Panic Buying Insulin: What a 3 A.M. Air Raid Siren Taught Me About Summer Travel and Diabetes Prep

Right now, the amount of insulin in my fridge could probably cover the cost of our entire summer trip to the U.S.—if I were selling it on the black market, which I’m not. But it’s a lot.

It started around 3 a.m., between Thursday night and Friday morning. I had been planning to go to the pharmacy that morning because I was running low on insulin for my pump. But instead of errands, we woke up to air raid sirens. Suddenly we were talking about bomb shelters and staying put for hours—or days—and my priorities shifted fast: clothes, diapers, snacks for the kids. Then I realized I only had about a week of insulin left.

A few days later, when things calmed down just enough, I went out and panic bought more insulin. Not just pump supplies—I also stocked up on insulin pens and needles. Because what happens if my insulin pump malfunctions? Or I run out of batteries? Or something completely unexpected happens? I can’t live without insulin.

It was the first time diabetes actually scared me. I read this line recently: “Diabetes is the only disease that you spend all day trying to stop your body from killing itself.” That hit differently after those few days. What if I’d been abroad? What if I couldn’t get back to my supplies?

I know I probably would’ve been fine. But now it’s just one more layer of diabetes travel planning, one more thing to factor into emergency preparedness as a parent with a chronic illness.

Still, I’ll be traveling with an extra supply next time. And maybe a small fridge.