*I am not sponsored by any of the brands of the products mentioned in this article.

Traveling while on TPN can be a really anxiety producing experience and it definitely was for me. As someone who doesn’t like to draw attention to themselves or travel with lots of bags, I was trying to figure out how I was going to do this.

I traveled from Boston to Austin during November 2021 for Thanksgiving. In my main blog section, I have a story dedicated to the “story” side of how this travel went which is linked here.

In this article I wanted to detail out some things that helped me when I traveled that could be beneficial to you or someone you know.

TRAVEL LOCATION & DURATION 

1.     WHO?

The first thing to consider when traveling just from the start is who the person is with the TPN. Everyone’s conditions are different and therefore it is up to how willing that person is for traveling. It’s something important to consider because everyone thinks of it differently and it depends on that person’s conditions!

2.     WHERE IS YOUR DESTINATION?

Next is where are you going? If you’re flying internationally that is a different process of steps that I have not had experience in but if you’re flying domestically, it’s important for planning to know, are you staying at a friend’s house, an Air BNB, a hotel? Based on the location, there are things that can affect what you need to prepare based on where you’re staying.

• One reason to know your location is for fridge space for storing TPN. If you’re in a hotel you might need to bring a cooler with you whereas at an Air BNB or friend’s house, you’ll likely have fridge space.

3.     HOW LONG?

How long are you staying at this location? If it’s over a week you might need to consider bringing dressing kits to change your dressing. Or, if you’re supply company happens to be located in the state you’re traveling to, you might be able to call them and get a nurse to come out and change your dressing (if that’s how you normally have it changed). Also, for TPN supply packing, you need to know how long you’ll be gone and if you need to order for more supplies to be delivered to your location (if it can be-again not all states have certain companies).

• TPN can only have a week’s worth sent out because it will spoil so you will likely be unable to travel with more than 7 bags so if it’s longer than a week, you’ll need to talk to your supply company.

3.     PREPPING YOUR DESTINATION IN ADVANCE

In the scenario that you are traveling to a family member or friend’s house, you will need to call ahead to prep some space in the fridge for your TPN bags. Also, depending on if you use an IV pole or not, you might need to use Amazon to buy a cheap one to have at the location for you to use. You will also need to use Amazon to get a Sharps container for needles if you have to inject vitamins into your TPN.

SUPPLIES & SUPPLY COMPANIES

1.     CAN THE SUPPLY COMPANY SHIP TO YOUR DESTINATION?

Call in a month’s advance to your supply company to ask if they can ship to your destination. Giving them enough time from your trip will allow them to better prepare for your travels and they’ll give you a timeline of when to call them to continue coordinating the shipment.

• If your company can ship to your location, then you will not have to travel with all of your TPN supplies.

•  If they cannot ship to your location, you will need to travel with all of your supplies either as a carry-on or checked bag (they would count as medical bags so you could take them as carry-ons).

2.     ARE THERE MEDICAL SUPPLY STORES/OTHER COMPANIES TO GET SUPPLIES FROM?

If your supply company cannot ship to your location, consider if there are any other alternatives if you do not want to travel with your supplies in either a carry-on or checked bag. There might be a way for you to get supplies (not TPN) like saline flushes and alcohol wipes from medical supply stores. Ask your supply company for additional ways to get supplies if you aren’t comfortable or able to travel with your supplies.

*Unfortunately, TPN itself can only be from your supply company because it is a prescription medication and cannot be gotten at a supply store of any kind. Using a different company to ship it would need to be a conversation between both supply companies, your prescribing doctor, and your insurance company.

3.     CAN YOU BRING YOUR TPN & SUPPLIES WITH YOU?

If it ends up that you need to carry your TPN and TPN supplies with you as you travel, you have two options: carry-on or checked bag.

• I personally don’t recommend checking a bag with medical supplies or TPN in it because in the case that it was to get lost, you are now out of nutrition and putting yourself in a really dangerous situation.

Traveling with medical supplies as a carry-on allows you to keep track of your supplies and also makes you able to change out your TPN in the scenario that your travel time is during your TPN change time.

If you do take your TPN with you have the option of a cooler (I recommend a rolling one so you don’t have to carry it-but be sure it can fit in the overhead compartments) or a carry-on suitcase packed with ice. The challenge here with either option is you need to keep you TPN cool (for however long the flight is) but it cannot be too cold to freeze the TPN otherwise the TPN becomes spoiled. 

