[Thumper]

I was diagnosed 2 months ago with Type I diabetes and, of course, this puts some concerns in my mind about our trip to WDW in December. Just looking for any suggestions or advice that might help on the trip! Especially regarding good places to eat that offer healthier choices (the food has always been one of my favorite things about going to WDW, this is such a bummer!) :cry:

[tinkerbell]

yeah :( well I am in the same boat. but first off they do have great options on all the menu's at all the restuarants. I am having a really bad pity party because I cant have a mickey bar.
check out
http://wdwig.com/dining.htm#diets

be very careful about letting your glucose level drop to low. I am going to assume you have been through Diabeties Managment Class since you were diagnosed 2 months ago.
are you on insulin? if so you can get a free refriderator for it. also if your on insulin you can drop off and store your insulin and syringe at first aid. they also have extra needles if you need it there are staffed by registered nurses.
at WDW your going to do a lot of walking and if your sugar levels run too high the good thing is that will help keep them down.
ohh and of course be sure and take care of your feet .. dont try to break in new shoes :( and get blisters. remember you need protien too.
get some of those Glucose tablets .. you can find them at wal mart, they will raise it up if it drops faster then anything else.
ohh and just in case you may want to consider an alert id tag, if there is a chance you might be alone at times.

[tinkerbell]

one more thing .. you may need to test more often so be sure you take plenty of supplies .. in another thread here Bdavis alerted me that if you run out of any medical supplies, Turners Pharmacy will deliver any thing you need right to your resort ...the front desk will contact them for you I think she said .. I will have to look for it again to make sure
yep here ya go :)

Tinkerbell~~you probably have checked this out already, but if you run out of any medical supplies, Turners Pharmacy will deliver any thing you need right to your resort....We found EVERYTHING we have gotten from them to be really reasonably priced. (Just as cheap as Wal-Mart). If you need them, the front desk at your resort will transfer you to them. They are open until midnight every night

[Thumper]

Tink - Thank you so much for all of the great advice and for the link!!! I am on insulin (2 different types) and that was one of my concerns - I was worried that if it was too warm outside that I would have to find a way to keep it cool or go back to the hotel for every injection - but now I know I won't have to! :D Do you know if the First Aid stations also have a place to dispose of the used needles, I would hate to have to carry them home with me!

I have been through various classes on Diabetes Management, and am really trying to remember everything, but am overwhelmed at times.

We might not be able to have the Mickey bars, but at least there are the fruit bars that were mentioned on the website, so we don't have to do completely without! :p

Thank you again for all of the advice, I really do appreciate it!

[tinkerbell]

yes they will have a contianer for the used needles.
I know its alot to deal with .. my dr. thinks mine was brought on by stress .. and my levels tend to go either way. thats why I know its important to monitor ... it might help you to make up a couple cards one with what to do if it drops too low and another with what to do if its too high. different colored cards even so you know right off which is for too high and which is for too low.
I am dreading watching everyone else eat mickey bars :( but they do have ice cream for diabetics too :) ooo good grief I almost forgot the most important thing ..do not miss a meal!!!!!!

[Thumper]

I appreciate you taking the time to help me out! If you don't mind my asking, how long have you been dealing with diabetes? (Ignore if that is too personal a question.) You seem to have it all absorbed so well, I am still reeling from the initial diagnosis!

With me, the drs. are guessing that I had an illness at one time and in the process of fighting it, my immune system attacked my pancreas - lucky me, my body is at war with itself!! :(

Great idea on the cards! When I start to drop low, I sometimes have trouble thinking clearly, so carrying those with me all of the time should really help a lot.

I am not looking forward to watching everyone eating the churros! :cry: I have learned not to miss a meal - now I am working on trying to keep my meals at the same time each day - that will be a task while on vacation!

Thanks again Tink!!!

