Day Fourteen - Sixteenth Camp Blog Entry
July 31st, 2009 by SteveFinal camp post
This is the last full day of camp. It’s been a busy 2 weeks. We’ve been fortunate to avoid any need for intravenous dextrose to treat severe hypoglycemia (at least as of this writing). That is always one benchmark I’m proud of. I want to once again thank the Texas Lions League for making this camp possible since 1953, plus all the counselors, med staff, core staff, dining hall staff, maintenance staff and senior leadership that make it possible. If I had to list each person by name, it would look like the credits from a Star Wars movie. Camp is a team effort in every way. It also “takes a village” to serve a child at diabetes camp. Ultimately, parents are the most important members of this team. You made the choice to share your son or daughter with us for the past 6 days.
I urge parents to call or write the Lion who sponsored your camper to come here (at no cost as you know). It means a lot to them to hear this feedback. I also suggest you send your comments to Mr. Stephen Mabry, the CEO of the Texas Lions Camp and one heck of a human being. His e-mail is smabry@lionscamp.com. I’ve had the honor of knowing this man for the past 20 years. I could not think of a finer, more dedicated and sincere individual as Stephen. He is also supported by a staff of equally committed professionals that make your camper’s experience a truly memorable one.
So today’s final Diabetes Challenge Question of the Day asks: Did diabetes camp make a difference for your child? I realize your responses won’t come until later. But I want you to think about this as you head home with your son or daughter and discuss their camp experience with them. But also reflect upon your own experience: for many of you this may have been the “first time”. For others, this may be old hat. Ultimately, your vote of confidence in us will be by entrusting us again with your camper sometime in the future.
Personally, it’s been an honor to be involved with this camp. I’m now in my 28th year. I’ve been directing it for 20 years. It has been (and hopefully will continue to be, God willing) an experience I’ll appreciate for many years to come. I’m also surrounded with people on our medical staffs that are of the highest integrity and moral character. I just hope a little bit of it will rub off on me!
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
August 6th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Yes, diabetes camp made a huge difference for my child! Actually, when you ask her about it, she says she didn’t like camp. I know her well enough to know that there were just a few aspects of camp that she didn’t like, therefore, she says she didn’t like camp. I know, though, that the girl I saw when I sat at the awards ceremony was having a blast. This was her first time to go, so she was homesick - and she said all the girls in her cabin cried at some point. She is also a very picky eater, so the meals were an issue for her, which I expected. One of the things she talked about a lot was that on the last day of camp, they ate breakfast and then had to lie down on their beds for 3 hours afterward. That was “torture” according to her.
Despite all of that, she saw a lot of girls using alternative pump sites, like their arms and bottoms, that she has been incredibly reluctant to try. I was thankful for that influence.
She has talked about the things she loved at camp and that is what we focus on.
Honestly, the main difference it has made in her life is the new energy and focus that it gave ME as her mom. Through all the various methods of communication you made available during and after camp, I learned a great deal and have decided to hang a sign in the kitchen with a new diabetes tip about once or twice a week. I now have a much clearer picture of how much I need to be involved in her care, yet not so much that I’m the diabetes police. I had backed off too much recently.
I continue to follow your twitter and have been successfully dealing with a high blood sugar issue the last two days, brought on by illness. Her diabetes doctor is currently at a conference, but I was able to troubleshoot the issues and get her back into range today.
Camp definitely made a huge difference.
August 8th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Camp without a doubt made a huge impact on our daughter! She went from being the only kid at school and having no close friends with D to making lots of friends and seeing 211 kids just like her wow what an impact!
She talked none stop from the time we picked her up until we finally made her go to bed and she cried when she had to leave her new friends at camp that night.
She is already planning and looking forward to next year!! This also was her first year at camp and really the only complaint I had was that her BG log was not filled out completely only part of Thursday was filled and none on Friday but other than that I had no complaints. She said she did great and we as her parents needed that break to catch our breath and get re-charged. Thank you so much for that and for doing the camp! I also am following you on twitter so please keep that going and look forward to reading more!
So yes camp made a huge difference for all of US!!!
August 11th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Just a quick note: two nights ago my daughter said, “Mom, I think I WILL go back to camp next year.” I smiled and said, “That’s awesome. I’m really glad to hear that.”
I KNEW it. She just needed some time to quick thinking about what she saw as the “negatives” and just to remember the positives. I’m glad I know her well enough to have just waited it out. It didn’t take as long as I expected!