An average Boeing 737 carries nearly 10 passengers who have diabetes. If you're one of them this summer, before you wing your way across the country or the world, ask yourself these questions:

• Have you packed enough diabetic supplies?
• Have you looked up the carb content in exotic foods you might eat in foreign countries?
• Do you really know what time it is in Timbuktu and when to take your medications?
• Are you carrying your Emergency Identification card and instructions about what to do if you have low blood sugars?
• Did you see your doctor a month ahead of time to talk about possible problems?
• Do you know how to say, "I have diabetes," in the language of the countries you are visiting?

Traveling for someone with diabetes is just not as simple as grabbing a passport and going. It takes planning to have a safe trip.

A new, free resource is available for people with diabetes to help travel with ease and confidence (downloadable at www.accu-chek.com/travel ). It offers some tips, lists and suggestions to help prepare for the journey and make the most of any excursion.

You'll find tips, lists and cards - even a foreign phrase book. Don't leave home without it.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes — also known medically as diabetes mellitus — is a group of diseases that affect the way your body uses blood sugar (glucose). This sugar is vital to your health because it's your body's main source of fuel.

Normally, glucose is able to enter your cells because of the action of insulin — a hormone secreted by your pancreas. Insulin acts like a key to unlock microscopic doors that allow glucose into your cells. But in diabetes mellitus, this process goes awry. Instead of being transported into your cells, glucose accumulates in your bloodstream and eventually is excreted in your urine. This usually occurs either because your body doesn't produce enough insulin or because the cells don't respond to insulin properly.

Don't forget to visit Purely Canadian Drugs for all your diabetic medicine needs. Here are just a few of what we have to offer: Diabeta, Glucophage, and Avandia.

Purely Canadian Drugs is a service company that provides health administrative services, access to prescription drugs from Canada, and over-the-counter (OTC) products predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase Canadian prescription drugs on-line.

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