Objectives

Understanding Type 1/Juvenile Diabetes and the importance of this camp:

Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin dependant diabetes, accounts for about 800,000 – 1 million of the 18 million cases of diabetes in the United States, or 5% - 10%. Type 1 diabetes used to be known as juvenile diabetes, because it was once thought to only occur in children or young adults. However, this disease is now showing up in both children and adults (such as myself). Type 1 diabetes is the most severe form of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is not caused by obesity, bad eating habits, or lack of exercise. It is also not caused by eating too much sugar, which is a common misconception about type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease and is caused by an autoimmune attack on the body. Examples of other autoimmune diseases are multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

In the autoimmune process of type 1 diabetes, the immune system becomes confused and attacks and destroys the pancreas’s beta cells which produce insulin. The destruction of these beta cells can take months to years. As the beta cells are destroyed, the pancreas stops producing insulin, the hormone needed to break down the glucose necessary for survival. Insulin allows sugar in the bloodstream to enter into cells to be used for energy. Without insulin a type 1 diabetic can die within days to months. In a matter of two weeks I lost 30 pounds because my body had stopped producing insulin.

People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin externally--through multiple daily injections or an insulin pump--in order to live. Insulin becomes the type 1 diabetic’s life support and is just a band-aid to their condition. Insulin is not a cure for diabetes.

A camp for both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes:

Type 2 diabetes is a huge problem around the world. It is astonishing that this disease is now occurring in children. Riding on Insulin was set up to help all diabetics (type 1 and type 2). Exercise benefits both forms of diabetes. Making friends at camp who understand and share the same disease can sometimes be the best medicine for the patient. Also, wintertime in most parts of the world limit activity. Riding on Insulin helps display the fun wintertime activity/sport of snowboarding and provides opportunity for kids, teens, and adults to get outside and better manage their diabetes, no matter what form it is. Skiers are even welcomed to come out, but are encouraged to try out snowboarding. Diabetes, no matter the form, must be well managed. There is no reason to have prejudice against one form or another at Riding on Insulin when the goal is to benefit the patient’s health and quality of life.

Why Riding On Insulin snowboarding camp?

A Diabetic has to be very in touch with his/her body. Food and exercise must always be balanced because of the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Some doctors even used to discourage people with type 1 diabetes from exercise because of the risk of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is caused by having too much insulin in the body and can easily send a person with type 1 diabetes into a seizure, coma, or even death. When insulin is in the system and a person exercises, the insulin is magnified and can easily send the diabetic into hypoglycemia. If not treated correctly, (adjusting insulin for exercise and figuring out meal plans) hypoglycemia will occur. Try not eating any food for the next couple days – then you will know what hypoglycemia is like. Hypoglycemia for diabetics can happen instantly with no warning signs.

So why not just stop insulin therapy for the hours a type 1 is exercising?

Every person releases sugars from their organs when they exercise. This is what helps give us energy. Unlike normal people, type 1 diabetics don’t produce insulin and the sugar that is released is extremely poisonous to the person if not treated with insulin. This is known as hyperglycemia and leads to such things as amputations, kidney failure, coma, death, and many other horrible things. Also, by doing this, ketoacidosis may set in. During ketoacidosis, the blood becomes acidic and is poisonous to the body. The person then becomes extremely sick and if not treated immediately the person could become unconscious and die.

Most of these kids’ parents are afraid of something bad happening to their child. Sports coaches sometimes see these kids as damaged or delicate and unable to participate in sports. Many believe that type 1 diabetics can’t be elite athletes. Many of these children and teens don’t get the chance to be kids because of their diabetes. They are diabetics first before they are kids and have never gotten to experience a normal life. Also, it is hard getting involved in sports with type 1 diabetes with all the fears associated from the disease. I know these feelings first hand. Having a low blood sugar on top of a ski lift is a very scary feeling. Feeling like you are about to slip into a seizure while exercising is traumatic and throwing up at training because my sugars are too high ruins any good day. These are just some of the things these kids go through daily in their lives as they try to keep their body equally balanced. Whether it is being in school or sleeping over at a friend’s house – these kids live with it daily and have the courage to battle the disease daily.

I had to learn how to make my diabetes work for me in sports and a winter environment. With all I learned through trial and error, I can now provide a safe guide for these kids to live like “normal” kids and have fun in a winter environment. For some of these kids, they may be introduced to snowboarding or a sport with their diabetes for the very first time. These camps build their confidence in not only who they are but also who they are with a chronic medical condition. Riding on Insulin also creates an opportunity for kids to meet others just like them and share a hobby/sport. A circle of friends is built and they will be able to find support among each other. Medical staff has also been arranged to be on hand and parents can be content knowing that their child/children are in safe hands at the camp.

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