Diabetes Camp

Raising a child can be hard. Raising a diabetic child IS hard. Raising a diabetic child in the throes of puberty is not for the faint of heart. For real, folks! I believe I've mentioned before that growth hormone inhibits insulin absorption. In layman's terms, that means my growing almost-teenager (OH. MY. GOODNESS.) has to take a lot of insulin in the wees hours of the night (which is the most frightening time of the day for a diabetic). So, there's that - checking sugar earlier in the morning, more frequently (we're at about 10 times in 24/hours now), and all that goes with it. But, what it has meant the last two summers is that she has another Diabetes Camp opportunity.

Last year, I very timidly left her at Camp Blue Hawk ... for FOUR nights. She had the best time! We did have some issues afterward. The nursing staff there changed the basal rates in her pump (which is groovy, non-issue), but they did not tell me they changed her bolus rates. This wrought havoc on her blood sugar, her well-being, her A1C and life in general for nearly a month before I figured out what the problem was. (We don't change bolus rates very often. We change basal rates frequently, but rarely a bolus rate. And, since I did not know they changed it, it was a full month before I thought to even look at it.)

Since then, we have been working on transitioning some more of the responsibility of her diabetes management to her. Her dad and I took a week-long, parents-only, trip halfway across the country. She managed impressively well in her sister's care and even did her own pump site change!

This year (also her last as a camper at her beloved Camp Lo-Be-Gon), I'm pretty sure they all knew I was *that* mom who made sure this was not going to happen again, to my kid or any other. It was all good, though. Because she left with this:

That's right, IN HER BELLY! Not only that, but she inserted it and only numbed with ice for a few minutes! Not only that, but when thinking of her packing list for a sleepover, this conversation happened:
Me: You're due for a site change tomorrow.
Her: Yeah, you think I should take one with me, just in case?
Me: Not a bad idea.
Her: It's nice to be able to do that.
Me: Yes. Yes, it certainly is.

Thank you, Camp Blue Hawk! Less than six months ago, she did not want to take any of that on, and certainly not in her belly, but I have yet to do a site change since her return this time.