Sidekick in action
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
You Can’t Always Buy a Coke.
Strange as it may seem there are times when it is hard to buy a Coke (or other high carb beverage) at Disney. Sure there is a vendor every 8 feel when it is busy (and so are the vendors). However those vendors don’t come out right when the park opens.
In fact we have had a low and had trouble trying to find something to bring it back up. Now if you get in this situation ask the nearest Disney Cast Member and tell them you have a diabetic kid in insulin shock.
You will get great service.
We had a guy doing trash duty, when asked where I could get a sugar drink and why, walk into a very crowded coffee shop first thing in the morning and help us get a juice. No line. No wait.
Then he was back to his trash duties with out hardly a chance for me to say thanks. Rank and file Cast Members are like that, very kind, very cool, very unassuming.
Anyway the point is you need to carry a juice or soda. There are times when nothing is open or what is open has a HUGE line.
Strange as it may seem there are times when it is hard to buy a Coke (or other high carb beverage) at Disney. Sure there is a vendor every 8 feel when it is busy (and so are the vendors). However those vendors don’t come out right when the park opens.
In fact we have had a low and had trouble trying to find something to bring it back up. Now if you get in this situation ask the nearest Disney Cast Member and tell them you have a diabetic kid in insulin shock.
You will get great service.
We had a guy doing trash duty, when asked where I could get a sugar drink and why, walk into a very crowded coffee shop first thing in the morning and help us get a juice. No line. No wait.
Then he was back to his trash duties with out hardly a chance for me to say thanks. Rank and file Cast Members are like that, very kind, very cool, very unassuming.
Anyway the point is you need to carry a juice or soda. There are times when nothing is open or what is open has a HUGE line.
SideKick Meter
Carrying around a lot of stuff at Disney can be a pain. We are trying to get our hands on Sidekick meters and strips from Home Diagnostics in Fort Lauderdale. It looks like an active D family's dream; a small easy to tote around meter. OK you still need a lancing device but this would make it a lot easier to do on the go testing.http://www.homediagnostics.com/products-sidekick.asp
Right now the insurance co. is balking, nothing new there (dudes these things are cheaper then the strips we normally use, hello? save a buck!)
On the down side it doesn't store data for downloading to the PC but I think that is a fair trade off for small and easy to carry. The issue is BG and avoinding a low with increased activity.
We walk miles and miles at WDW. As a result we tend to back off insulin so frequent testing is needed to make sure we are in the right basal ranges for the level of activity. Your mileage may vary, literally test and adjust based on your insulin to activity sensitivity, if that is a real measure.
We will let you know how it goes.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Special Dietary Needs
Special Dietary Needs
Disney has a department for Culinary Development & Special Dietary Needs. Currently the manager is a very nice guy named Joel Schaefer. They have a from you can fill out for special diet issues. I think it was designed for food allergies but we filled one out for T1. We will post our experience on how it works out.
In all fairness I hit the guy on very short notice. Here is what he wrote.
Dear Mr. Dunlap,
Here is the information you have requested. Please fill out the dietary form with your children's dietary need and send it back to everyone in this email. We will distribute it to the leaders in the locations where you will be dining. Please indicate if you wish someone to contact you.
As I said on the phone, we will do our best to give you the carbohydrate count you requested, but we cannot guarantee we will have this information.
If you are interested in using the form, try his office at 407-560-4588.
Disney has a department for Culinary Development & Special Dietary Needs. Currently the manager is a very nice guy named Joel Schaefer. They have a from you can fill out for special diet issues. I think it was designed for food allergies but we filled one out for T1. We will post our experience on how it works out.
In all fairness I hit the guy on very short notice. Here is what he wrote.
Dear Mr. Dunlap,
Here is the information you have requested. Please fill out the dietary form with your children's dietary need and send it back to everyone in this email. We will distribute it to the leaders in the locations where you will be dining. Please indicate if you wish someone to contact you.
As I said on the phone, we will do our best to give you the carbohydrate count you requested, but we cannot guarantee we will have this information.
If you are interested in using the form, try his office at 407-560-4588.
Drop Mark a Note or Post Card.
