Managing heat for a diabetic kid at Disney

[special ed teacher]

We are having very hot weather this summer. It is very unusual for us. My diabetic son is finding that he needs to stay inside most of the time due to his blood sugars going up and down from the very hot temperatures. We are going to Disney in August and now I'm trying to get a good plan to help him stay healthy in the heat. Any good ideas other then staying inside.

[mickeys_princess_mom]

In most of the parks you can pretty much duck your way in and out of the AC. AK might be a little much for him...Cool wet bandana tied around his neck, definitely a straw hat, and maybe a water misting fan? Those are cheaper at Walmart before you go. Have a great trip!
:wave:

[Strmchsr]

I definitely understand that challenge! My DS11 has been a type-1 diabetic for 6 years now and we have made many WDW trips with him (I'm assuming your son is type-1 as well).

Staying inside isn't necessary. My son plays football, basketball, etc even in this heat (though, admittedly, we're used to this in Alabama. Typical summer for us) The key is hydration. The more he stays hydrated the less issues we have. I make sure he keeps water with him at ALL times. We carry water bottles into the parks (it's allowed) and refill them often. Also, take plenty of breaks in the cooler areas. That's good, basic advice for anyone in August. I don't know if you're doing pump or shot, but we've found my son tends to run low in the heat a lot more than high so we intentionally under dose him at meals and that helps a lot, too. We've been there with him in September and May with it being very hot and following these simple tips we haven't had too much trouble.

I should also mention that carrying juice boxes can be a real hassle in the parks. There's not a problem with bringing them in, but they are bulky so we've found glucose tables work a lot better.

[OurFamilyCastle]

Like the others mentioned, there are many areas with AC, which should help in your situation. Something else to consider is the guests with disabilities pass, which you can get at the guest relations office. It won't let you cut to the front of the line, but it will give you a way to make your stay more comfortable.

The guest relations cast member will give you the specifics. But If you're traveling with a group, the pass will let you wait with your son out of the regular line (possibly in a shaded area or near the ride's exit if it has room and AC). When your party reaches the front of the line, you can then join them. This way, your group still waits in line, but your son will have the benefit of not having to wait in the direct sun.

Some other things to think about are the types of attractions you visit at which times of day. Rides like the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean offer an extended period indoors. These types of rides are great for you to target during the day. When it cools off in the evening, then you should go after the rides with a long, outdoor queue.

Every Disney restaurant will give you a cup of ice water free of charge. The vending carts do not typically have cups for water, so you'll need to seek out a restaurant.

The first aid centers can offer a cool place for your son to lay down if needed.

Best wishes with your trip. With a little planning, you should be able to beat the heat and have a wonderful vacation.

[Strmchsr]

Something else to consider is the guests with disabilities pass, which you can get at the guest relations office. It won't let you cut to the front of the line, but it will give you a way to make your stay more comfortable.

I don't think the GAC card applies to diabetic children. We've certainly not ever used it with my son.

[special ed teacher]

We are having very hot weather in Chicago. My son is having a very bad time with blood sugars going low out of no where. I contacted dr. About our trip in August. His great advice is to cancel and go when weather isn't as hot. He said it is to,dangerous to go on rides with changing blood sugars due to heat. I don't like his advice.

[Strmchsr]

Having had a diabetic kid for 6 years now who has done multiple WDW trips in all kinds of weather I can say that sounds like completely ridiculous advice. Diabetic kids don't have to be babied. You take precautions, but we've found our son can function perfectly normal in any situation.

One thing you might consider if he's going low alot is adjust your carb ratio. Give him smaller doses of insulin. We adjust a lot depending on activities and times of the year. During the summer we dose at a higher ratio (1 to 15 carbs instead of 1 to 12) because he has more lows when playing in the heat. That generally helps us a lot. We do the same thing when at WDW because of the extra activity and heat.

[special ed teacher]

Thanks Chris,
I'm going to do what you said. Now that's great advice. Thank you. I guess we are not used to such extreme hot weather and he has been doing very bad, I wasn't thinking straight.

[dpamac]

I've been diabetic since I was 8 (30 years, no complications, hooray!) and I train as a competitive cyclist. I can tell you that heat is just plain mean. Here's a good example: I went on a ride this morning and, during the exercise, my blood sugar rocketed up. That's not usually what happens. But, and hour later it came crashing down.

