Should I send my child to camp this summer???

[faf]

My 8-yr old son has asked to go to a summer camp and I am quite concerned. There is a nurse on site and apparently a doctor will be available. I am concerned that the higher level of activities will dramatically affect his insuline needs. It's a lot to ask him to regulate and I dont know if the nurse has the necessary knowledge.

Any experience?

thanks

[seacomp]

My 8-yr old son has asked to go to a summer camp and I am quite concerned. There is a nurse on site and apparently a doctor will be available. I am concerned that the higher level of activities will dramatically affect his insuline needs. It's a lot to ask him to regulate and I dont know if the nurse has the necessary knowledge.

Any experience?

thanks
There's a thread or two on diabetic camps, they could be an alternative.

[someone]

There are diabetic camps all over that specialize in this. One I know of has a wireless meter system so that whenever someone tests, it is sent to people in the offices who just monitor blood glucose levels all day and suggest changes to be made.

[KickStart101]

My 8-yr old son has asked to go to a summer camp and I am quite concerned. There is a nurse on site and apparently a doctor will be available. I am concerned that the higher level of activities will dramatically affect his insuline needs. It's a lot to ask him to regulate and I dont know if the nurse has the necessary knowledge.
Any experience?
thanks


Well. if he wants to go, I think that's Great. But don't blame me
if it's not a fun Camp. :D It seems some Folks here didn't
enjoy themselves at Camp.

I had alot of Fun. Two wks. every August from age 8 to 13. There
was so many Cool activities there. We had 1 Doctor, 1 RN and 1 assistant,
at the Clinic on the grounds, that everyone knew about.

Each set of 8(if I remember correctly)Kids had 1 Counsellor(sp) in charge
of them. They were taught about Diabetes, of course, and what symptoms
to watch for from the Kids.

Oh sorry, I just reread your post and it just says summer camp, not
summer camp for Kids with Diabetes. :hmmmm: I would be worried more
then, if it was my Kid. You'd have to find one with the best medical team.
And definitely question them thoroughly about their knowledge of Diabetes
and what their procedure would be in case of a low. You would also have
to give them a list of what your Son eats and drinks, how much. A schedule
of when he takes his Insulin, etc., the good sugar range to be in(someone
should be around when he checks his sugars). Oh and he will need his sugar
tabs, etc. with him. I know Kids forget things sometimes when they are
occupied(so do Adults), but if you think he is even 3/4 responsible and
knowledgeable enough with his Diabetes then he should be reasonably okay.
If he isn't, then tell him No Camp, until he is better looking after it, and of
course he may be mad at you all summer. :( This too will pass. That's your
decision. A Diabetic Child's bsl's are harder to regulate anyways. Good
Luck. :) You need these. :flowers: ;)

[Fred&CharlesFan]

Agreed with KickStart101. Camp is great.
Conversely, how long has he been living with this? 8 yrs old is pretty young to understand some of the troubles that can befall you at camp: diet, exercise, campouts, cookouts...
And if it is not a diabetes specific camp, I would say NO. I would doubt the experience level of the general camp nurse & and a part-time doctor with the challenges of a child with diabetes, if the health care team is not further along the diabetes knowledge & experience curve than all the most basic 'general' stuff (i.e. You can't eat THAT!..). Ask the average nurse working in any walkin day-clinic what the protocol is to treat hypoglycemia? Will the Dr. know how to make an insulin dosage adjustment for YOUR son?

[am1977]

I think that it could be a good experience, but, saying that, it's not for every child. If he's pretty outgoing and isn't afraid of being away from home that's one thing, but if he's on the shy side and hasn't been away before, it could be hard for him. The worst thing might be to be somewhere else where he doesn't know anyone and is homesick. That would not be a good thing.

However, if you talk to him about all the positives and negatives of camp and still wants to go, then it would be worthwhile. From what I've heard from other people, there's a lot of postive things to going too.

