End of School...Start of School...Repeat...

It's the end of the school year here...which always means it's time to gear up for the next school year. I just sent off this email, and thought I'd post it, just in case it makes life easier for you to copy, paste, and tweak it to fit your needs.

Hey...I'm always interested in finding ways to makes life easier.

(For more helpful tips and information about how we manage Sugar at school, click HERE.)

Hello!

It's that time of year again.  The end of one school year means it's time to begin preparing for the task of sending {Sugar} to school with both diabetes and celiac again next year.  {Sugar} has matured quite a bit over the years, and is now able to be more of an active participant in her self-care.  She still doesn't possess the critical-thinking and decision-making skills that are necessary to insure her safety and well-being, but this past school year we've definitely seen her confidence soar in both areas of medical management. 

Prior to the 1st day of school next year, we will need to sit down to discuss her 504 accommodations, develop a routine for visits to the Health Office, and clarify any concerns/questions.  In order to meet these goals, there are a few bits of information I'll need when we meet:

• Lunch Time
• Recess Time(s)
• P.E. Time(s)
• Routine for classroom parties (time of day, types of foods typically offered, frequency of parties.)

I've compiled some resources that may be helpful for school staff to better understand both Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.  Please feel free to share these resources with anyone who will be interacting with {Sugar} throughout the school day:

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes in School - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
Safe at School - American Diabetes Association (ADA)
Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed -- National Diabetes Education Program via the CDC


Celiac

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA)
Letter to Educators from the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign via the NIH

I hope these resources will be helpful in better understanding the medical issues {Sugar} lives with.  As her parents, it is our goal to help her succeed, despite the challenges.  We believe we have a responsibility to educate school personnel, and advocate for her throughout her education experiences.  We are always available to answer questions or address concerns, and want to maintain an open dialog at all times. 

I'd also like to mention that Nurse {C} and {Sugar} have a solid history of working together to effectively manage both diabetes and celiac in the school setting.  Nurse {C} is an outstanding resource to {Name of School}, and I am confident in her ability to troubleshoot, problem solve, and address any issues that may arise.  Nurse {B} is also very knowledgeable and capable of helping however necessary to insure {Sugar's} well-being.  I consider this amazing team of school nurses to be one of the most consistent attributes to {Sugar's}success at school thus far. 

Please let me know how I can be of assistance in getting her 504 meeting scheduled.

We are looking forward to a healthy, happy 4th Grade year, and hope everyone has a wonderful summer!

Dive In!

At 2 am, take a dive into cold open water, full of jelly fish, debris, and heavy ship traffic.   Plan to swim a relay with a team of 6 people, and anticipate the entire event to take somewhere between 12 - 15 hours.  Weather and tide conditions will be unveiled along the journey, and the risk for hypothermia is very high.  You will not be permitted to wear anything that offers thermal or buoyancy protection. You might get seasick while out of the water, but a very precise nutrition plan will be in place, and you'll need to adhere to it regardless of how your stomach is feeling.  You cannot be assisted by another person or flotation device at any point while you're in the water, and an observer will be watching closely to make sure that all rules are followed to a T.


Now do all of that with Type 1 Diabetes.


On July 21, 2011 a 6 member relay team set off to cross the English Channel.  Three team members live with Type 1 Diabetes, and were sporting their Animas Vibe insulin pumps.  The team saw victory in 13 hours and 26 minutes!


I am honored to share this first person account from the team's Captain, Mark Blewitt.


----------------------------------------------

By: Mark Blewitt

The Animas Channel Swim team of Matt Cox, Claire Duncan and myself, with type 1 diabetes plus Lorcan, Pawel and Boris started when we met up in the marina car park in the early hours of Thursday morning. It was a hive of activity and our specialist diabetes nurse, Vreni was there ready to accompany us on our challenge to cross the channel. Family and friends - Lucy, Deborah and Emma from Animas came down to see us off and the photographer was dispatched to record events for posterity. 

We started the swim just before 2am. It was dark and we needed two strong, experienced swimmers to lead us out to a good start. So out of the harbour, in the black of night, I was swimming first. I slipped into the inky sea with the aid of a “million candle” spotlight on the beach at Samphire Hoe, off we went. We learnt that seven escort boats were out at the same time meaning a busy day in the Channel. All had chosen our same start location with the hope of finishing at the Cap Gris Nez.

Once back on board after my opening stint, I managed to get a couple of hours sleep, whilst Lorcan and Pawel swam. Happily I woke up just in time to see Claire get into the water.  Claire looked very relaxed and had lovely effortless strokes - making good progress. Next into the water came Matt.  Matt was swimming breaststroke and the team were all in awe simply because as freestyle swimmers we all appreciate that swimming breaststroke is slower, colder and hence harder in open water.  At this point it should be noted that Matt’s namesake, Captain Matthew Webb swam breaststroke back in 1875 when he became the first person ever to swim the channel.  Little did Webb realize what he would be starting.

In between our turns in the water, we followed the team’s progress on the real time satellite maps, sending the Animas team on shore text, picture and location updates as often as possible.  We were making good progress and for a long while there was much speculation about whether we would finish in under twelve hours. 

During the course of the swim, the team on board the boat avidly listened to Claire and Vreni discuss diabetes management.  The non-type 1 members of the team know that channel swimming requires a fine balance between expending energy and intake of food whilst swimming.  The other team members showed their admiration that our metabolic condition does not stop us completing such challenges and competing in demanding sporting activities.

Matt was showing off his waterproof, real time Continuous Glucose Monitoring enabled, Animas Vibe pump, while Vreni lead a good discussion about what BGs actually are whilst Lorcan made good work of his second swim. We later had some unexpected excitement when Pawel came close to a very large, NYK container ship! Claire’s second swim was as relaxed as her first and Matt too executed a glide that Captain Webb himself would have been proud of.  As I prepared for my final spell in the water I knew this was the time to give it everything.

   

We arrived at Cap Gris Nez in 13hrs 26mins, a fantastic result! We’d done it!  We popped open a well earned bottle of champagne to celebrate and enjoyed a leisurely cruise back to Dover. 

We had a great time in the channel.  Thanks to Eddy Spelling and the Anastasia support boat crew.  Thanks to Jill our observer, Nick Adams and Kevin Murphy, Secretary of the Channel Swimming and Piloting federation (CSPF) for his patience in allowing us to make changes to the team at a late stage.  

I have had the pleasure of several relay swims over the years but I can honestly say this was one of the happiest I have been on.

----------------------------------------------

CONGRATS, ANIMAS TEAM!  

You are an inspiration and an incredible example that 

life with Type 1 doesn't have any limits!