Everyone's advice is fantastic. Thing is that it's not the heat itself that causes it it's the stress the heat causes on the body. It's difficult to respond to because it's not measurable. If blood sugar spikes or drops after eating or normal exercise, you have a quantifiable situation to deal with. You need carbs or more insulin to cover carbs. But stress causes the body to process both glucose and insulin differently. Plus prolonged exercise can cause your liver to actually produce glucose.

Two things that I would consider:

1. Water. Water. Water. Dehydration can send blood sugar out of whack. Spiking blood sugar can lead to dehydration. It's a cycle you have to balance. Keeping well hydrated won't stop his diabetes from being a pain but it can help mitigate some of the craziness.

2. Test. Test. Test. Test more often than you think you should. Perhaps even every hour. You need to see how the blood sugar is trending. These days I have a pump with a continuous glucose monitor so I can watch what my blood sugar is doing and get a sense of the pattern. It may seem excessive but if you know that after an hour in the sun the blood sugar spikes up into the 200s but an hour after that it plumets into the 50s you can be prepared for it. Talk to your endo about it as well. He/She may have some ideas on how to prepare the week before as well.

I can't agree with the glucose tablets suggestion enough. You can get a bottle for $5 at Walgreens and a couple of tubes that you can refill for about a dollar. I carry one, my wife carries one and in some cases each of my kids will have one on them. Just in case.

Finally, and this is the hardest part...Relax. You're being a great parent of a diabetic. It's a hard job and your example is the best thing you are providing your son right now. Calmly dealing with all of these ups and downs will help him in the future. So it's okay to relax on the trip. His body reacting to environmental stressors is not his diabetes going out of control. You guys are doing everything right. The hard thing about diabetes is it is never the same twice. Once you get something figured out it'll decide to change on you.

So it's okay to relax. His blood sugar isn't spinning out of control. His body is going to do what all bodies do to regulate its natural state. He's just missing a component so you have to depend on outside sources. They aren't perfect and extreme heat is a temporary situation. You guys are doing great and with all the fantastic advice and support everyone has given you I think you're going to have a great vacation.

Just one thing...When he does have one of those low blood sugars and the situation allows it, let him cheat on his diet a little. He has a long life of following diets ahead of him. Sometimes a little indulgence, despite the short term cost, is great for the morale of a diabetic kid (or adult). It's hard watching everyone eating awesome stuff around you and having to pass. Sometimes, again when the situation allows it, it's nice to cheat a little.

[special ed teacher]

Gary,
Thank you so much for your indepth reply. I appreciate your time. I will use all advice. Thanks again.

[dpamac]

Gary,
Thank you so much for your indepth reply. I appreciate your time. I will use all advice. Thanks again.

Wow, I glossed over your doctor's advice to you earlier and just read it. That's just goofy. Like Chris said, it's perfectly possible to function normally in all kinds of weather. Adapting to each situation is key. Is this an endocrinologist or a pediatrician? His advice makes zero sense.

Right now there's a professional cycling team whose goal it is to get a type 1 diabetic into the Tour de France (Team Type 1). Were they to follow the doctor's advice they would automatically fail.

Diabetics are perfectly capable of living normal lives. I have been. My A1c has been right at 6 for years now. I'm trying to get it below 6. Diabetes is a part of your life, you aren't a part of its life. You control it (even when it vexes you) while you let it inform the decisions you make every day.

[Hammer]

We are having very hot weather in Chicago. My son is having a very bad time with blood sugars going low out of no where. I contacted dr. About our trip in August. His great advice is to cancel and go when weather isn't as hot. He said it is to,dangerous to go on rides with changing blood sugars due to heat. I don't like his advice.


Having had a diabetic kid for 6 years now who has done multiple WDW trips in all kinds of weather I can say that sounds like completely ridiculous advice. Diabetic kids don't have to be babied. You take precautions, but we've found our son can function perfectly normal in any situation.



Wow, I glossed over your doctor's advice to you earlier and just read it. That's just goofy. Like Chris said, it's perfectly possible to function normally in all kinds of weather. Adapting to each situation is key. Is this an endocrinologist or a pediatrician? His advice makes zero sense.

Right now there's a professional cycling team whose goal it is to get a type 1 diabetic into the Tour de France (Team Type 1). Were they to follow the doctor's advice they would automatically fail.


