I\u2019m Elizabeth, a marketing consultant with Type 1 diabetes who practically lives in airports. I\u2019m diligent about carrying snacks and insulin, because a sudden drop in blood sugar can be dangerous\u2014especially on a long flight.<\/p>\n
On a recent Chicago\u2013Seattle trip, a fellow passenger\u2019s child was kicking my seat and whining, so when I unwrapped a protein bar to stave off hypoglycemia, his mother demanded I stop \u201cbecause of his sensory issues.\u201d I reluctantly waited, hoping the snack cart would arrive in time.<\/p>\n
Forty minutes later, I was dizzy and weak. When the cart finally came, the boy\u2019s father insisted no one in \u201ctheir row\u201d be served. That\u2019s when I spoke up: \u201cI have Type 1 diabetes. If I don\u2019t eat, I could pass out.\u201d The attendant immediately brought me a snack box and a soda.<\/p>\n
I refilled my blood sugar, then looked the parents in the eye: \u201cManaging my medical needs isn\u2019t rude.\u201d For the rest of the flight, I worked in peace\u2014and learned that advocating for your health, even 30,000 feet in the air, isn\u2019t optional.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019m Elizabeth, a marketing consultant with Type 1 diabetes who practically lives in airports. I\u2019m diligent about carrying snacks and insulin, because a sudden drop in blood… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20375,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n