Have you ever flown on a plane? Have you ever flown on a plane with your insulin pump or CGM attached to you? I am sure like myself, most of you have right? Well, it used to be a minor hassle, you go through the detector and then they make you rub your pump down and then they swab your hands and then run it through this machine and you were on your merry way. Used to be just a minor hassle.
Well this weekend I went on a trip that required a flight. I got the new DEXCOM G6 and tandem pump and as I was reviewing my information I noticed that it says do not go through those machines where you have to put your hands up overhead and the thing spins around you. Per the DEXCOM papers, they have not been able to test all of the machines to ensure there are no issues, so they recommend avoiding them. This weekend was my first time flying with these new devices
As I approached the security area I tell the guard that I can’t go through the machine due to medical equipment. I show him my pump and I am told to stand to the side while he finds out what to do. After what seems like 100 years, this woman comes up to me and says what are you waiting for? I told her I can’t go through the machine due to my medical device. She says so you are opting out? I said well I was told not to use those types of machines. She got snotty with me and said then you are opting out. She walked away, then came back in a few minutes and told me to follow her.
I follow her to this area and am told since I opted out they had to do a full body pat down and she explains what that means, basically that she will run her hands all over my body, including chest, legs (inner and outer thigh), buttocks and everywhere else. She says is this ok with you? I felt like saying do I have aa choice? She asks if I need to go behind a curtain for this. I decline and hold my arms out as told while she does her thing. It was quite uncomfortable. But I survived. Then she makes me take my pump into my hands while she flags another person down to come swab my hands. I am also required to touch my CGM but through my shirt (which makes not logical sense to me).
Finally I am told I can gather my belongings and and I am free to head ty gate. As I gather everything up, I look over and see another type 1 patient going through the same spiel. I smile at her and say don’t you love being diabetic at the airport? She smiles back and agrees then as she sees my pump she says ooh which one is that, before i can answer we were met with a glare from her pattering guard so she smiles and says good luck while I walked away.
I understand security is important but seriously has anyone every pretended to be a diabetic and used an insulin pump as a bomb? Is this like a thing that people do? Why do they have to scrutinize us so closely? I mean TSA precheck people doesn’t go through that stupid machine. And they surely don’t get the full pat down. Makes you feel even more self conscious than normal. I guess I could have ignored the warnings by DEXCOM and just gone through the machine with hopes that my pump and CGM don’t spontaneously combust but that was not a chance I was willing to take. I could not be without my CGM in a hotel by myself for 5 days.
So how about all of you? What are the biggest issues you have had to face when traveling or going to some type of secure event?