[tinkerbell]

no its not too personal at all :) I found out in March of this year.
its funny but the same day my husband got the news that he had MS, my dr. called me with in ooo I think about an hour and told me I had diabeties. See a year ago in July my husband got very ill driving through st. louis mo. they said up there he had a stroke ..but I didnt believe that and I spent months searching for answers and getting him seen by specialist, finally findng him the most wonderful dr. at Parkland Hospital in Dallas .. of course MS wasnt the answer we wanted, but it was an answer at least.
Its almost laughable .. like I said my dr. believes mine was brought on by stress ..she knew what I had been going through. it didnt help though that last year after our trip to WDW I had pancreatis (spelling) and had to have my gall bladder removed :(

I am not on injections but living under the threat of them .. so I am working hard at not having to be on injections ..see my husband does have to give his self an injection once a week.
and yes ..when my levels drop I get confused and cant think clearly ..so you really need some way to make sure you have the right instructions. heck I dont think clearly on good days *Grin*

ooo one more important thing ..lots of water!!!! keep those kidneys flushed and your self hydrated .. UTI's are very common for diabetics :( if I dont get enough fluid ever day I suffer big time

[Thumper]

You have been through it all over the past year, haven't you!!! I hope that the next year is a nice calm one for your family, with only good news and happiness!! Thank you agan for all of your wonderful advice, I feel more confident about our trip, and about handling this in general!

I will start downing the water, that is one of those things that I slack on, but with the alternative... drinking more water it is!!:D

[tinkerbell]

hey I was in denial the first 2 months after I was told I had diabeties, and refused to even think about it. so compared to me your doing great. I admit there are still days I forget to check my levels ..those are usually days when its dropped to low. like you said you get confused and fuzzy headed when it gets too low.
your going to do great though !! its really a pain to keep up with, and sometimes you can really feel cheated. Like my birthday just passed and of course .. forget having a birthday cake!! But I have to take care of myself in order to take care of my husband so I look at it as I dont really have much choice. of course thats a catch 22 because stress effects diabeties and I stress out over DH.
and that reminds me ..give your DH a hug from me .. he really cheered me up the other night with the comment about Melvins new pants!!!! that is something I have found helps me .. humor.
depression is another *side effect* sometimes when you first find out you are diabetic, so laugh as much as you can :)

[tiggerlover1971]

Tink or Thumper I got a question couldnt you guys bake stuff using splenda I thought I heard its good for diabetics and it tastes like the real stuff I have tried baking with it when I am really on WW full force and the stuff is awesome . The reason I am asking is I wanted to know if I was wrong about splenda being good for Diabetics

[tinkerbell]

yes you can bake with splenda, and yes diabetes can have splenda, but it is the most expensive of artificial sweetners :(

[tiggerlover1971]

Originally posted by tinkerbell
yes you can bake with splenda, and yes diabetes can have splenda, but it is the most expensive of artificial sweetners :(

thanks tink I know what you mean but it tastes better then sweet and low and equal to me I love the log cabin syrup with it I joked I would love to have an I V installed just so i could have that sweet taste in me all day

[tinkerbell]

Originally posted by tiggerlover1971
thanks tink I know what you mean but it tastes better then sweet and low and equal to me I love the log cabin syrup with it I joked I would love to have an I V installed just so i could have that sweet taste in me all day

the other day I bought ice cream made by blue bunny that has splenda in it .. and its not too bad. I wont swear to it but I think I read/heard somewhere that they have blue bunny ice cream at WDW. Sugar isnt the only thing that diabetics have to be careful of, starchy vegetables and breads, break down in to pure sugar..like a potato is just pure starch which makes it pure sugar.
really another real pain for me because I love love love potato salad

[Thumper]

Originally posted by tinkerbell
and that reminds me ..give your DH a hug from me .. he really cheered me up the other night with the comment about Melvins new pants!!!! that is something I have found helps me .. humor.
depression is another *side effect* sometimes when you first find out you are diabetic, so laugh as much as you can :)

No problem Tink, I love any excuse to hug him! :love: I am really blessed to have him around, with this and everything else that has happened over the past year, it is so wonderful to have him around to make me laugh when I really want to cry!!!!!

[tinkerbell]

Originally posted by Thumper
No problem Tink, I love any excuse to hug him! :love: I am really blessed to have him around, with this and everything else that has happened over the past year, it is so wonderful to have him around to make me laugh when I really want to cry!!!!!

awwww now I need a tissue :)
It sounds like you wont have to worry about depression!!