Disney World is one of my most favorite places to go. It is truly a magical place. It can also be one of the trickiest places to manage one’s blood sugars. Whether you are Type 1 or Type 2, managing how your blood sugar rides can be tricky during periods of different activity, such as amusement parks.
First, lets talk about the stress. Try organizing your family, get to the amusement park, find parking, find transportation/walk to the park gate, fight the crowds, buy your ticket, stand in another security line and then maze through the crowds to just enter the park. Is your blood sugar high yet? Wait, maybe its low because of all that walking/activity.
Recently, I brought my parents to Disney World (see first sentence) for their first time. It was a fantastic experience. I have been to Disney World quite a few times and I actually have a nice routine down after having experience a few blips.
Activity = increased sensitivty to my insulin, which in turn means faster lows if I do not manage them. Well, one of the strategies I employ in managing my blood sugar at Disney World is set a temporary basal. I determine the % my basal rate is by certain factors: how long I will be there, how much walking I will do, how hot it is and how readily accessible I will be to food. This time, I totally forgot to do it, in the hustle and bustle of getting to the park I forgot to set a temporary basal rate.
This was the result:
Well, 8 glucose tablets later (my favorite kind of tablets) my sugar was safe and we were on our way to eat lunch. I set my basal rate to 25% for 9 hours to account for the rest of the day. I bolused like usual and enjoyed a burger for lunch, cotton candy, a dole whip and beef nachos and bolused accordingly. My blood sugar remained 150-170 all day. Perfect for me. Some may say thats a little high, but for me, it creates a cushion of not crashing. As always, consult your doctor!
Basal rates are so important to me. I use them heartily. I use them for 3 hours during workouts, during inactive periods, when I am sick, and for Disney. I adjust basal rates for more or less depending on what I need. It is fantastic!
For my fellow insulin users but use pens, I suggest tucking away snacks such as peanut butter crackers, or other snacks with carbs with protein/fat. They will hold you steady. Always make sure you have your glucose tablets or correction tools as needed. It is definitely trickier with injections, but it sure is possible. That is for the NEXT Disney post…
How do you manage your blood sugar in places like Disney World? What about my T2ers on meds, or managing with lifestyle?
My Sweet Regards,
❤ SB
Thrive With Diabetes 