As the father of a 9 year old Type 1 Diabetic who is on the pump I have learned that there is not very much information out there and things keep changing.
We currently use the Endocrinology Clinic at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for guidance and recomendations.
My son is very active in sports as well as Cub Scouting. He has been camping since he could walk. We too have been thinking about the Philmont thing and can not find too much out there. Some things that I have found out are:
FOREMOST!!!! Not all Diabetics are the same. What works for one does not necessarily work for another. The advances that have been made are incredible and always updating. Many Old School Endocrinologists use a one size fits all type of approach.
1. The Diabetic needs to have a good, tight control of his/her protocols before attempting any type of strenuous physical activity.
2. Philmont should not be the first test. Shorter more localized outings should be tried first. We found that my son who would normally take 7-8 units in the morning with no juice at home (remember, he is still little) would be able to drink 3 full glasses of Orange Juice for breakfast without any insulin until after lunch. The weather was 6 below during the day at Winter Camp.
3. All the leaders and Scouts need to be educated. This is not to embarass the Scout but to make people aware of the warning signs. Review with the Diabetic's consultation team about indications of hypo and hyperglycemic episodes. It would also be helpfull if key individuals kept some sort of emergency sugar supply handy. Emergency Glucagon is required but small tubes of cake icing work well for the lethargic diabetic.
4. For those who need to refrigerate insulin. We used colapsable insulated lunch pouches with a good supply of cold compresses. Recently we have been told that Humalog does not need to be refrigerated. It can not be subjected to extreme heat or cold. We get two bottles a month and put them in the refrigerator. When it is time to open a new bottle we let it warm to room temp for a day, open it and leave it open until it is empty. (Usually about two to three weeks.)
5. Backup is required. Double or triple up on all supplies in the back country. Emergency contacts are also required.
Good Luck and have fun at Philmont.
