# School Residential Trip



## Tors (Jun 11, 2010)

My son is going on a residential trip he is in honeymoon phase so levels are all over the place, is it best to check levels and give sugary drink or snack before any activities or after or both we are still quite new to this he was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago and I am very anxious about handing him and his diabetes over for the teachers to try and control although they are being very supportive and trying to take all the information on board. Any advice would be great.x


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## Akasha (Jun 11, 2010)

First things first, How old is your son?

If he is older (say 10 or above) he'll know and be able to check himself, even if you have to give the school a list of times to check him and what to look out for.

If younger (below 10), I'm afraid you will have to wait for the very experianced mom's to come and give advice. 

Keep positive, it's all one big adventure that you will both learn from.


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## Carynb (Jun 11, 2010)

Snap! My son is 9 and is going on a 5 day residential trip- school are extremley supportive but it's so complicated trying to teach them everything- his teacher who is trained in his management is going on the trip but she's not keen on night time tesing and no other teachers are trained. There has never been any question of him not going. The place they are going is very rural too. I have made the decision today to go with him, I desperately wanted him to go with out me but I cannot take a risk with his care.
As far as activities are concerned J always has a test and snack before activities and a test afterwards and perhaps another snack depending on activity level and blood sugar level. This is the problem with diabetes, there are no rules! It changes day by day or hour by hour and what goes ok one day doen't always work the next day!! 
I'm not sure how old your son is but at 9 J doesn't have great hypo awareness especially if he is busy, so needs to be reminded to test.
Good luck!!


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## Patricia (Jun 11, 2010)

Hello all

We've got a similar situation coming up soon in September -- a week in Wales with no electricity or running water . We are working on it, but at the moment it's proving hard to sort...

We did have another residential situation last year -- 3 days in France. Unfortunately for us it was a bit nightmarish -- both of your situations sound much better! -- but we solved it by setting up in a B & B close by. My husband went and stayed there the whole time, working. That way he was not on top of them, but within reach, and we all felt better. My son was older -- 13 -- but they stayed in text contact all the time. The teachers in this case were not at all on top of it. But in your case, you could do the same with teachers?

Anyway that's how we managed it. We won't do the same for Wales though. We will get the teachers trained -- it needs to be specific, and in depth. They are quite keen, so we'll see. Like you, there is not a question at the moment about him going. It's just the pursuit of it that's proving hard...


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## Adrienne (Jun 12, 2010)

Personally just 6 weeks in with an activity holiday then you should go as well.

I have just come back from a 5 day school trip to York.    My daughter's one to one at school went as well.   I did the night shift and she did the day shift.  If there is activity then they will definitely need to test overnight.  

You should try and work out some sort of plan for exercise.  For example 

If levels before activity are between :

4.1 and 7.9   give 2 glucotabs and a digestive
8.0 and 9.9   give 1 glucotab and a digestive
10.0 and 11.9  give digestive 

That is just numbers plucked out of the air by the way and you don't have to use digestives, you could use mini Mars Bars, whatever but about 10 to 15 carbs.   I believe a digestive is about 9 to 10 carbs.

I would test half way through the activity and again after.   

You have to bear in mind that exercise can have an effect on levels up to about 48 hours afterwards.

I really think the school need to think about you going.   

Have you joined the email list on the childrenwithdiabetesuk.org website.  You will get a lot more help if you do.


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## Monica (Jun 12, 2010)

I also went to my daughter's first residential. She was 10 and it was 6 months since diagnosis. I had already paid for her to go before Diabetes came along and I didn't want her to lose out. When asked about what they would do about C, the teacher just said "why don't you come along?" so I did.
I was like an old hen clucking over her. She only had 1 hypo which she didn't notice, as she was too busy (or she wouldn't admit it, as I was suspecting it and nagging her to do a test).

She went on her second residential on her own (aged 12). The school and the DSN did everything to reassure me that they (the teachers) would be able to look after her. I think I was more stressed than she was. She came home unharmed, but I also found she'd been very naughty and not tested all her routine tests. Basically I don't know at all how her bloods were, as she tested about 5 times in 3 days!!!

If you're not going on this trip, just drum into the teachers that they need to make sure he does all the tests.


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## Tors (Jun 18, 2010)

Thanks for your replies and all the good advice and tips he has now been on his trip only two nights away but seemed like ages!! Our DSN went to the school and spent time with the teacher who was looking after my son, the teacher and head of the school visited me at home aswell and I was confident enough that they knew and understood what to do.  They were excellent his levels were brilliant and my husband and I both agreed we couldnt have done it better ourselves! so a bunch of flowers was quickly dispatched to the teacher who took my son and his diabetes on!!Thanks again for your advicexx


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## Copepod (Jun 18, 2010)

Really good to hear your son & school staff coped well on his residential trip. What sort  of activities was he doing? If he's keen on outdoor activities & science etc, there's no reason why he shouldn't think about longer more remote expeditions in the future eg young people & leaders with type 1 diabetes have been on BSES Expeditions in Greenland, Canada, Chile, Falkland Islands & South Georgia. For information about mountain activies, there is an informal international group called Mountains for Active Diabetics - see http://www.diabetic.friendsinhighplaces.org/


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## Tors (Jun 18, 2010)

Hi there my son took part in various activities from rock climbing, archery, zip wire, ladder climbing?, orienteering which I think were the main events, will have a look at the website you mentioned, great to try and stay active and positive feel great for himx Thanksx


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