Millions of people throughout the world live with some type of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed in children or young adults. The condition occurs when the body cannot produce insulin, a hormone that helps the body’s cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream. Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, usually develops in adults and occurs because the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to regulate glucose levels in the blood.

With both types of diabetes, insulin injections are required and may be necessary once or several times a day. Insulin typically also must be kept cool. If you’re diabetic, you know that you’ll always need to take insulin, which means you’ll eventually run out of the supply you have while you’re away from home. Therefore, it can seem like traveling with insulin in an RV is impossible, but it’s not. All it takes is some careful planning and preparation.

Prepare for Your RV Trip

Before you load up the rig and hit the road, make sure you:

• See your doctor – It’s always a good idea to get an exam from your doctor before you go on any trip. This allows your doctor to see if any major changes in your health have occurred since the last time he or she saw you and make sure that your diabetes is under control. You’ll also want to ensure that you have the proper prescription for insulin you’ll need while away, as well as syringes if you take liquid insulin.
• Bring your prescription to a national pharmacy – If you plan on traveling for any length of time, it’s likely that you’ll need more insulin while you’re away from home. Make sure you fill your prescription at a pharmacy with locations across the United States, such as Walgreens or CVS. That way, any pharmacist at any location can access your prescription and fill it for you, whether your 500 miles or 1,500 miles from home.
• Pack smartly – It’s imperative that you pack all the supplies you’ll need to monitor and control your diabetes with you. This includes your insulin, syringes, a blood glucose monitor and testing strips, as well as all other prescribed medications.
• Prepare your rig – Be sure that your refrigerator is running properly, whether you’re connected to electric or not. This will ensure that your insulin is kept cool at all times.
• Buy evaporative cooling packs or wallets – Using these lightweight cooling packs can allow you to keep insulin cool when you don’t have access to refrigeration. The packs are activated with water applied to the liner, which evaporates over time and keeps the contents cool. This is a great temporary option for traveling with insulin away from your RV, such as during hikes and other daytime trips.

These are just a few things you can do to ensure that traveling in your RV with insulin is as easy as can be.

Want to learn more? Contact us today!