My son was invited to go with a friend to a big amusement park and I’d like your thoughts on managing his pump while he’s there. I won’t be there and it’s a private event, so it’s likely the boys will just roam around all day without the parents of the boy who invited him. They’re old enough to be on their own, and the friend knows about my son’s diabetes and how to help him if he’s low. I’m not worried about him taking care of himself at the park - he’s good about testing and he’s been to an amusement park and has a sense for how it effects him.
My question is about the logistics of the pump itself. The manufacturer says not to wear the pump on roller coasters or freefall rides. Do they mean to disconnect or that the pump should not physically be carried onto the ride? If he can’t take it on the ride, what’s he to do with it? He can’t run it to a locker every time he gets on a ride, and I hate the thought of him taking it off and throwing it down near the exit for the ride where it could get stepped on, taken, really dirty, etc. If I don’t talk about it with him ahead of time, I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what he would do. How do I know? Because when I asked him how he would manage his pump if he had to take it off, he said he’d throw it down near the exit where people put their flip-flops so they don’t fall off when the ride goes upside down. Ewwww!
I’ve worn my pump to a couple of amusement parks and had no issues with it. I’ve ridden The Beast, Diamondback, Drop Tower, and Flight of Fear at Kings Island-- all very intense thrill rides. The only side effect I noticed was that all of the physical motion created a large air bubble in the line that I had to prime out later in the afternoon. On my most recent trip to a park, I disconnected my pump for the day using a small does (5u) of Humalog 25/75 mix to cover me for a 7-8 hour span. I chose to do this so I could enjoy water rides and the water park without worrying about what to do with my pump. I’ve taken many pump “vacations” this summer while visiting water parks, tubing on the river, spending a day at the beach, or just doing yard work and the process works very well. But as far as the park goes… I wouldn’t worry about it.
If you prefer he take it off before going on an upside down coaster/water ride/etc… he can go to the first aide station when he gets to the park and get a Medical Tag to put on his pump and then he can hand it to the ride operator to hold at their station. They will not hold it without this tag. This is what we did this past summer. My dtr wears the pod but we couldn’t take the PDM on the water rides nor carry a bag on to the coasters.
Just get him a really cool spi belt (or similar product), ride everything with pump hooked and secured in the belt. I will just shift the belt/pump around to make it fit with all the ride belts and buckles with no trouble, I just try to make sure I will not slam against the pump when riding (hey, I ride hands free!). The tubing from the pump will be fine where the zipper closes, so you don’t even need the special spi belt made for pumps. To much trouble to unhook, and what if you lay it down and it walks away from the ride? The amusement park will not be responsible for the loss. Water rides depend on how wet you are going to get - there you may need to remove the pump just for safety. Then I would suggest secure place for the pump (locker) and get all the wet stuff done at one time, then reconnect and go have fun! Plus you could supply your son with some glucose tabs he can carry with the pump in the spi belt just in case.
So, it sounds like people don’t disconnect or remove their pumps for roller coasters. I wonder why the manufacturer says not to wear it - an abundance of caution, maybe?
We have been to 3 amusement parks this summer and my son just disconnected the pump at his site during the ride. The trick is first you have to remember to disconnect and then you have to remember to reconnect. His first roller coaster he went on this summer was with my daughter and my husband. Luckily I was able to talk to them right before the ride started from my standing position while watching them and I asked if he disconnected and he did forget so he quickly did it before the roller coaster started (it goes to 60 mph in seconds). The next one he remembered to disconnect; however, later we realized that he had not reconnected it. So then the rest of the day I asked before did you disconnect and then after did you reconnect. LOL
I won’t be there to remind him, so I hope he remembers. i’ll coach his friend to help him remember, but they’re 13 year old boys, so who knows. I think I’m going to ask him to shoot me a quick text every few hours just so I know he’s okay. Not enough texts to make him feel like a baby, but enough that if something is out of whack, I’ll get a clue early on and can remind him remotely.
Sounds like a plan. The last park we went to my son and his friend walked around by themselves. I had him text me (I wanted every half hour and he agreed to about every hour LOL). My son is 13 as well. I was concerned that he would leave his medical bag sit after a ride, but he still had it at the end of the night. He even estimated his carbs well for the food they ate and remembered to bolus.
I have a season pass to Six Flags Great America and ride all the rides there while wearing my pump, including free falls and coasters, on a weekly basis. I always make sure to attach my pump via the belt clip to the waist band of my underpants when I am gonna go upside down, or I wear a belt bag and put the pump in there during the ride occasionally ( a teen probably will not want to wear a belt bag though - I am a mom and can get away with it). I have never had an issue wearing my pump, but I am extra careful to make sure it is securely attached! I would NEVER leave my pump at the end of the ride or allow an attendant to hold it - I am a big germaphobe just thinking about where their hands have been. Hope your son has a great time!
I was going to have him wear cargo shorts & keep his pump in his pocket and his meter/strips/etc. in another pocket that closes with velcro. I think that would keep everything secure. I’ll ask the parents of the kid he’s going with to carry a small kit of just-in-case stuff with them, even though the boys won’t be with them. The park is good sized, but you can get most anywhere within 5 minutes, especially with it being a private party and not open to the masses.
I’m sure all will be fine, but I’m the mom, so I have to worry - it’s my job. Plus, I have to justify every one of these gray hairs that keep popping up - I’m not getting old, I’m just concerned about my son!
I would totally wear my pump on a roller coaster. Definitely WOULD NOT leave it by the entrance with all the shoes. Spibelts are GREAT for securing a pump during vigorous activity. I have one and use it all the time for exercising and other activities. The only things I won’t wear my pump for are any activity in which the pump could become soaking wet OR break.
Does your son have a cell phone that you could keep in touch with him and give him reminders to check his bs and such. As far as keeping a tab on his pump perhaps one of the boys could sit out while he was on a ride to keep a watch on the pump.