Sorry I'm joining this thread late. Like Chris and Gary said, your doctor's advice is ridiculous. No matter if this is your child's endocrinologist or pediatrician (they should be working together anyway) I would look for another one. My mother is a type one diabetic for well over 50 years and manages to live an active life to this day. This included having two children with whom she was pregnant in the 3rd trimester in the heat of the Florida summer. She went to a Bucs game in August a few weeks before my sister was born! Would love to hear what this doctor would say to that!

My Mom subscribes to the idea that Gary mentioned which is to let yourself (or in your case, your child) have a little fun on vacation. Mom knows she'll be running lower with the activity of going around WDW, so she'll treat herself to a Mickey Bar or a little dessert after dinner or some wine at the Food and Wine Festival. She always has her insulin pen with her and adjusts her dose accordingly. Diabetes is a balancing act but it is not a reason for anyone to be locked away because of the weather.

[special ed teacher]

My son is having a great amount of trouble this summer with blood sugars changing out of the blue. He will be fine and then sugars drop. He eats and then it's to high. It's really hard. He can't get into dr. Until we get back from Disney. This next trip may be very difficult this summer. When he drops its near 20.

[PETE FROM NYC]

Time to put in my two cents.

I am a 61 yo obese, type 2 diabetic with several other health issues. I do the parks on a scooter, so does my wife because we both have arthritic knees. I drive down from NYC. I usually visit WDW every other year, for at least 8-9 days. Way back when, we went in March, now the last two trips we went in September.
I hate heat, and some of my meds say limited sun exposure. I stay in the shade when possible, the same goes for AC. DW and I each carry a 1/2 gallon thermos jug with either sugar free drink, or plain old ice water. The scooter baskets make the carrying easy. We have a Medicool for toting the insulin and accessories. And we always carry glucose tabs 24/7.
BTW, how old is he? Too big for a stroller? Maybe he can use a scooter to help him from over working with all of the walking, etc. If he needs a scooter, call Apple rentals. They give the best bang for the buck. Much cheaper than renting from WDW on a daily basis, and you have it 24/7.
I hope some of this is helpful for you.
Go. Relax. Enjoy.

[dpamac]

My son is having a great amount of trouble this summer with blood sugars changing out of the blue. He will be fine and then sugars drop. He eats and then it's to high. It's really hard. He can't get into dr. Until we get back from Disney. This next trip may be very difficult this summer. When he drops its near 20.

How old is he? Certain ages can be very difficult as well.

Are the drops at a certain time? Directly after eating? It's possible that the timing of insulin delivery is playing a role. That's happened to me. If it's happening after a meal (within an hour) you may want to delay injecting. Also post hypo spikes are normal. You can start monitoring how many carbs you give him during an insulin reaction and you can figure out a good dose.

Without knowing what he's taking and when it's hard to give advice. Is he on multiple injections with Lantus and Humalog? Is he a pumper?

Odds are you'll need to dial back his insulin does at certain times of the day. That will take about two weeks to figure out. I'd also do an hourly test for a day to get an idea of what's going on and when. There are a number of things that could be happening. One of which is he may be more active during the day than he is at school. Swimming, playing with friends, walking to friends houses.

It may also be to your benefit to get him on a continuous glucose monitor. Medtronic pumps have them but there are also stand alone ones like the Dexcom. (http://www.dexcom.com/seven-plus) Some insurance plans cover them, with a prescription, and some don't. However you can always appeal.

The CGM will monitor blood sugar all day long. It doesn't replace testing but it provides some peace of mind. It can give you alarms when the blood sugar drops or raises beyond pre-set thresholds.

If you are concerned, especially about your son losing consciousness because his blood sugar is dropping dangerously low, I would demand that the doctor give you some guidance. He or she needs to deal with it. If the doctor is having issues helping you manage his diabetes then I would start looking for a new doctor. You have every right to be concerned and and have help tweaking your son's insulin regimin. In fact, you should be able to send in a blood sugar log along with insulin dosages and he should call you back with tweaks. That's how I've been doing it with my doctors since 1981.

[Arielfan98]

I'm so sorry to hear that :( There are a lot of indoor places in the parks where he can have a good time. For instance, in EPCOT, there's several buildings he can enjoy looking into where he can play games or make paper. And in WS, there are many shops you guys can hang in too. Definitely buy a water cooling fan and always have cold water on you.