My son is in the 8th grade and will be taking a class field trip to an amusement park in a few weeks. This will be the 1st time in the 5.5 yrs post dx that he’s going to be left to his own devices (no pun intended!) on a school trip. Below is the email I received from the school nurse. How should I proceed? He’s very responsible but he’s also a 13 yr old with T1D so his safety is my main concern. Is she suggesting that if my son needs help he’ll have to find a station on his own?!
I spoke with the 8th grade counselor who takes part in the planning and coordinating of the end of the year activities. She said for the Knott’s 8th grade field trip, once the students get to the park they are able to go off on their own. With that being said, there are stations set up at the park where there will be a staff member at all times. There will be a staff member trained in diabetic care, if Anthony needs assistance. As we get closer, I will have more information as to which staff members will be at the stations and I will be training them. If you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know.
My read of that is, “he’s going to have some free time but we will always be accessible to him and trained.” That’s about the best they can do without chaining him to a chaperone 24/7, which he would hate at 13. Hopefully they provide maps of where the stations are.
I tend to doubt he will ever be 100% solo at the park. He will probably stick with a buddy or two, who he has hopefully oriented to his diabetes at least a little bit. In a setting like an amusement park, lows in Nowheresville From Anything are the most dangerous possibility we need to be ready for, IMHO. If someone he hangs out with knows that a non-diet pop works for a low in a pinch, and your son is willing to ask his buddies for a hand if he needs to, he’ll likely be fine.
It’s been a while since I was 13 and a diabetic, but doesn’t that seem kind of normal? What would he be likely to need help with? I would always have my meter and plenty of low blood sugar supplies (usually smarties and a snack) on me, but otherwise, I did whatever all the other kids were doing (including when I went to non-diabetes summer overnight camps). Also, all my friends knew about my diabetes, so I would have felt ok telling one of them to go for help if needed. I guess nowadays kids can also have a cell phone to call someone local or even 911 if need be too. Seems important for kids to be given freedom to learn to be independent, even though I’m sure it’s anxiety-provoking for parents.
My main concern is really if he were to need glucagon. Worrying is a special skill of mine so I try to keep things realistic. He’s never needed glucagon yet so the chances are good he won’t that day either, right? Walking to find a station if he’s on the verge of losing consciousness seems like a bad thing!
Cut his basal way down to make up for all the walking.
Get him a waterproof pouch for his D stuff.
Give him a bunch of cash.
Tell him he has to test his BG at least once every hour.
If he is below 90 (or whatever number you think), he buys a treat at the concession stand.
And just tell him if he messes up, you will roll down the window of your car, crank up your best of the 80’s CD, and sing really loudly every morning when you drop him off for school for his entire 9th grade year.
I’d much rather he run high all day than be low at all. Even better than 80’s music I’ll threaten to walk through the hallways holding his hand during the entire first week of school. I know he knows what to do but it’s the lows that come on suddenly that I worry about. If he can avoid those he’ll be fine.
If he has good warnings for lows, I’m sure he’ll be fine! If you’re really worried, you can have him err on the side of running a little high (and I’d lean toward lower doses anyway if he’s going to be more active). Also since he probably won’t be alone, just make sure he knows that if he feels faint/like it’s a really bad low, he should probably sit down somewhere safe and have glucose tabs or whatever while someone else gets an adult if needed.
I understand the feeling that being high is safer. But keep in mind when you are high you get dehydrated. And being in the sun and walking around all day when you are dehydrated can make you feel lousy. So try to find a happy safe middle-ground. Frequent testing is your best friend on that day.
At most amusement parks, there are sugar treats every 100 yards. Give his friend some cash and simple instructions - “If there is a problem, buy two treats. One for him and one for yourself.”
I was once a 13 year old diabetic too (just a few years ago ). It’s survivable. He’ll be fine.
As someone else has already suggested I would definitely bring his basal down by 20% for the day. That’s what our endo suggested when we sent our daughter to summer camp. Seeing as your son will be active all day at the park so it’s a nice little safe-guard against lows. But like other’s have pointed out, with all the snacks and treats available that day, I think going low will be the least of your concerns!
At this age, it would be appropriate for his friends to be aware of what to look for if help is needed and perhaps most importantly, just to get help ASAP. So it will be helpful for them to know the station locations as much as your son.
I understand the worry - diabetes trains us well to expect worse than the worst we’ve planned for.
Hey Jennifer-- my son is in 6th grade. He has been a diabetic for a year.
I know how hard it is to let go! I constantly wonder about how well my son is doing and whether he is dosing in a timely manner. In the past year my son has gone every single school trip, gone to camp many times, gone to stayaway camp several weeks, and spent many sleepovers away from home. It is all a matter of practice: getting him to practice making his own decisions and running his own diabetic life. With him, I do what Reagan suggested: trust but verify.
Does your son have a Dexcom? Does he have a phone? Can you see his BG on your phone?
Some suggestions:
possibly lower his basal slightly. The risk is that he will get high and want to dose on his own, then get low. So I would be rational and careful about how much to decrease by.
ask him to have a higher target, say 140 instead of 120 (or 120 if his target if 100).
make sure he has a fairly new Dexcom sensor if that’s what he is using.
make sure he has a battery to charge his cellphone from if that’s what he uses to monitor.
is the amusement park a water park? If so, it changes a lot of things, since he may not be able to carry his gear along all around. A regular amusement park would not worry me at all. A water park is a bit harder to prep for, but by no means impossible.
above all, though, letting him make his own decisions for a couple of weeks before the trip would be good if you tend to make them for him, this way he gets some practice. If he does that already, then he is ready.
Probably not the best reply, but I’d tell the school to back off. He obviously has D skills, knows what to do. He needs independence…trust. As a T1 diagnosed at 10yo in 1962, the best gift you can give him is trust.
I once had a bad low backstage…maybe I was 12? They didn’t want me to come back. Proudest moment of my life. My Mom read them the riot act, and I continued performing. Mom knew confidence, independence, and skills were essential. 55 years late: MOM WAS RIGHT AND I AM ALWAYS GRATEFUL EVERY DAY.
so I try to keep things realistic. He’s never needed glucagon yet so the chances are good he won’t that day either, right? Walking to find a station if he’s on the verge of losing consciousness seems like a bad thing!
I know he knows what to do but it’s the lows that come on suddenly that I worry about. If he can avoid those he’ll be fine.
). It’s survivable. He’ll be fine.