Camps

[Tatermom]

Has anyone been to any of the diabetes camps, conventions, etc? Sounds a little odd to me. Then again, I had the same feeling about forums until I joined this one. I see a couple of camps and conventions geared towards families, but I wonder if they are worth the expense.:flybye:

[BriOnH]

I worked at BearSkin Meadow in Kings Canyon National Park (south of Yosemite) for several years. It is a great camp!! They have family camps there, and would highly reccommend it.

[Lynne1]

I worked at BearSkin Meadow in Kings Canyon National Park (south of Yosemite) for several years. It is a great camp!! They have family camps there, and would highly reccommend it.
My friend took her daughter to diabetes camp in NJ...I can find out the name if you like. Personally, I'd rather go to yosemite!

[amylo]

I went on holidays for diabetic kids when I was younger. For me it wasnt so much about learning more about diabetes, but meeting people who are in the same position as you are. I had a brilliant time, the staff were excellent and would recommend it to anyone.

[Shellbelly]

I went a couple of times as a child...oh how they made me eat healthy stuff and measure everything!!! I had fun except one time they had a dance and they wouldnt let you have a snack or a drink unless they saw ya slow dance with a boy.....back then boys had cuties.....come to find out the snack was a yogurt and it wasnt even worth dancing to get hehehehe:dancing2: But it was nice to talk to ppl who have the same problems as u do!!!

[jen_slc]

I was sort of coerced by my endo and mom into going to both a summer and a winter diabetes camp after I was diagnosed. I didn't really want to but I agreed. Neither were exceptional, I actually didn't like them, but that was when I think I was still in denial and didn't want to be surrounded by other diabetics! I absolutely hated being around them because it was all a competition: "I've been to the hospital X number of times... oh yeah? well I've passed out THIS number of times, I beat you!" I couldn't understand why they were competing for this! I enjoyed the outdoors activities, but I didn't really learn anything and that was very disappointing being a new diabetic.

But, I feel differently now. I would love to have diabetic friends or at least know somebody in person here! It took me a long time to search out a forum because of my old feelings, but joining this place has been one of the best decisions I ever made. If I had a diabetic child, I would want him/her to go, but I wouldn't force it. I'm sure they're a lot different these days. At least now I can laugh with my mom about it - she honestly had no clue I detested it so much and she felt so bad! :love:

[Tokyo Cate]

We should plan a Diabetes Forums Summer Camp 2007! I would want to go. A bit of kayaking, some fishing, some BBQing, some hiking, some games. We could have it partially sponsored by the pump companies, Eli Lilly, BD, Aventis, LifeScan, MediSense, etc. to help control the costs.

Camp! It's not just for kids, you know!

[MagsRM23]

I personally went to a camp when I was 10, 4 years after I was diagnosed. I don't know about others' camp experiences, but I hated it. All we could talk about and do had to do with diabetes, and it was more depressing than uplifting to meet other diabetic kids. We had meal plans at that time, and they made us follow our meal plan to the letter -- we couldn't even substitute things like starches for fruits if our meal plan didn't allow it! Again, maybe it was just the camp I went to, but I wouldn't suggest going to a summer diabetes camp. I wouldn't do it again as I don't see the value in it. The only positive thing to come out of it was that they made me learn how to give myself injections. It was good, but sort of a submersion-by-fire approach. I think it's more important to get diabetic kids involved in summer activities just like other kids -- I danced and went to cheerleading and golf camp, to name a few things. Those activities were more beneficial and rewarding in the long-run. Well, those are my two cents! Hope that helps!

-Maggie

[Dewey]

We should plan a Diabetes Forums Summer Camp 2007! I would want to go. A bit of kayaking, some fishing, some BBQing, some hiking, some games. We could have it partially sponsored by the pump companies, Eli Lilly, BD, Aventis, LifeScan, MediSense, etc. to help control the costs.

