Flight Number One - Tick!

Greetings from Hong Kong!

So we survived the first flight with little news to report. It actually didn't feel too long (it was about 11 hours) and I didn't get too uncomfortable, although there is no way I could of done another flight straight away, I am so glad we decided to split up the journey with a few nights in Hong Kong. We were sitting in standard class and as I boarded the plane the air steward commented that they were choca-block today and that they couldn't move me (I had decided to try the approach of not asking to be upgraded in the hope it might happen!) However we did get fairly decent seats, two seats right at the back of the plane on their own so we had extra floor space where the third seat should of been so I could stretch out. I set myself up a nice little seat with blankets for extra padding.

I had been advised to try a temporary basal rate for the flight so I set this when we got given our lunch, however I then decided to cancel it as I thought my basal is pretty much set for me to be inactive anyway (I sit at a desk all day) and I am glad I did as I don't think I needed it. A couple of hours after lunch I ate a chocolate bar without any insulin and my BGs were pretty steady. They crept up a bit later on, I just kept testing and then adjusting as needed. Which is pretty much what I have been doing since we arrived. It's hard to get it right - carb counting random Chinese food is not my forte and a three course hotel breakfast generally doesn't help when it comes to pre-breakfast spikes. Also on the flight they wanted to try and get us into the Hong Kong time frame so we were only given lunch and then breakfast before we landed. Luckily I had taken some snacks with me (always good to do for flights in case you get delayed) and I made friends with the air steward who gave us extra bottles of water and I was allowed to raid their tuck box!

I mentioned in my last post about all my liquids and medication I was taking - in their own little suitcase as you can see from the pic above. The picture isn't that clear but in here I had:

26 Clexane syringes

12 infusion sets

10 cartridges

2 insulin pens

5 Novorapid penfills

3 Levemir penfills

3 Novorapid Vials

Test Strips (about 250)

2 small sharps bins

Needles for pens and finger pricking

Spare blood testing kit

1 bag of jelly babies

Think that's it!....

There was no problem with taking these through security. I just had to get them all out of my suitcase and then they went through the scanner. For the first time though my pump set off the metal detector when I went through security. The lady searching me said it was very unusual (she seems them all the time apparently!) so they had to do a swab of that, but that was pretty much it really. Just three more security checks to go through!

When we landed I immediately changed my pump to local time - for me it was midnight but in Hong Kong it was breakfast time. Our next flight is to Melbourne and is an overnight flight with only a three hour time difference so shouldn't send my basals and insulin into a spin as much.

Baby was doing his usual kicks and spins practically the whole way here, he was probably wondering what all the noise was. Oh and I nearly forgot...the toilet break count! I think I counted 8 trips in total, let's see if I can break that record on Thursday!

Leaving on a jet plane...

I have mentioned in passing about an impending holiday but have kept tight lipped about it till now, think I have been too busy blogging about other bits and bobs but here it finally is, in true last minute style!

Tomorrow me and dad-to-be are off to Australia via Hong Kong and then Bangkok on our return. Some people don't blink an eyelid when I tell them this, others things we're mad! We honestly wouldn't be going if this was just a jaunt we felt like having for the hell of it before we become parents. It doesn't really mix with the fact I am 6 months pregnant and that for the next year or so we will be on a dramatically reduced income. The reason for this escapade is because my brother-in-law is getting married and we would very much like to be there, all three of us.

We haven't really known for definite if we would go until this week and I guess we won't know for definite until we are on that plane tomorrow! Although I shouldn't need any permission letter to fly out of the UK being just under 28 weeks (after this time you need a letter from your doctor/midwife to confirm you are healthy, have an uncomplicated pregnancy and confirming your due date) I still may be questioned about how pregnant I will be on my return. I have a letter by the way!

It feels like we have been planning and thinking about this for so long, I have been putting things aside - infusion sets, test strips, jaffa cakes - for weeks and preparing much more in advance than I would normally do for a holiday. I ordered a double prescription of insulin (both for my pump and for pens incase my pump plays up) aswell as test strips - 10 boxes in all. I've worked out if I tested on average about 14 times per day I would need about 242 for our trip, I know I have probably over estimated here but you never know, if for example I fell ill I might need to be testing this much.

My doctor has also prescribed blood thinning injections. I need to inject one of these the day before each flight, the day we fly and then for five days afterwards. So with four flights on our whole trip that's pretty much most of the holiday. Flight tights were also on my shopping list, I could probably write a whole post about those, perhaps another time...There is so much medical equipment that I need to take on board that it has its own designated suitcase. I don't think security will know what's hit them with all these liquids and needles!

When I am actually on holiday it will be all about trying to keep as healthy and relaxed as possible. Getting ill abroad is what I need to avoid as that could potentially mean I can't fly and therefore affect our whole trip and whether we can get back home.

I'm ready for a holiday now and by the time we return (hopefully with baby still in my tummy) we will be on proper countdown with just over 8 weeks to go! I'm hoping to do a couple of posts whilst I am away, if my good intentions fail there will be plenty of stories to tell when I get back...until then...