Day 7 - Thirty Ninth Camp Blog Entry
July 26th, 2008 by SteveAt 12:45 PM, 203 campers were literally sent home packing. It’s quiet now, eerily quiet. It always gets this way between sessions. The weight of camp is quickly lifted from all our shoulders. There are two typical responses: 1) we either all want to celebrate at a popular local restaurant…or 2) simply crawl into the nearest bed and sleep 12 hours or more. I prefer the latter now, although in my younger days the former was my preferred mode of coping.
The bonds between many of the med staff are incredible. I watch everyone say their farewells, at least those who are not staying for Session 2. When they return in 1 or 2 years, everything will pick up where it left off today.
The people who volunteer each year to return to be on the med staff are remarkable. In many ways heroic.
The rec hall was full for parents day. The DVD was a big hit. Mike finished the last of 330 copies at 10:20 AM. What else would one expect from a super-man like that! Every family got a DVD full of over 2100 photos, 60 current songs and 1.5 hours of video of the Night Court and the Talent Show. A great way to keep the campers quiet in a DVD equipped car as they make the trek home. A great way to relive memories. many of these campers will be on my staff in a few short years as the cycle continues.
About 2 hours of diabetes education and Q&A was provided today. Lots of good questions. We had 108 of 203 campers using insulin pumps. About 30% were on some form of basal-bolus injection regimen. The theme of my presentation revolved around not only age-appropriate involvement of the child, but greater engagement in diabetes care for parents of adolescents. It is still clear to me that the majority of children pumping insulin in my state need more access to ongoing education. I fear that the practice of “pump and dump” is alive and well. I’ll write about that later.
I also got an earful about the state of pediatric diabetes care these days. One parent was especially upset with the diabetes care her camper gets by their doctor. It’s mostly lecturing and finger-pointing at this pre-teen child with an otherwise positive attitude about diabetes. The mother says she never gets to see the doctor, almost always the nurse practitioner, someone she fondly calls “Nurse Ratchet”. I heard several stories like this over this camping session. I hope this is not a glimpse into the future of pediatric diabetes care.
Finally, during check out, I was bombarded with many positive stories, testimonials and general appreciation by families. I always direct that back to the staff, where it rightfully belongs. I am honored to have been part of this camp for the past 28 years. To be its medical director humbles me to no end. And to be able to touch the lives of so many children and adults makes me feel like the luckiest person on earth today. Well, it’s off to the popular local restaurant for me. Then a good night’s sleep and we’ll turn this ship around and do it all over again.
Last 5 posts by Steve
- Halloween and Diabetes CAN mix! - October 5th, 2009
- Introducing Healthy Families of South Texas - October 5th, 2009
- Complications 101 - About Kidney Failure - August 23rd, 2009
- The Sleep Bolus - August 18th, 2009
- The Dirty Truth Behind DCCT - August 16th, 2009
July 26th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your posts this week. I worked at Camp Easter Seal near Roanoke,Va many years ago. We had just as much fun, without near the work you have gone through this week.
July 26th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Thank you for another week of transformation, hope, and enlightenment for my child and my family! This was our 2nd year and once again when we picked up our 11 year old daughter Kaylie she was bright-eyed and could not keep from smiling! Thank you for your informative session today - it both scares me but gives me hope as a parent. You are doing something incredible at TLC - nothing short of God’s work! If I could only put into words what this 7 days each year spent with your staff at camp means and does for our child -simply … thank you and God bless you!
July 28th, 2008 at 1:02 am
Colleen: Thanks for your kind words. The camp is a labor of love for the med staff. Not only do they provide an invaluable experience for the campers, but many go on to become better doctors, nurses, dietitians and persons with diabetes. It only takes seeing happy boys and girls enjoying themselves here to make any challenge of putting on this program well worth the effort. I think we both agree that all diabetes camps are pursuing a noble goal to lift up children with this chronic condition.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:07 am
Kaylie’s mom: Thanks for the praise. I will pass it on to those who make my job look easy: the wonderful staff and volunteers of the medical staff. I am fortunate to work with such a group of committed and talented people. Kaylie’s experience is the experience of many other youngsters who come to camp. I pray we can continue to touch more lives this week as we did with your daughter. God bless you for parenting a child with diabetes. I would not be here today were it not for the love and support my parents gave me during my childhood years with diabetes. You have left an indelible mark on your daughter and will continue to do so as time moves forward. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your plan for her.