Yes, he'll learn or review Diabetes management, he'll be able to talk with other kids about this disease (and may not feel as alone), and he'll also do all the usual fun camp things... (camp fires and smores come to mind :eating: ).

I wish you luck with your decision...keep us posted :top:

[Funnygrl]

I went to camp my whole life. I went to a non-D camp. I didn't have D then, but I did have hypoglycemia. My mom talked to the cook, the nurse, and the director before I could go. They were all very accomdating and I had a great time.

If he wants to go to the non-d camp cause he has friends going, then I say let him go. The nurse can call you with bses and you can adjust doses over the phone. He can carry glucose tabs in his pocket or something. When I went to camp my counselor carried glucose for me when I was younger.

My first few summers going to camp I went with a friend.

[Belinda]

I went to camp for 6 weeks every summer...needless to say I was not Diabetic at the time but got sick at camp.....guess what Diabetes...and they are the ones that took me to the doctor, called my parents etc......let him go...CAMP is a wonderful thing and if he is the only diabetic there just think of all the others he will educate.....

[sbuff28@charter]

Camps are very strenuous.. Expecially all boys camps. My parents used to ship my siblings and I out to camp in the summer to get away from us... haha. He will be constanly moving and active. I would suggest having a COMPLETE conversation with the nurse to make sure she knows exactly what shes doing. He will probally need his insulin backed up a bit, letting him run a bit high...in the 150s might be a good idea at least for the first few days.

Seriously though... some camps have the kids actively running/swimming/anything... up to 14 hours a day.... needs to test like 20 times a day...

otherwise, its a blast

[Erin]

My 8-yr old son has asked to go to a summer camp and I am quite concerned. There is a nurse on site and apparently a doctor will be available. I am concerned that the higher level of activities will dramatically affect his insuline needs. It's a lot to ask him to regulate and I dont know if the nurse has the necessary knowledge.

Any experience?

thanks

It wouldn't hurt to call the camp and see if they feel able to handle it... you'll be able to tell by their reaction how well prepared / knowledgeable they are about the big D. Or they might even have a counselor or two with D. Or you could recommends one. (*hint hint* I'm looking for a summer camp counselor gig this summer.)

I think it depends on how well your son is able to manage his own d. If he is able to detect and treat lows without too much help it would probably be do-able for everybody concerned. and are you talking about day camp or sleep away?

[faf]

Thank you all for this input. Very valuable. I will look into d-camps as those seem to offer the best environment. I am not keen on putting all that responsibility on his shoulders, or someone who is not trained properly. It has to be a positive experience for him.

Thanks again. I will let you know.

In the mean time, if you are aware of good d-camps, please let me know!

Faf

[leslie91879]

I have been to sereval camps in my younger days and I have also been a counslor at one too camps are great. the one that I worked with had a staff made of 99% diabetic also campers could include friends and brothers and sisters of a diabetic it is a great place for kids young and old to meet new people with out all the questions about being a diabetic and at mine they would adjust all things from meal plans to meds at the start of camp to keep up with all the activities. also if a kid was wanting to try something out like a pump they could for the week and make up their mind if they wanted one that is how I got mine almost 10 years ago!!!!!

[Tim_Roy]

In the mean time, if you are aware of good d-camps, please let me know!


When I was a boy I went to Camp Joslin. It's about an hour west of Boston.

There is a girl's camp (Clara Barton) about five or ten miles away. So when he reaches his teens he might enjoy the dances they have a fair bit better. If that's a concern for him now, have someone explain the concept of "cootie-spray" to him. ;) Medically speaking, extensive exposure to cooties from mom's kisses should have helped him build up a resistance to cooties.

It's brought to you by the same people who brought you Joslin Clinic and the various Joslin Diabetes Centers around the country. They know their stuff. I drove past it last year when I was doing some training for work in MA. It was odd, everything seemed, you know, smaller. When I did a web search I found out that Petah Lendal (inside joke, his accent) whose letter appeared in every advert they had back then, who was later one of my counselors, is now running the place.

