Traveling around the world with Diabetes: Yes you can

We have now concluded our tour around the world. As of posting this, we have been on the road for 400 days, driven 64000 km and visited 38 countries on 4 continents.

This is for now my final post on diabetes and traveling and I am pleased to conclude that Yes you can! If you otherwise are healthy and have energy, diabetes is not an excuse for not making your dream of traveling come true. Though, as stated in earlier posts, having diabetes means that you do have to plan a little and carefully pack your necessary medication and supplies, all this boiled down to is a little extra preparation-time.

The truth is that in spite of the differences in eating habits around the world, I found it much easier than anticipated to keep a good blood-sugar balance. In all countries we have eaten what the locals eat, many times literally along the road, and found that food compatible with diabetes always is on the menu. Based on what has been served, I have simply adjusted the insulin dosage in accordance with the other physical activities of the day. And in spite of much less exercise than normal (for long periods during our travels, I simply did not have time for my daily exercise), the balance between meals and activity has worked out very well. Actually most of us ended up loosing weight during the travel in spite of less physical activity. Towards the end of our venture, I actually got the greatest compliment, when someone commented that my diabetes had not at all been an issue during the tour – just something to keep in mind!

One of the greatest experiences of our tour, was our participation in the Medtronic sponsored workshop for young diabetics and their families in Shanghai, China. It is our hope that this event and possibly our tour around the world, somehow will inspire and encourage young diabetics and their families, in China and elsewhere, to realize that diabetics can do it!! And do well whatever they set out to do in life – diabetes might be a challenge, but it is not a handicap. I hope that the documentation of our tour around the world, after 50 healthy years with diabetes, proves that dreams may be turned into reality.

Oyvin