Connor just got out of Children's on Halloween '03 just a few weeks before a BIG Disney trip. (a Big Birthday for Zurgswife a.k.a. ZW.)
On that trip we went through some diabetes newbie experiences. Assuming we could buy a soda when we need to cover a low, instead of carrying a juice box. Loosing a meter etc.
We also found out that Disney Cast Members (employees anyplace else but Mickey calls them CMs) at the rank and file level are spectacular with diabetes assistance if you say "I need help."
Unfortunately we found out they are kind of a pain about carb counts. All you T1 families know the look that asks, "Why are you asking about carb counts? You an Atkins freak?"
Disney is GREAT at many thinks. Carb counting ain't one of them.
Since then I have been trying to get through to a 'suit' to talk about it. I am persistent and motivated. I kept at it off and on for two years.
No luck.
I had phone calls unreturned. I got high and mighty letters patronizing me about the important of them not getting it wrong and my responsibility to get it right for my kids. Oh and the ever popular (raise you hand if you have heard this one T1 families) info on a few sugar free items
50 odd thousand employees. Ya think someone would have a T1 clue.
Well after two years I finally talked to honest to Mickey disability executive.
He said he had never heard a guest asking about carb counts for a T1 kid.
No kidding! Wonder why? Unreturned phone calls and sugar free maybe
Turns out he was a very nice, if well insulated guy. He just needs to hear from more T1 families
So if anyone stumbles onto my little blog and would like to drop the guy a note here's where to send it:
Mr. Mark Jones
Walt Disney World Services for Guests with Disabilities
Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
On that trip we went through some diabetes newbie experiences. Assuming we could buy a soda when we need to cover a low, instead of carrying a juice box. Loosing a meter etc.
We also found out that Disney Cast Members (employees anyplace else but Mickey calls them CMs) at the rank and file level are spectacular with diabetes assistance if you say "I need help."
Unfortunately we found out they are kind of a pain about carb counts. All you T1 families know the look that asks, "Why are you asking about carb counts? You an Atkins freak?"
Disney is GREAT at many thinks. Carb counting ain't one of them.
Since then I have been trying to get through to a 'suit' to talk about it. I am persistent and motivated. I kept at it off and on for two years.
No luck.
I had phone calls unreturned. I got high and mighty letters patronizing me about the important of them not getting it wrong and my responsibility to get it right for my kids. Oh and the ever popular (raise you hand if you have heard this one T1 families) info on a few sugar free items
50 odd thousand employees. Ya think someone would have a T1 clue.
Well after two years I finally talked to honest to Mickey disability executive.
He said he had never heard a guest asking about carb counts for a T1 kid.
No kidding! Wonder why? Unreturned phone calls and sugar free maybe
Turns out he was a very nice, if well insulated guy. He just needs to hear from more T1 families
So if anyone stumbles onto my little blog and would like to drop the guy a note here's where to send it:
Mr. Mark Jones
Walt Disney World Services for Guests with Disabilities
Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
The Story of Delaney's dx
We figured out Delaney was Type 1 the first day of a trip to Disney.
We had been through the whole Children's Hospital Experience one. That was enough.
The wrote up the experience as part of a trip report and posted it on BadShoe.com. here http://badshoe.com/lymi.htm scroll down to Zurg's Trip Reports it starts some place toward the end of Episode IV.
We had been through the whole Children's Hospital Experience one. That was enough.
The wrote up the experience as part of a trip report and posted it on BadShoe.com. here http://badshoe.com/lymi.htm scroll down to Zurg's Trip Reports it starts some place toward the end of Episode IV.
Redundant
Redundant is the word for packing for Disney.
Redundant Meter.
Double the needles.
Twice the strips.
Two bottles of insulin.
Two carry on bags each with enough stuff for the whole trip.
We have lost a meter, set down carry on bags and diagnosed a second kid as diabetic all on trips to Disney.
Pack doubles.
Redundant Meter.
Double the needles.
Twice the strips.
Two bottles of insulin.
Two carry on bags each with enough stuff for the whole trip.
We have lost a meter, set down carry on bags and diagnosed a second kid as diabetic all on trips to Disney.
Pack doubles.
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