As a kid I remember my mother once asking me if I wanted to attend a summer camp program for just diabetics. I was diagnosed with the juvenile diabetes at age 13 and I had been to all sorts of cub scout day camps, webelos over night camps, and two boy scout camps by this ripe age of my life. I had lots of camp experiences and really loved going to summer camp but the thought of going to a diabetes summer camp only brought thoughts of those black and white video's of Nazi concentration camps from world war 2. You know the ones where they are all just standing along the fence and just look like they want to be anywhere else in the world at that moment. So my response to my mother was not just no, but H E double hockey sticks no! I lived the diabetes hermit life till my mid 20's and didn't want much of anything to do with diabetes or anyone to know that I had it until I found a support group that changed my life and converted me to be a way outspoken person about my diabetes to any random stranger that will listen to me.
I am now a full grown adult juvenile diabetic and I was able to find a diabetes camp that would let me be an instructor. The experience was so much fun to talk to kids about diabetes and to let them know that it doesn't go away after you turn 18, and to discuss favorite treatments for lows and favorite meters and all sorts of stuff. If you have the diabetes or know of anyone with the diabetes. I strongly suggest that you attend a camp or volunteer with a camp. Think about little me and how I was so alone all my life not knowing that I wasn't a bad person or not taking care of myself properly because I was scared to be around others with diabetes for so long. I can't wait till next year and see all the friends I made at diabetes camp. It's so much fun to be able to speak native diabetes language with others and not have to decipher it to English for the non-diabetes people in the world.
