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It is also very important for the other way around as well. I know there are not many teens that are coaches, but if they are a camp counselor or they are helping out kids younger then them it is important for others to know. Don't hesitate to tell somebody about your diabetes, you are only spreading awareness about it, which is a must needed thing.
When I went to Russia this summer, my resident director made me train this entire group of kids I barely knew before we set of for Kazan, the city that they would be studying with me in. That was really difficult, but I took a deep breath and got over it. I found that actually sometimes it's easier to give these presentations to people who you don't know very well yet.
Then, when we arrived in Russia, I had to train my host family. This could have been quite challenging, because it had to be done in Russian, which is a language that I did not speak very well at the beginning of my exchange program and still don't know words like "syringe" off the top of my head. But luckily, it turned out that my host mom had been trained as a nurse and was very comfortable with injections and enthusiastic to learn about diabetes, to the extenet that I could explain to her. You can't let shyness get in the way of being safe while on adventures, and most of the time people really appreciate you putting your trust in them.
Hear, hear!
Good for you. I think that studying abroad with diabetes is going to be so challenging... I'm sure I'll still go abroad, probably in the next two years or so while I'm in college, but I do worry about staying safe and having people "watch out for me" and be aware of my diabetes wherever I end up going.
I actually know someone with diabetes, fairly recently diagnosed, who spent 10 weeks in Bolivia this year. He must have faced similar hurdles, as he was traveling with a group of students and also staying with host families, not to mention trekking through the Andes! Knowing people my age with diabetes who have gone on successful adventures like that makes me less nervous about doing the same thing in the future.
Also, I like what you said about people appreciating you "putting your trust in them." That's so true.
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Hey Svati,
I've encountered this problem at summer camp. When I arrived, I didn't know when to "break the news" to my bunkmates. It's hard to find a balance between being serious enough so that the person listens and understands what to do in an emergency, and being light enough for the person to feel comfortable and to recognize that (most likely) he/she won't have to do anything D-related. I hope you're enjoying college; I'm going through the application process right now (=ack!)
It's awesome that you do crew--I've never had the opportunity to try.
Great post :)
Maggie
Thanks, Maggie!
I understand about the summer camp thing - sometimes telling your friends/peers (or bunkmates) is harder than telling an adult.
When I first arrived at Dartmouth, before orientation started I went on a hiking trip with 7 other freshmen and 2 upperclassmen. It's awkward enough being thrown into the woods with a bunch of new classmates; teaching them all how to use glucagon, while still seeming casual and trying not to make a big deal about it on the very first day you meet them is tough!
Send me a PM and tell me where you're applying to college! I'd love to hear...