Almost 44 million Americans are traveling this Thanksgiving week, and without a doubt there are going to be hassles. But people with diabetes (PWDs) have to worry about a bit more than whether you can carry on a snow globe or your favorite brand of cranberry sauce.
(Both snow globes and cranberry sauce packs are OK, says the TSA.)
Let’s be honest. Many of us have walked through the regular metal detectors (or sent D-children through) or have disconnected and sent the equipment through the x-ray machines. But some manufacturer guidelines recommend against it.
Quite a few studies recently are questioning the wisdom of sending insulin pumps and CGMs through airport security. A recent report in the journal Diabetes Technologies & Therapeutics outlines some information regarding airport full-body scanners that people using insulin pumps or continuous glucose monitors will want to know. The authors write that D-devices are at risk of electromagnetic malfunction if they’re taken through the full body airport scanners, computer-assisted tomography (CAT) scanners, x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) scanners.
The good news: These D-devices aren’t affected by the traditional walk-through airport metal detectors.
Word is some airports throughout the U.S. are quietly removing the more radiation-prone scanners from busier airports and replacing them with “backscatter imaging” machines that are said to emit less radiation.
How do you avoid these potentially harmful airport devices? PWDs can present a travel letter from their physician to avoid going through, requesting a full body pat-down or using the traditional metal detectors if that’s possible. From practical experience, we know some TSA agents will wave you right through, while others insist on swabbing the pump and some get downright angry and insistent that you – and your technology - go through the scanners.
Generally-speaking, the TSA guidelines provide some vague answers about what PWDs are and are not supposed to do when dealing with airport security. We tried to get more detail and an inside look at the security process to help with holiday travel, but sadly there weren’t many answers to be had.
We asked fellow D-Community member, D-Mom and broadcast journalist Stacey Simms to check out the situation for us.
Stacey’s 7-year old son Benny has been living with type 1 for the past five years. She trekked to her own local airport in North Carolina, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, to see how open the TSA would be in answering some questions about traveling with diabetes over the holidays. Not very, but nevertheless, here’s Stacey’s “on the scene” video report for us:
For now, it’s on us to know our rights and to insist on correct treatment. The American Diabetes Association has some tips and suggestions for PWDs about rights, too.
Yes, it can be exhausting and frustrating, especially around the holidays. The expert advice is about the same as for everyone this time of year: Get there early, stay calm and try to keep a sense of humor.
We’ll keep trying to get more information from the TSA. At this rate, maybe they’ll have a comment by Spring Break…
We had a horrible experience while travelling with my 4 year old this summer. Turns out they can’t pat down a child, and when I refused to let her go though the scanner with her pod, the kept us in security for an hour, all the while trying to avoid looking at my daughter who was crying hysterically. at one point they wouldn’t give us back her testing supplies when she said she felt low. My husband was able to convince them they were in violation of my daughter’s rights. in the end, we missed our flight due to the incompetence of the TSA.
Thankfully, on our return flight, the agents were much better trained and equipped to handle a CWD. This was 3 months ago and it still makes me beyond angry.
Been through several large airports (Bush Int’l in Houston, O’Hare in Chicago, Ft. Lauderdale) and never had a problem, even when I forgot to ID my diabetes supplies. In second-tier airports, I’ve had agents who are presumably being trained in these smaller markets do everything up to and including opening my test kit, swabbing my LANCET with some TSA mystery substance, and dropping my glass insulin vials on the hard floors. It all depends when and where you fly but I’m hardly convinced the TSA does any of this to keep anyone “safe”…
I traveled last week from Boston Logan to San Jose and back. I’d read the recent warnings about full body scanners and made sure to avoid those. My new Tandem t-slim pump did set off the walk through detector, so I had to go through a full body pat down. It adds about 10 minutes to the process. They generally swab my hands and pump to check for explosives, that happened even with my Cozmo which didn’t set off the alarm.
So be patient. Whatever we think of the effectiveness of TSA the agents are just trying to do their job. I always try to stay calm and cheerful figuring that it’s not any easier for them if I get annoyed.
Safe travels everyone.
I always insist on the pat-down. I usually use the words “opt out.”
Most TSA agents want to insist that they get hundreds of pumps thru and that I will be ok. Some are argumentative. I carry a
letter. I tell them that I have just checked in with Animas my pump company. The argument that they tend figure it out is when I ask them if they want to be responsible for a 6000 dollar mistake. I also understand why they want to limit the “opt-outs.” They are short staffed and busy especially around holiday travel time and they have a number of compulsory pat-downs to do. Be prepared for a little resistance, but push on and opt out!
Some airports offer full body scan others have old school metal detectors. Most have a combo of the two, so I never know what to expect.
Like Bernard F., I consider going through airport security an adventure and not an inconvenience.
When I checked with Animas they said that if I go through full body scan, my pump warranty becomes null and void. So I “opt out”.
I am in the process of applying for the TSA trusted traveler program, but that will still not help me get through security any faster with the pump on.
Any updates on this info ? Any info from DEXCOM G4 anyone ? THANK YOU