Several excellent organizations like the American Diabetes Association, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and many other local diabetes resources cover the topic of Blood Glucose Monitoring While On Vacation and/or traveling very well so I am not going to go into great detail on the subject.

However, if you’re someone like me who checks his blood sugar 8 – 10 times per day (or you have a child who does), you may feel like you have everything covered. So, for we “experts,” here are a few reminders:

• Plan, plan and plan some more. You can never be overly prepared to travel,
• Always be sure to have up-to-date prescriptions, a letter from your physician (especially if traveling abroad), and contact information in case you have an emergency,
• Know where you are going and whether or not there is a time-zone change so you can adjust your insulin and other medications appropriately (of course you discussed these needs with your physician and/or diabetes educator first). You’ll also want to know what kinds of foods will be available to you at your destination – you don’t want to plan a trip to a beautiful location just to get there and realize you can’t stomach any of the local food choices,
• Have a sick day/emergency plan in writing so that you don’t forget any important details (someone else traveling with you may need to follow them for you),
• Bring enough diabetes supplies and medications to stay longer than expected (medications, test strips, lancets, etc.). Yes, you really should pack extra lancets even if you re-use your lancets as indicated in a Children With Diabetes website Poll dated October 14-21, 2009 , “How often do you or your child change your lancet for blood glucose checks?”  http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/poll/poll20091014.htm. It would be a shame to have plenty of blood glucose monitoring supplies and no way to get a blood sample!
• Store your supplies so you can carry and use them effectively: keep supplies in your carry-on luggage when flying; keep blood glucose test strips and insulin cool, but don’t allow them to freeze when in extreme climates (tropical areas, beaches, skiing in the mountains, etc.),

• Check your blood sugar…(consult with your diabetes healthcare professionals for recommendations on frequency).  Keep in mind, your symptoms for both high and low blood sugars may feel different than you are used to depending upon the environment and time changes. For example, you may feel tired, run down, thirsty and have a headache while spending the day at a beach. Can you really be sure this is due to high blood sugars or just because you’ve been in the sun and sweating for too long? When in doubt – check your blood sugar!

Be safe and enjoy your travels!

Choosing the lancet size (gauge size) the works best for you is similar to many other aspects of living with diabetes – its trial and error. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to choosing the most appropriate lancet for you. You will need to sample different lancets to find your “favorite” lancet and lancet size.

Lancets are measured by Gauge size (similar to insulin syringe needles). The “bigger“ the gauge number, the “thinner” the actual lancet is. For example, a 26 gauge lancet is “thicker” than a 28 gauge lancet. So when you are trialing different lancets, you should take note of the lancet gauge, the volume of blood you can get from each site sampled, and the level of comfort/discomfort you feel when you lance different sites. Something to remember when trialing lancets is, thinner lancets usually generate less pain, but also smaller blood drops. Try to find the lancet gauge that provides you the most comfort, but also results in an adequate size blood sample.

When you get a blood glucose meter, it typically comes with a lancing device and a small number of lancets to start with. However, you do not necessarily have to use what comes in the Starter-kit. You may already have sampled a lancing device and lancets that you like better. When choosing a lancet, there are some important items to consider:

· Cost: does your insurance cover specific lancets?

· Availability: how easy is it to obtain the lancets you like best?

· Test sites: you should consult your healthcare provider before testing on alternate sites. Some things to consider are; do you use your fingers only, or do you also use alternate sites (forearm, palm, calf, etc.)? Are your favorite sites calloused and difficult to get blood from?

· Sample size: how much blood do you need to accurately perform a blood glucose measurement (this is dependent upon the blood glucose test strips being used)?

· Lancing Device: do the lancets you like best fit into the lancing device you like best?

Many doctors, nurses and diabetes educators have Sample lancing devices and lancets at their disposal for patients to try before having to commit to one specific lancet. Ask your healthcare professionals for their advice. You can also find helpful information and hints on different websites (individual lancet manufacturers, ADA, AADE, etc.).