Seven months after Amy was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes we backpacked around India for four weeks. Here’s a set of articles which we’ve written.
- the introduction
- planning the trip
- getting the visas
- getting travel insurance
- the diabetes travel kit
- cooling insulin with Frio wallets
- flying, medical letters and adjusting basal
- buying diabetes supplies in India
- insulin availability and pricing
- food glorious food
- Amy’s first few food days
- The homestay adventure
- summary of problems
- Amy’s trip report
Hey! I see you guys have travelled only in the Northern part of India. Why do one take a tour only in the places like Delhi, Kolkatta, Maharastra. Come down to South India to see the beauty of the country and also you can learn a lot analysing for your Diabetic Research and Helping Hand. Well people are kind and healthy though. Im from Tamil Nadu, India.
Thanks.
Hi Guruprased, I’ve spent time in Kerala and Karnataka and one of my next five itineraries features Tamil Nadu. I know you mean well but for the record though there’s no diabetic research happening in Tamil Nadu that I’d have access to which would help a person with Type 1 diabetes.
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Well just to keep you all informed, India has everything a diabetic requires. Insulin cooler bags which were rare to find are now available under the brand name “BLEU”. it requires no refrigeration or ice packs, just cold water to activate.
Hi Kev. I would like to thank for this truly inspirational blog. We are currently in a very similar situation to what you were a few years ago. Our son got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 7 weeks ago and we have trip to India planned for next month. My first thought was to cancel but reading your blog a few weeks ago has given me confidence we can have a great trip. Coincidentally, we just moved hospitals (to the same one as Amy I believe) last week and Francesca mentioned your blog and said you’d been on a second trip recently to India. Thank you
Hi Mala, Amy isn’t at UCLH which is where I guess you are (with mentioning Francesca). Yes, we went again this year, the second time after Amy’s diagnosis. Whilst the first time was 8 months after diagnosis, as opposed to your 3 months, I feel we would have gone two or three months after diagnosis. Once I’d realised that India has some of the best Doctors in the world and big hospitals in all cities I was a lot more relaxed. Make sure you take double the kit required, split it across two carry-on bags and keep your hands on both bags. For more info about our trips there take a look at monsoon-meandering.winchcombe.org and our latest, masala-dosa-diaries.winchcombe.org.
Happy travels.