Charter Bus Question?

[blackforest]

Our DD16 H.S. marching band will be heading to WDW in 3 weeks!!! We will be traveling on the Great Lakes line. Can anyone tell me what to expect? Other than a bathroom, do the seats has plug-ins to charge I-Pods, phones? DD16 is a Type 1 diabetic and we will need to keep her insulin cold. We have a plug-in cooler for the van, but wasn't sure if we will be able to use it. I do know that we will have a DVD player, so I will ask if we can show our park DVD's. TIA!

 

[jgates]

Check with your doctor on the insulin (or pharmacist). They often prefer they be kept cold for longer durations, however, my open bottles are never refrigerated unless I am traveling somewhere with extreme heat - they are in my purse. I try to keep the spare bottles refrigerated when I get to my destination, but they aren't when I am traveling to get there.

(I use Lantus & Novolog - but always check with your doctor or pharmacist).

Also be careful if using a hotel room refrigerator - don't get it to close to the freezer unit.

This is one of ADA's Tips of the Day:
Question:
Should I refrigerate my insulin?

Answer:
The vials of insulin that you are using right now should be left at
room temperature and away from heat sources and light. Don't leave
insulin in your car where it can become hot or cold very quickly. If
you take insulin with your food, you need to keep that insulin with
you. You probably don't need to carry an insulin cooler. Your pocket
or purse will work just fine (just don't leave it some place that's
very warm or cold), since modern insulin is stable for at least one
month at room temperature. You should keep unopened vials of insulin
in the refrigerator but never in the freezer. However, don't put the
vials in the refrigerator door, because the jarring movements of the
door may lower the activity of the insulin. Try to keep your insulin
in a part of the refrigerator where it doesn't run the risk of
freezing. Always examine your insulin before injecting it. Do not use
insulin that is past the expiration date on the label and do not use
insulin that is discolored or has clumps in it.

And as an explanation as to why I am paranoid in keeping it in a mini-bar or fridge in the room - we stayed in Wash DC one time when it was 105 out & humid as heck - we got back to our room that night & the room was over 120 degrees. It took nearly 3 hours to cool it down to a sleepable temp - the hotel was full so we couldn't change rooms. The maids for some reason had turned OFF the a/c & opened the curtains - and the sun shown in for a good part of the day increasing the heat.

 

[bobcat]

I've chaperoned many trips using Great Lakes buses. There are no places to plug things in. I would see if there are any parents traveling in their own vehicle that are following the bus. We usually have a few parents that prefer to drive themselves but will follow the buses and stop when we stop.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would suggest going to www.coolerconcept.com and looking at the Frio Cold Packs. There are several people in the disABILITIES Forum, myself included, who use them.

These are gel packs that are water activated. They will keep the internal temperature at insulin-safe levels for over 40 hours. As the water evaporates you can just soak it in water for a few minutes to reactivate it. They come in various sizes.

For example, I have a "double wallet". Depending on what I am doing it will hold my Byetta pen as well as either a syringe with insulin in it or two insulin vials. And I tend to do at least five air round trips a year and have never had any problems with TSA over it.

 

[LynnTH]

I would suggest going to www.coolerconcept.com and looking at the Frio Cold Packs. There are several people in the disABILITIES Forum, myself included, who use them.

These are gel packs that are water activated. They will keep the internal temperature at insulin-safe levels for over 40 hours. As the water evaporates you can just soak it in water for a few minutes to reactivate it. They come in various sizes.

For example, I have a "double wallet". Depending on what I am doing it will hold my Byetta pen as well as either a syringe with insulin in it or two insulin vials. And I tend to do at least five air round trips a year and have never had any problems with TSA over it.

My DH uses this also. Works out great.