• I personally flew with a hardcase carry-on in order to not have anything puncture the suitcase. I then encased the inside with bubble wrap as an insulator and then lined the bag with ice. I put bubble wrap between the ice and TPN, so ice wasn’t directly touching the bags in order to not get them to freeze.

Be sure to check your airline’s carry-on policies for medical bags to see how many medical bags you may bring.

4.     BRING A DOCUMENT STATING YOUR SUPPLIES

Whether you’re checking a bag and most definitely if you are putting your supplies in a carry-on be sure to have a document stating everything you’re carrying.

This will help TSA be a lot smoother since they’ll be able to take inventory and glance at what you are bringing.

*Another tip: When bringing medications, be sure to have the prescription bottle because TSA needs to see it’s been prescribed to you. This goes for saline and heparin flushes as well. My supply company ships them to me in Ziploc bags with prescription labels on them, so I was able to show the prescription label for both flushes.

5.     CALL YOUR SUPPLY COMPANY!

You are most definitely not the first person who has traveled with your supply company before!! Call them and ask for help! They may have a specific person they can direct you to for answering traveling questions and will also be able to help you know what method you’ll be traveling with (supplies sent to your destination vs. you bringing supplies).

TRAVELING SOLO OR WITH COMPANY?

1.     ARE YOU ABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE TRAVEL WITH YOU?

Having someone travel with me was extremely helpful but I know isn’t always possible for every trip and may not be possible for some. In the case that you do have the option to have a friend or family member travel with you, I would recommend taking it.

As independent and stubborn as I am (especially when it comes to traveling) there were just too many things to keep track of and it was helpful to have (in my case) my dad there with me to help with it all.

It is entirely dependent though to each person and their body and its capabilities.

2.     CHECK HOW MUCH YOU ARE ABLE TO LIFT

This point isn’t regarding how much you can lift in the gym but rather if you have a PICC line or central line there’s a certain amount of weight your doctor’s don’t want you to lift past in order to not rip stiches.

Please check with your doctor to see how much you are allowed to lift.

• In my specific case I was not allowed to lift over 15 pounds and therefore needed my dad to lift my TPN carry-on into the overhead compartments since they were well over 15 pounds (the bag was about 75 pounds).

In the scenario you are traveling alone and have a weight maximum that you can lift, I’d recommend asking the flight attendants to help you put any bags into the overhead compartments when you board (be sure you are boarding in the disability line-more on this later).

BACKUP/ ILLNESS CONTINGENCY PLANS 

1.     HAVE A HOSPITAL PLAN

Wherever your destination is, have a backup plan as to which/where the hospitals are near you and come up with a contingency plan with your current medical team should things go awry.

• For Thanksgiving I was visiting my hometown and had come up with the contingency plan to go to the hospital I had used in the past in case of any emergencies since they already knew me there and had my file.

2.     GET EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

I contacted my current medical team and got some of their personal emergency phone numbers and emails for my travels in case anything went wrong and/or I needed to contact them in an emergency.

These are really good to have and can make you feel more comfortable traveling knowing you have that as a backup.

3.     BRING IMPORTANT MEDICAL DOCUMENTS

It’s always good to bring with you in your carry-on some medical documents not only to help get you through TSA and the plane, but in case of any emergencies that may occur at your destination.

This makes it a lot easier if you do end up going to the ER because they will be able to have some paperwork on you that they can refer to.

• I had brought my first hospitalization discharge packets which detailed a lot of information on my TPN and some of my other conditions. I also had a signed note from my primary care going over my general issues which I also had for TSA and the airline in case they needed it.

AIRLINE & PLANE INFO 

1.     GENERAL INFORMATION

Airlines and planes differ on what information they may or may not need so the best advice I can give you is that it’s better to be overprepared than underprepared. Be sure to check out your airline’s disability guidelines on their website and/or call their disability line for more information if you have any questions.

• Since it was my first time traveling, I spent a lot of time on the phone with the airline disability service to help me get more information on what documents I needed to bring to the airport.

2.     CARRY-ON BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

Please check online based on your airline to see how many medical bags they allow for carry-ons if you are choosing to not put your supplies in a checked bag.

Every airline is different and may have different rules depending on what you are bringing (also may have rules between coolers vs. a suitcase with ice in it).

• My TPN backpack didn’t count as a carry-on and was considered one of my medical bags. Alongside it I had 2 additional medical bags as well and then 1 checked bag (with just my clothes).

Also be sure to have tags labeling that your medical bags are medical bags! It’s very helpful for TSA and the airline. I just made my own by printing out a label and using self-laminating strips.

