As a person with diabetes, I\u2019ve gotten used to the extra hassle I have to put up with when I travel. Taking all the extra stuff, making sure not to forget anything, announcing my pump when I go through security and refusing to go through the full body scanner (something I learned the hard way last summer), and being patted down.<\/p>\n
But today I realized that the time has come to have a separate security line for people with diabetes or people with medical devices. I came to this realization while going through security at the Philadelphia airport on my way to Boston.<\/p>\n
After standing in line for a few minutes we came to the area where you take off your shoes, take out your laptop and send everything through the x-ray machine.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not doing the scanner,\u201d I told Jessica preparing myself for confrontation. But there was no scanner, only a metal dectector. Relieved, I took off my shoes, so did Jess, and unpacked our laptops from my roller bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo ahead. I\u2019ll be there in a minute,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u00a0I flashed my pump at the security guard and said \u201cI have an insulin pump\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cPUMP!\u201d the security man called, as if it were a code for some well-known drill \u00a0I was led into a glass room. Jessica looked at me while she collected our things. We waved at each other with half smiles and the knowing, \u201chere we go again\u201d look.<\/p>\n
I waited a few minutes and a nice security man arrived, a large somewhat overweight man in his fifties.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just need you to handle your pump and I\u2019ll take some swabs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo problem,\u201d I said as I fondled my pump with both my hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m on shots,\u201d the security man told me.\u201c<\/p>\n
I was, too\u201d I said \u201cbut I was injecting too often so I went on the pump.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI inject 5 times a day,\u201d he told me.<\/p>\n
Then, while we waited for the results of my test he told me he had a guy today who has had diabetes since childhood and uses a pump and a machine that tells him his BG all the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cA CGM,\u201d I said \u201cMy insurance won\u2019t cover it\u201d.<\/p>\n
The testing machine signaled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
I put my shoes on and walked out to Jessica.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s time they just had a separate line for us,\u201d I said. \u201cMaybe for all people using medical devices.\u201d\u00a0 I mean, they just shout pump and someone shows up for the pat down and all, why make us go through the other stuff first?\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":53098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1501],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n