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Any advice on school field trips? My 11 yr old son is going to the museum without me for the first time since being dx a year ago August. He is pumping and the school nurse is going. I would really rather go- it's about an hour away and it is fo...r the whole day. But he doesn't want me to - he said he could handle it! I guess it's good for him to feel empowered to manage his diabetes at a young age but it is scary for me. Do you guys pack a seperate backpack with all supplies and how much should I "train" the nurse on pump stuff?
Responses
Laura Plunkett says
I remember my son’s all-day field trips very well! My anxiety was also high and I compensated by preparing well in advance. I’m glad that your son feels ready to care for himself and that the school nurse will be available. I typically prepared a schedule for the day that I gave to my son, his teacher, and his school nurse. It had all my contact information and his medical insurance information at the top. Then, for example, it might say:8:00am test blood sugar
If over 120 my son should bolus. If under 90, my son should have a snack.
10:00am test blood sugar, bolus for number and snack, have snack 10 minutes later
And so on...
You will want to create it with your son, so that you can plan together and decide how much the nurse will help.
In addition, I sent my son with all his supplies in his backpack: new pump sites, granola bars, glucose tabs, glucose gel, glucagon, back up batteries for meter and pump, extra test strips, and a charged cell phone. His school nurse always had so many other children to take care of, I wanted him to have access to his own supplies.
In hindsight, I see how these steps towards independence really helped both my son and me prepare for his adolescence. You will see that each of these successful experiences gives your son more confidence in himself and gives you more peace of mind.
Alicia H. McAuliffe-Fogarty says
My first question would be who is managing his diabetes during school and what supplies do you keep there? Although I know it is very anxiety provoking, I do think it is great that your child feels comfortable and wants some independence....this will be a trail run for privileges in the future. If it is the school nurse is with him, then I would feel comfortable with him going....it is the day- just as the regular school day and it is close enough to home (1 hour) that, even if he has a pump failure and your son and the school nurse can't set it up, you aren't too far away. I would go through everything with both of them together (and tell them when you would like him to test...I would recommended alittle bit more than a regular school day) just to be sure they feel comfortable. I would also recommend reviewing the contents of a bag you pack for the day, including snacks, water, low treatment, meter, change out supplies (and pump batteries) and a syringe. You could also pack a cell phone (if the school allows) so that they can contact you if they have any questions....and maybe ask them to check-in once throughout the day to tell you that things are OK and he is having fun and feeling like a regular kid!!!Gary Scheiner says
I think it's great that your son is eager to tackle a bit of "life on his own" with diabetes. It's a very controlled situation given that a school nurse will be there, and it's not overnight. Treat it as business as usual, but with a few common-sense precautions: Have him check BG every 2 hours and notify the nurse if he is above or below what you would consider "safe ranges". Have him bring a syringe and vial of insulin (in case his site comes out accidentally) and glucose tablets (or whatever you normally use to treat lows).I would supply the nurse with written instructions on specifically what to do in the event he is out of a "safe" range. Of course, if you can loan your son a cell phone, he can call you if he has questions. Otherwise, let him enjoy himself!
