Summer Camp and Diabetes

Part of my day job is orchestrating camps. It's stressful and a lot of work, but when I get to camp it's always worth it. This year, I was in charge of setting up three different camps ranging from 3rd grade to 12th grade. The closer we got to camp the closer I got to having a mental break down. Thankfully as always, once we got to camp, my nerves calmed down and I remembered why I love this part of my job.

Camp is always a guessing game with diabetes. I have to figure out how to should adjust my basal rates due to the extra level of activity, and elevation change. It's a guessing game for the first few days, but then after a few days I start to get things figured out. I had more lows than I normally do in the beginning and decided to reduce my basal rate. Sadly, that was the wrong choice.

During camp, I hit a 500 for the first time in months. I stared at my CGM screen while the line steadily stayed in a constant straight line in the 500 range. I started the general protocol: gave myself a shot, switched my set out, and stayed away from food even though I was starving. All I could do was wait patiently and stare at my CGM screen. Hours later my numbers went back to normal and I switched my basal rate back to it's regular setting.

For the first time ever I suspended my pump in my sleep. I woke up with that lovely hungover blood sugar feeling. My eyes hurt, I craved water, and felt a little woozy. I grabbed a bottle of water and began chugging it and gave myself a corrections bolus, the nausea went away, and I slowly started to feel better.

Diabetes is always a bit of a guessing game when traveling. But that doesn't mean that it has to ruin my time. Camp was amazing and oddly recharging. It's the biggest pain to set up, but once you're there you remember the importance of it. I missed my hubs, and struggled with my numbers, but I'm so glad I went.