first vacation to the beach

[vettechmomof2]

Okay, my parents want to take myself and my children to the beach for the first time since diagnosis.:D Well, actually my children have never been to the beach period but that is another story.:rolleyes:

So, other than packing carefully and alot, getting a room with a fridge, keeping sand out of the PDM(meter for pump) what am I not thinking of.:confused:
1. spare meter
2. lots of test strips
3. extra bottles of insulin plus lantus in case of pump problems
4. ketone strips and meter
5. low snacks and glucose tablets
6. glucagon
7. nutritional guides and salter scale( I love this)
8. extra pods and adhesive
9. syringes
10. alcohol wipes

So, what am I forgetting? That was what I could pull from my head at this time in the morning with 2 hours of sleep.

Thanks everyone,
I know to watch for excessive time in the pools and heat but ???
Allene

[allisa]

I have to throw my 2 cents in when it comes to Beach vacations.....we practiaclly live at the beach in the summer because my parents live on the ocean and we invade whenever we can !

Everyone says swimming is the best exercise.....and I have to say we can SEE that with Ty's numbers.....he will ALWAYS go low in the middle of the night after a day of swimming. We have had a couple of HORRIBLE mornings of starvation ketones from severe undetected lows......took me a little while to catch on:rolleyes:

But now when I know he will be swimming all day....I cut down his insulin a little bit and push as many snack as humanly possible into him before bed, and ALWAYS check at 2 AM.

[Abby-Dabby-Doo]

Allene~
Have fun is what you need to add to your list!

I didn't see numbing cream if you use it. Umbrella for a little shade. I would think about bottles of water to wash the hands off (salt water), although an alcohol pad might do it.

[OSUMom]

I took my son (at 18) to the beach 2 months from diagnosis. I can't pinpoint why with so many factors but his blood sugar ran high. We tried not to get frustrated with the numbers but I think sometimes just the change of environment - on vacation - the numbers can change - stress level even good stress? Correct me if I'm wrong anyone. So I guess take with you *an attitude of flexibility in that it can be difficult to have the same numbers you have at home. The numbers might just not make sense away from the routine of home and that's okay - it's just one week (or however long) and you're enjoying a vacation! :)

Still I know in the evenings after dinner out we would have our moments of great frustration - huh? why are you so high? - I would also say in public "are you high again Dean?!" until my friend corrected me and said I better watch how I say that. Those were all the things I learned in the beginning of diagnosis. ;)

Have a wonderful beach vacation!!!!!

[D-Dad]

Set a higher target - you can drop in the heat.

Bring the clips to use when you disconnect.

Manual basal every hour.

Zip lock bags, zip lock bags and lip lock bags.

A cooler for the pump when disconnected.

[vettechmomof2]

THanks everyone for the great ideas. We or I should say my daughter is on the Omnipod so i do not need to worry about dissconnecting.
Correct on the water, I did not add that h2o and food would be brought along.
Def. need to remember the fun.
I was wondering about evening lows after swimming and being in the sun.
THanks again everyone,
Allene

[Heather(CA)]

I would give a free snack at bedtime...Go gurts work well for us...

Highs from swimming can be quite high, but you don't want to be too aggressive if you correct because the body will want that insulin back and it will drop them.

If you do have a rebound high in the morning, add everything up at breakfast then subtract 1 unit...It helps them to not stay high all day

HAVE FUN!!:D