Keeping Diabetes Under Control

Do you have problems doing this on cruises? And what do you do if you have a problem?

I am a registered nurse, and the first thing that I would advise you to do is to make your healthcare provider aware of your upcoming cruise and ask if they have any advice or any specific "do's" or "don'ts".

You'll want to make sure that you take enough of your medication (insulin or oral meds) with you to allow for the length of the cruise and a little bit over. Make sure to pack your glucometer and plenty of testing strips. We all have the tendency to overeat on cruises, and we have such a yummy selection of food. This tendency to over-indulge can really play havoc with your blood sugar. Although different manufacturers give different advice on whether or not insulin needs to be refrigerated, it's not a bad idea to let your cabin steward know up-front that you need to keep a container of ice in your room at all times for your medication.

Keep well-hydrated, and check your blood sugar frequently. I'm sure that the ship's infirmary is equipped to handle any minor glitches with your blood sugar that might come up.

skl rn

Thank you for your info. Good ideas and I know all this. I am just wondering how other cruisers deal with this while on their cruise

hi, it's very hard to keep your sugars under control when cruising as you are eating lots of different foods, at different times, but as already stated take lots of test strips and just keep checking rather than thinking should I have this.

My diabetic status is that I have cystic fibrosis so it's not as important to keep the sugars too low & can get away with having sugars of 14 etc without it having to much effects, just makes me tired.

I use insulin pens & always take an extra cartridge, just in case it get's dropped & cracks or I loose the pen. I usually put a sticker on with my cabin number on just in case I leave it on the dining table.

I used to have a frio cool bag for my insulin, but now I take it in a small flask, then i can also use it to carry a cold drink around with me.

Which ever cruise ship I have been on they have always provided a bin to keep my used needles in, just drop them a note or phone before you travel.

I take about 60 tabs a day, I put them all into little sealable bags before I go, sorted out into breakfast, lunch & tea. I carry a copy of my prescription with me and have never had any problems getting on board ship with them, although for the last few years we haven't flown across the atlantic, and have cruised from england..

I always carry some biscuits (or cookies to you), for when I feel my sugars are getting low.

Any other questions, just ask away.

Chez

:-)

I will not be enjoying the rolls and bread at dinner. We will ask the waiter not to give us a basket of bread. We will be on a ship that has personal choice dining. So we can have our own table to do this. I also will not have home fries at breakfast, french fries, all white flour foods. This tends to trigger hight sugar readings for me. I measure my pasta now and it seems I have better control. I could eat the whole pot of pasta!

[DalTX]

my sil is diabetic,and before our cruise to Alaska,we read a post that said you should eat parsley...so at each meal our waiter brought her a bowl of parsley...