Camp! It's not just for kids, you know!
I really like your idea, Cate. :thumbsup: That would be an awesome way to for adults who never went to camp in their youth to participate....and just think, no "camp leaders" could tell us what to do about food & the like, lol. :D

[Tokyo Cate]

I really like your idea, Cate. :thumbsup: That would be an awesome way to for adults who never went to camp in their youth to participate....and just think, no "camp leaders" could tell us what to do about food & the like, lol. :D

It could make for a fun chance for some of us to meet each other, but the world is a pretty big place. Where to have it?

[Erin]

I like the idea too!

Coney Island is nice this time of the year...

:)

But, as for places that are NOT in my back yard... I dunno, New Orleans? The economy there's still gonna stink in 2007. Or someplace in Europe? Flights to London are hella cheap if you get them far enough in advance (from the East Coast of the US anyway)

[Tokyo Cate]

I dunno, New Orleans? The economy there's still gonna stink in 2007. Or someplace in Europe? Flights to London are hella cheap if you get them far enough in advance (from the East Coast of the US anyway)

East Coast of North America or Europe have my vote. If I went to the West Coast, I would want to go visit my family.

[am1977]

oohhh, ooohh, ooohh, I'm in! :itsme:.

I never was excited about attending camp as a kid( so I don't think I did), but this sounds like fun! :thumbsup:. I vote east coast US too... just would be a bit easier for me to go.

[Tokyo Cate]

I never was excited about attending camp as a kid( so I don't think I did), but this sounds like fun! :thumbsup:. I vote east coast US too... just would be a bit easier for me to go.

Don't forget Eastern Canada! It could be a prescription drug adventure for the Americans on the Forum. And cheap shopping trip overall.

Truly, if there is enough interest, this is something that we could organise for summer 2007.

[Yvonne Burns]

Dear Tokyo and others, Count me in!!--Yvonne

[Diana]

I was a bit too old when I was diagnosed to go on a kids camp, not that I would have really wanted to anyway. It all sounded so.. support groupish.. I could just picture us all sitting in a circle around a campfire jabbing each other with pointy devices and comparing bsl's. Australia is not big into the summer camp thing that there is in America anyway, so going away to a camp that wasnt school related would be kind of weird.

When I was 17 I joined a (gasp horror) group for young adults with T1. We went on camp. That sounds so dorky, but yeah, a whole bunch of young adults from 17 to 35ish, together for the weekend. I really wasnt sure if I was keen on the idea or not, but I'm so glad I went, I loved it. It was just so good to meet other people in the same situation as me, and to realise that they did not all have two heads. I went to the camp the next year as well, and that was even better. We went to pemberton, an area in W.A were there is beautiful forrests and trees, a real tourist destination. This time, I even went on the bus there with everyone else. If you had asked me two years earlier if I woud be caught dead on a bus full of people with diabetes heading off for a camp, I would have laughed at you. But I did, and it was great. We went on trips of the local area, climbed the Gloucester tree (A 61 meter tree with pegs stuck into the side that you can climb up! Freaking scary!), and tested out the effects of alcohol on bsl's at night. Ok, yeah, I admit it, someone did bring a guitar, and there may have indeed been late night singing...blame it on the alcohol. I still have good friends that I met that weekend.

So yeah, anyway, in short I would say that diabetes camps are very worth it, for anyone who wants to go. But I would never force a child with diabetes to go if they are not keen, because they will probably hate it. But yeah, if you guys plan on having a camp, I can totally reccomend Australia.. Come over and check out the tree I was talking about, its truly amazing, lol.

[Lynne1]

Don't forget Eastern Canada! It could be a prescription drug adventure for the Americans on the Forum. And cheap shopping trip overall.

Truly, if there is enough interest, this is something that we could organise for summer 2007.
We could try the Jersey shore. Stay near the beach, have a day trip to NYC and Atlantic city...charter a boat and fish in the Atlantic Ocean...and, of course some bbqs and seafood.

That's one thought. I'm up for anything.