How to go on vacation with myLoop
Whether it's sunny summer days at the beach with tasty meals, or cold-weather adventures, holidays are meant to be enjoyable. You shouldn't have to worry about time zones changes, a new climate, or altered eating and exercise routines. After all, it's not just your body that needs a break - your mind does too.
People living with type 1 diabetes have to manage every change with careful monitoring, precise calculations, and adjustments to insulin doses and food intake. Nighttime insulin may be needed during the day, and daytime doses may shift to the night. A twelve-hour time difference is manageable - but what happens on a multi-week trip across several time zones? Or if a planned week-long train journey suddenly turns into a three-day hike up a mountain? Spontaneous activities demand quick, targeted insulin adjustments.
People living with diabetes manage this almost automatically. Systems for automatic insulin dosing help to avoid hypoglycemia by controlling and adjusting the insulin supply. However, some actions can even make the sensor and pump sweat. Modern insulin delivery systems are smart and recognize trends themselves. For example, very little insulin is needed for hours after a mountain hike, and thanks to the automated system, the hiker can sleep more peacefully without having to check his blood glucose levels.
Many travelers do not miss the opportunity to try foreign specialties. But who knows how many carbohydrates this exotic fruit has or that delicious dessert. Two hours later, the blood sugar curve is pointing steeply upward, with no thought of going down again. Unless there is a helper who intervenes after just a few minutes and makes a correction. So how about people with diabetes having to look at their devices less often and instead have more time for their vacations?
Once you have finally arrived and are completely relaxed, the vacation is already over again. But not quite, because the journey home is still to come. Experienced pilots are already making the first return adjustments for home, while newcomers still don't know how to master the return flight without major fluctuations. But what if the AID system also turns the trip home into a vacation and lets the passenger land without incident?
This is possible, for example with a hybrid closed-loop system. After all, these systems are ideal for travelers. In addition to the appropriate accessories, there are also forums and communities where there is a lively exchange with many tips and tricks. Almost every situation, countless countries and all kinds of sports or vacations are talked about, discussed – and helped there.