3.     PUMP INFORMATION FORMS

Some airlines may require you to show documentation on the kind of pump you are using when you board the plane (the flight attendants specifically). You may be able to get these forms from your supply company so be sure to call them in advance.

• The purpose of these forms is to help the flight attendants quickly see that the pump conforms to the aircraft requirements and will not interfere with the plane and vise versa.

• It also states that the pump may or may not set off the metal detector so TSA can also see this form if need be.

I have included my copy of my form that I used for my CADD Solis VIP Pump below:

4.     BOARD WITH THE DISABILITIES LINE

I was not sure if chronic illness “counted” under the disability pre-boarding line but it most definitely does.

Be sure to board with that line in order to make sure you have room to put your medical bags (if you are taking medical supplies as a carry-on) in the overhead compartments.

• You do not have to but my dad and I both preferred to let the gate agent know we were boarding with the disabilities line since my illness is not very visible.

5.     SPEAK WITH THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WHEN BOARDING

Be sure to speak with the flight attendants when you board specifically if you are infusing during the flight!

• My infusions run 24 hours so I had explained to them that I was getting nutrition from it and that I would not need to change it out mid-flight (they need to know this info if you do need to change it out).

At this time, they may ask you for the pump form or ask further questions.

6.    HOW LONG IS THE FLIGHT/CHANGING MID-FLIGHT?

Be sure to check and plan ahead in terms of when your flight is and how long it will be.

• My change time is in the evening, and I take out my TPN to defrost in the late afternoon so we specifically got a flight very early in the morning so it wouldn’t hit either of these times.

If you need to change your TPN mid-flight, then be sure to have your TPN with you as a carry-on and have extra supplies to disinfect and in case anything rolls away. Also be sure to notify your flight attendants prior to the flight if this is the case.

**For extra measure I would even call the airline in advance to ask if you are able to change out your TPN mid-flight because they may have regulations on this.

7.     WHERE YOU STORE YOUR TPN BACKPACK

Since I infuse over 24 hours, I didn’t personally feel comfortable having my TPN backpack under my seat since I was worried that it could accidentally slide under the seat or get pulled in some way which could cause the line to rip out. I chose to have my TPN backpack in my lap during the flight.

It is ultimately up to you and whatever makes you feel most comfortable but if you also feel uncomfortable with it being under your seat and choose to keep the bag in your lap, be sure to notify your flight attendants as you are boarding.

• For me personally, I only had issues with this on my way back to Boston, but I just kept notifying the flight attendants that the bag would remain in my lap in my arms.

8.    BRING SPARE/EMERGENCY SUPPLIES

In my TPN backpack by MightyWell, I’m able to carry with me some spare heparin, saline flushes, and alcohol wipes along with spare batteries and caps just in case of an emergency.

I carry enough flushes and caps in case I need to stop my infusion or clamp off my lines for some reason. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

• I’ve linked my backpack from MightyWell here.

AIRPORT/TSA INFO

1.     USE TSA CARES!

TSA Cares is the helpline that helps passengers with disabilities and medical conditions get through TSA easier.

Each state and airport use them slightly differently, so I’d highly recommend calling them and they’ll guide you from there!

You do need to call them at least 72 hours in advance of your flight in order for them to have an agent ready to meet you.

• I used them for both of my trips and in Boston they didn’t actually have an agent at the time, but they let me through TSA with no troubles. In Austin I was on the phone with an agent and set up a meeting point where they walked both me and my dad through TSA.

I can’t recommend it enough because it just saves a lot of stress because these agents are used to seeing medical devices and are less likely to give you trouble.

• I can’t stand for very long and TSA Cares helps you get to the front of the line with no issues so it’s extremely helpful if you don’t want to travel with a wheelchair but can’t stand for long.

They also have a card you can bring that you can show to the TSA officer if you choose not to use TSA Cares that discreetly shows your medical condition and/or disability that can help you get through the line easier.

I’ve linked their site below:

Main Page: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support

TSA’s Medical Conditions Page: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures

TSA’s Disability Notification Card: https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/disability_notification_card_508.pdf

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

I have linked below some resources that my supply company’s travel liaison gave to me which I have attached below.

• I specifically use Coram as my supplier, so I have included their travel information form:

• Here is another document from TSA regarding using TSA Pre-Check vs. Standard screening with a disability:

I hope you were able to find this information helpful! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me using the form below!

Don’t forget to advocate for yourself!! You’ve got this!!