[BriOnH]

Thank you all for this input. Very valuable. I will look into d-camps as those seem to offer the best environment. I am not keen on putting all that responsibility on his shoulders, or someone who is not trained properly. It has to be a positive experience for him.

Thanks again. I will let you know.

In the mean time, if you are aware of good d-camps, please let me know!

Faf

It's a ways away from you, but I worked at Bearskin Meadow diabetic camp in kings canyon national park just south of Yosemite in California, for several summers. Their HQ's are in Walnut Creek California. The head doctor there is diabetic, and usually has at least 3 doctors and a handful of nurses on site. Best summers of my life were spent there, and I still have many friends from there. I can't tell you how much I learned there about diabetes, it literally changed my life.

As an FYI if you send your son to a non diabetic camp; When working at camp, no matter how hard we tried to prevent it, the third day of camp out of the two weeks campers were there, was the day, statistically, the worst hypos occured for the majority of campers. I also have personal experience with this trend at non diabetic camps.
-B

[faf]

Thanls a lot everybody. This really helps

Faf

[sugarfree76]

When I was a boy I went to Camp Joslin. It's about an hour west of Boston.

There is a girl's camp (Clara Barton) about five or ten miles away. So when he reaches his teens he might enjoy the dances they have a fair bit better. If that's a concern for him now, have someone explain the concept of "cootie-spray" to him. ;) Medically speaking, extensive exposure to cooties from mom's kisses should have helped him build up a resistance to cooties.

It's brought to you by the same people who brought you Joslin Clinic and the various Joslin Diabetes Centers around the country. They know their stuff. I drove past it last year when I was doing some training for work in MA. It was odd, everything seemed, you know, smaller. When I did a web search I found out that Petah Lendal (inside joke, his accent) whose letter appeared in every advert they had back then, who was later one of my counselors, is now running the place.
BROTHER!!! When did you go? I was in cabin 2 in 89, 1 in 90, S.D. in 91, and CIT in 92 and 93
how cool!!!
I haven't been back there since, though

[Tim_Roy]

I went for the first time when I was nine back in 77 or 78 (just diagnosed six months before). Gave my first shot in cabin eight.

I forget the cabin I was in the last time I went. I was thirteen that year (1980 or 81 I guess). The next year I went to a local camp and after that I was both "too cool" for summer camp, plus I was a screw-up and went to summer school.

When I was there they still had "the Hermit." I heard they did away with him once some kid got scared.

I'd think in recent years they probably did away with Indian Council. Around ten years later I'd run into an old friend who also went there at a bar and I could have him rolling on the floor (and everyone else completely baffled) by putting on the bad Tonto act and saying "NO LAUGHING! You think Indian Council funny?"

I hated all the sports stuff. I sucked at all that, which didn't make me terribly popular in my cabin. I enjoyed the pirate radio station though, archery and I forget what else. Oh yeah, ultimate frisbee and hockey. Mostly the "less actives" though, heh.

[SugaryOne]

As a 15 year-old, I've been going to a diabetic summer camp for 9-10 years now. Although it is different from a regular summer camp, the doctor just decreased most of our insulin by 40-60% to account for the exercise.

If your son is mature, he will be able to handle it.

[Tim_Roy]

I think going to diabetic camp really helped me see diabetes as being "perfectly normal." If your kid is having any troubles dealing with being a diabetic, sending him or her off to live with hundreds of diabetics is GREAT for them.

On top of all that, there's really NO TEMPATATIONS at diabetic camp.

When we had reactions they'd give us coke syrup. It raised your BG, but only tasted "so so."

Sending a diabetic kid to a "normal camp" where they're unfamiliar with treating diabetics can either lead to lousy control while they're there, or a kid who learns how to use diabetes to manipulate situations.