Diabetes Camp--First Time Camper

I set this page up for me and my son. I hope to find a community of children and parents that we can relate to. The only time my son is in contact with other children with diabetes is when we attend Fall Family Camp each year. I hope this will give him the opportunity to chat with other boys and girls just like him. Has anyone out there sent their child to a Diabetes Summer Camp? Brandon will attend one this June for the first time. We have always attended family camps and this will be the first time I will be completely out of touch with my son. That would be hard enough if he didn’t have diabetes. But, I find that I am extremely nervous. But, he’s so excited. This will be good for him. Anyone else been where I’m at?

Hi Brandon and Brandon’s Mom!

I was diagnosed when I was, almost, 9, and went to a Diabetic Summer Camp the very first summer in Texas. I really enjoyed it. It was so much fun to get to be around people who were going through, or had already been through, what I was going through. Being so young it was a little hard at first to be away from my family, but they were allowed to send mail, and I of course was allowed to send mail to them. Find out if this is an option for your son. It’s always nice to hear from home and really exciting to get mail.

Hoped this helped!

I do know that they said there aren’t any phone calls made either way unless there is an emergency. So, I guess as long as I don’t here anything I know it’s going well. As a parent, it’s just difficult to know that I won’t be involved in counting the carbs and figuring the insulin for mealtimes and such. The night time will be the hardest part for me. He’s so excited so, I try to keep my concerns hidden from him. This June will be 3 years since his diagnosis and he does an outstanding job of taking care of himself. I have made sure that he understands everything there is to know about diabetes. He is a very well-informed little boy and takes excellent care of himself when I am not around. But, I can’t help but feel nervouse knowing that I will be so out of control while he’s gone. I’ll definately check and see if they accept mail. Of course, he will only be gone 5 nights and 6 days so by the time he got the first letter out and I receive it, I’ll soon be picking him back up. Thanks so much for getting in touch. You are a very pretty young lady and I appreciate your comments.
Brandon’s Mom (Tammy)

I read your concerns about switching to the pump and I understand where you’re coming from. My daughter was diagnosed at 6 and wanted to go on a pump after a year. Her doctor’s were encouraging and said she would be a great candidate, she was very excited and scared too. My ex-husband wanted to research EVERTHING about them first (down to what type of motor they had) and we needed to reach an agreement. We had general concerns like site infection, ease of use, the tube getting caught on stuff, durability, etc. I met with 2 reps from 2 different companies (we had narrowed it down to Animas and Medtronic) and we decided on Animas. My daughter LOVES her pump! She has more independence, no more shots, it’s easier at school and parties as well as friends houses. We went from the injections, to the pen, to the pump and my daughter has NO desire to go back! I think if there’s something that your son can get excited about as far as his treatment goes, it’s a winner. The learning curve for the pump is much smaller (in my opinion) than when you start out. You already know the ratio’s, carb counting, corrections, etc. Those things will be programmed into your pump and dosing will be a much quicker process for all involved. I wish you much luck in your decision! Just remember you have a 30 day trial period from the time you start using the pump, if you or your son don’t like it you can go back.

My son went to camp after years of resisting, when we made him go. He wanted to return, and now wants to be a counselor. All the kids get a carb chart at each meal, and write down what they eat. the counselors check it, and then the “shots” or boluses are figured out. Everyone is doing it, and it is the norm. It is good for them to be together, when it is hard to find kids with diabetes in your area( when the frequency is about 1:500).