Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes -- Trip to WDW Coming Up

[JulieWent]

My dear friends are going down to WDW with me next month. They are so looking forward to the trip, and they have been looking forward to taking their "princess," their three year old daughter, with them for almost a year. However, she has recently (about 1 1/2 months ago now) been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and they are still working on "getting it" -- getting her routine stabilized, knowing what she can eat when, etc. It is a very difficult balancing act with anyone, I think, but with a three year old, even more so. They are still determined that this new part of their lives will not ruin their plans, though, so I wanted to ask, "What tips do those of you who deal with type 1 diabetes have?" We will be staying in villas at BWV, so we'll have the ability to cook some, and access to a refrigerator for meds. But what types of issues do you foresee?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Julie

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

The main thing I would be concerned about is her blood sugar dropping out or getting high. Stress and excitement can block how your body absorbs insulin, so they need to be extra vigiliant.

I would have them keep snacks and insulin on hand, maybe talk to the doctor about increasing the number of times she checks her sugar levels while on vacation.

Also, are you guys planning on eating at the parks? You can always contact the food specialists at WDW to add to your dinner reservations that she is a diabetic. You would speak to a chef at each meal to ensure she doesn't eat something that is going to send her into all kinds of out-of-control sugarness. It doesn't cost anything and you'd have that safety net at meals in the parks.

 

[daneenm]

You can search the previous conversations, as there have been several on this topic. Lots of good info from many of us with children with T1D.

My standard list ...

• test, test, test - exercise, heat, excitement, etc will all effect her (some go up, some go down). We test nearly once an hour while we are getting our bearings on any vacation and especially Disney.

• Carry lots of snacks. Things that are individually packaged like granola bars and raisins work well for us.

• Keep emergency supplies with you.

• After only a couple a months, estimating food will not be natural yet, but get a few iPhone apps and use national chain information to guesstimate the carbs for the food she is eating. It won't be perfect, but we find that a pretty close estimate.

It is really hard, only two months in, to even conceptualize how a trip like this will go. Even 5 years in, when we took our first trip to WDW, I was worried that we would not know how to do it right. I can only say from experience, in the end we found DL and WDW to be fairly easy places to travel. Be prepared, test often, but above all else have fun and don't allow T1D to drive your trip.

 

[daneenm]

Also, are you guys planning on eating at the parks? You can always contact the food specialists at WDW to add to your dinner reservations that she is a diabetic. You would speak to a chef at each meal to ensure she doesn't eat something that is going to send her into all kinds of out-of-control sugarness. It doesn't cost anything and you'd have that safety net at meals in the parks.

My only caution about adding this to your reservation is that often, it means people approach it from a T2D perspective rather than T1D. For a 3 year old, you might not be looking for sugar free options, but rather you might just want carb counts, etc. We all manage this differently, but many parents of T1D children that I know do not go the sugar free route for most foods - carbs in sugar free are often nearly as high as the regular sugar option and some prefer to avoid non-natural substitutes since our children need insulin for most everything they eat no matter what the sweetener.

So, please just set your expectation or possibly give more info on your reservation about what help you are looking for from the chef.

 

[katml14]

Hi Julie,
My daughter is 2 and was diagnosed with T1 diabetes the day after her first birthday. We have been to WDW twice since her initial diagnosis and are going back for a third time this November.
Some of my tips for travelling with a young child with D (from my experience):

- Bring extra supplies. Extra meters, strips, needles, alcohol wipes, etc etc etc.
- Invest in a FRIO pack. It keeps insulin at a safe storage temperature while you are touring the parks.
- Don't be afraid to make special requests at restaurants. Chef Julie at O'Hana was great- she prepared meat for my daughter seperately (most of the meat they cook is pre-marinaded). We had eggs prepared for us to-order at Crystal Palace (not sure what they use in the scrambled eggs- cream? milk?)
- Bring a calorie king book or get a calorie king ap for your Iphone. It will help making educated carb decisions when you don't have nutrition facts in front of you.
- Pack staples that you know the CWD (child with diabetes) will eat. Pack plenty of drinks/sweets to treat lows.

You might also want to visit the Children With Diabetes website as well as BADSHOE.com. Both sites have tons of useful information on travelling to Disney with Diabetes.

Most of all, have a great time! Make the most of the Disney experience - don't let diabetes ruin it!

Katie

 

[JulieWent]

Thanks so much everyone! Especially thanks, Katml, for reminding me about BADSHOE.com . It's a great website. I just sent it to my friend. She's going to love it!

Julie

 

[Jen_in_NH]

We took my son when he was 2 1/2, and about 1 year out from his diagnosis. I had read everything I could get my hands on about diabetes and WDW

The carb counts were the hardest part for us. We guessed a lot, and for the most part it works out well. I agree with daneenm about putting it on ADRs. The chefs can help you with the ingredients and portion sizes, which is awesome, but will not be able to give you carb counts A lot of people use that to get sugar free options, but a lot of parents of T1D kids don't use sugar free stuff, just carb count and bolus.

Make sure they bring twice as much supplies as they think they need. A back up meter is always a good idea, extra insulin, test strips, etc. Bring plenty of snacks to treat lows. Plan on testing a lot more than usual - the heat and activity really mes with teh blood sugars.

Have fun! It's a bit more planning, but absolutely do-able.

jen