Thanks for the travel info, especially since I am going to Seattle late next
week. The tips will help with my packing of the pen.

Melodie

2. For those considering the FRIO WALLET: I purchase one and was unhappy
enough with it that I tossed it. I had the one designed for one Byetta
pen. I followed all the instructions - there was no way to insert the pen
after the ‘gel beads’ swelled - and it was nigh impossible to even get the
gel bead pack back into its ‘jacket’. I could have forced the pen in - but
I kept thinking I might damage the dial top of the pen by jamming it with
the force needed. For me, a total waste of money.

3. My recent air travel experience. Last week I flew on CONTINENTAL
AIRLINES from Houston, Texas to Seattle, Washington - a 4 hr 30 minute
flight. Since the Frio wallet I had purchased for this trip was a problem,
I decided to go with the Byetta gel pack. I had checked the Continental
Airlines and it said that gel packs were acceptable for medication. I put
my Byetta pen in the cooled gel pack (the freebie from Byetta) and put that
in a zip-lock bag and then put a frozen plastic ice pack in the bag with it
- I knew it could not freeze the pen because it was not inside the Byetta
bag - it was outside of it. It is the kind of very small plastic ice pack
like you would put in a child’s lunchbox and keep in the freezer until
needed.

I then put that zip-lock bag with the Byetta bag and ice pack into a small
tote. In the tote I put my Byetta prescription box from the pharmacy that
had my name on it, a box of pin needles that had my prescription name on it,
and a box of lancets. I put my meter pack in the tote as well. For
precaution, I had printed out the info from the Continental web site about
the gel packs being allowed for medication.

When I went through the security check-point I put that tote in a bin with
my purse. I told the security person that I was diabetic and that the tote
had medication that had to be kept cool and was in a cooler pack. He said
"No problem, as long as you tell us about it - and less hassle if you just
let us run it through the scanner." I did and there was no problem - he
never opened the tote at all. Exact same experience on my return from
Seattle.

Interesting side note - I always take the Byetta bag with me to restaurants
and inject myself about ten minutes after I place my order. I usually have
shorts or pants on and a top. In a booth it is really easy to do the
injection with nobody even noticing. I just get the pin ready and lift my
shirt a little under the table and pull the waist of my bottoms down just a
tad and inject.

The reason I was in Seattle is I went to a law enforcement type conference.
The two people I traveled with sat across from me in the restaurants (we
always managed to get a booth). They never saw me inject (though it would
not have bothered me if they had).

I know that many people do not like the freebie Byetta bag but it has worked
well for me - especially now that up to 77 degrees is okay. I know, though,
that it would not suffice in a hot car.

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