaker rated hull and is one of the few allowed in the area. The visits to Antarctica are very regulated and only 100 persons per landing can go shore. There are enough trips ashore for everyone to land. The passenger list is about 240 persons. I have heard we will not see another ship the entire time we are down there.

I do have a site on pbase and when I get pictures posted, I could provide the link if anyone is interested.

It is summer down there now so the average temperature is around 40-50 degrees F during the day. The wind chill makes it much colder, however.

Here is a link to our trip: Norwegian Coastal Voyage (http://www.coastalvoyage.com/AntarcticaSub2.asp?pageindex=58)

[BriOnH]

Man that looks like so much fun!!!!!!!!!!! (I looked at the link) 40-50F is pretty good!! I don't know much about the Antarctic other then it's at the bottom of the earth and a cool penguins film was filmed there :) . Looks like a great adventure. The pictures on the website look incredible.

[Worldcrzr]

BriOnH...if you have the time, and interest, here is a video of the trip and the ship we are taking...enjoy...
Antarctic Virtual Cruise (http://www.cruisenorway.com/antarctica/)

[notme]

I saw a special on this trip on the National Geographic Channel. It looks like an AWSOME adventure. I am jealous. I can't wait to see your pictures when you come back. When are you going?

[Worldcrzr]

We are leaving next Wednesday the 24th of January and returning on February 12th. We have all our cold weather gear laid out and ready to pack. We have to take summer hot clothes for Buenos Aires and Santiago and cold weather gear for the rest of the trip. I wish I had seen the National Geographic special you mentioned.

[notme]

Ummmm don't forget your anti-nausea patch for the Cape Horn area...hehehehe

[Worldcrzr]

Neither my husband nor I get seasick however we have never been in some of the rough seas that are in the Drake passage. We ae thinking of taking the wristbands which work great. One of the ship's doctors on another cruise said never use the patch...it is dangerous for people with high blood pressure. She recommended the pills or the wristband. I see my doctor tomorrow so I will ask him which is best.

Saw my endo this morning and my count came down to 6.5...that is the lowest it has ever been. He was so happy. He also wrote me a prescription for the Inset infusion sets I have been testing out. Everything is coming up roses for me...

[BriOnH]

How are the ship doctors? What a job that would be!

[Worldcrzr]

On a big cruise ship, they have a complete infirmary where they can treat all but the most serious cases. The doctors are usually on vacation and signed on for the duration of the cruise. They can bring their wives and families. Most of the doctors we have met were from Canada. When someone gets really ill (usually a heart attack), they are put off at the nearest port that has a hospital and the ship goes on.

The cruise we're taking has a doctor and nurse but limited facilities. We had to have a physical exam and a medical report submitted by our physician before we would be accepted. Even with the "all ok" medical report submitted by our physician, the cruise company called to question me about my heart disease and diabetes. They have no access to hospitals for days and want to make sure they don't have someone get very sick on them. The cruise is not for the disabled so they concentrate on other medical conditions. It is not a strenuous trip but they had to verify for their insurance company that I was ok to go. Also, we had to send a copy of our travel insurance documentation proving that we were covered because we declined their coverage.

Our travel agent assures us that all cruise lines to the Antarctic have the same requirements.