My daughter will start college soon-I am trying to make sure we have covered all the things needed. I think we have a mini fridge left on the list plus snacks and such...How do you keep drinks and snacks etc-just in case of lows and such in a dorm setting with friends over ? I am thinking maybe having a few things put away under lock and key just in case. Has that ever been a problem for anyone and how do you deal with it ? Thank You ..
My roomies have always been pretty good about not drinking the bottle of coke i normally keep in the fridge, but when we have parties or groups of people over...that doesn't always work.
I've taken to labelling (just writing on a piece of paper and taping it around the bottle) "Natalie's Coke. Please do not drink. Needed to treat Diabetic Lows" or something along those lines. It usually works. It at least makes people ask if they can have some instead of just opening it and take whatever's left; if I'm not around and they ask my roomie, they of course say no.
As for snacks that are specific to treating lows, etc that don't need to be kept in the fridge...maybe get a small rubber container and put the snacks in there then write in sharpie on the top "____'s diabetic emergency snacks" to put under her bed or in her side table.
oh one more thing. i wouldn't recommend putting anything actually under lock and key. obviously, not fun to deal with trying to find the key when you're low! =) i'm assuming you didn't actually mean lock and key..but i thought i'd mention it just in case.
We're not quite there yet with the college scene, but I think that if you clearly mark a special tupperware container in her fridge with something like "EMERGENCY DIABETES SUPPLIES" it may help. We had boxes like this all over our school with Cassie's juices and snacks in case of lows. If people understand what it's for, they'll realize it's not just there for the taking.
I'm going to college in 15 days! (Not that I'm counting :D) The people at Disability Services recommend me literally lock up my insulin so that it does not get stolen. Apparently kids get their insulin stolen and sold to other kids. I feel like that is highly unlikely (especially because I am in an honors/drug and alcohol free dorm. And yes, it actually is.) Any other thoughts on the issue of locking up insulin???
[quote user="LauraJ"]
I'm going to college in 15 days! (Not that I'm counting :D) The people at Disability Services recommend me literally lock up my insulin so that it does not get stolen. Apparently kids get their insulin stolen and sold to other kids. I feel like that is highly unlikely (especially because I am in an honors/drug and alcohol free dorm. And yes, it actually is.) Any other thoughts on the issue of locking up insulin???
[/quote]
i've had people offer to buy insulin off me to use with their gym training so they could buff up. i wouldn't be surprised that some colleges have those problems. i've never had that problem because i've never lived in a dorm, but i'm not surprised.
i had some crackheads break into my car and steal my test kit and my needle/insulin bag from my trunk. they may have been after the needles, but probably sold the insulin as well.
I'll never know how I survived the college years. I was diagnosed at 17 just before High School graduation. I went off to college in September of that year. Testing then was done by urine and tight control was non-existent. I would hate to guess how much my blood glucose would swing back then. I could really feel lows and probably over treated them, going high afterwards. My point is, we must be pretty resilient creatures I survived the college years, with all the alcohol and late night food runs. Looking back now I know I was lucky. And at nearly 55 years old without diabetic complications I am LUCKY!!!
I never had trouble with anyone steeling my insulin, but back then it was beef/pork insulin and a lot cheaper than RDNA insulin. You could even buy it over the counter at the local Thrifty Drug store. Times certainly have changed.
My momma and I are planning on going to Sam's Club to get some big boxes of fruit snacks and granola bars. And for supplies, I think we are just bringing our rolling drawer that's in the kitchen. Some store have adorable ottomans that double as storage if you don't want the bulky boxes in plain sight. Also, have you contacted the school disability office? They can make accomodations for diabetics. I just talked to them today and they told me that I can have a fridge that is over half the size of the max that other students can have in case you want her to have more cold snacks than a minifridge can hold.
My momma and I are planning on going to Sam's Club to get some big boxes of fruit snacks and granola bars. And for supplies, I think we are just bringing our rolling drawer that's in the kitchen. Some store have adorable ottomans that double as storage if you don't want the bulky boxes in plain sight. Also, have you contacted the school disability office? They can make accomodations for diabetics. I just talked to them today and they told me that I can have a fridge that is over half the size of the max that other students can have in case you want her to have more cold snacks than a minifridge can hold.
For things that don't need to be in the fridge, she can just have a plastic tub of snacks that she can keep out of sight. Even juice boxes can be kept that way, though they won't be chilled and refreshing. Her roommie will surely know where it is, but I think most people would leave it alone if yout daughter explains why she has to have snacks on hand.
If she ends up with an roommie who doesn't respect those rules, sure, a locked box may be OK. But I wouldn't start with that, because it's like saying "I don't trust you with my things!" right off the bat. Not a good way to start her relationship with the person she'll be living with! Alternatively, if it looks like it may be a problem, your daughter might identify what her roommie does and doesn't like to snack on and stick mostly to the stuff the roommie doesn't like. Does she enhale every dorito that comes into the room but hate salt and vinegar potato chips? Well, the salt and vinegar might be the way to go! :)
I'm a college junior and I spent my first two years in the dorms with no problems what so ever. I had great roommates and friends that understood and respected that certain things I needed and they couldn't help themselves too. I never hid anything, I never locked anything up, there was never a problem. Once, I was with my roommate across the hall playing games with a bunch of people when I realized I was low. I went back to my room and grabbed a bag of skittles and took them with my back across the hall. Some of the other people were like ohh hey can I have some? My roommate immediately was like "NO THAT'S HER MEDICINE!" haha which then I had to explain, but it was funny.
I would recommend talking with the disability services. It's something that gives me a peace of mind. For example, if a professor says "absolutely no food or drink in the classroom" i can just go get a note that says otherwise. I also had the ability to take unlimited breaks without penalty if needed. It was really nice. I don't go to them all the time, only if I really need it. For example, all my professors within my majors know I have diabetes so if they see me eating something even in the computer lab where it's strictly prohibited, they never question me.
I would just have your daughter play it all out. See what happens, if she has problems within the first few weeks, address them. But honestly, there probably won't be much to worry about.
Like Melissa, I am also a college junior & spent my first two years in dorms. I go to a small school (2800 students) so there have never been any issues of insulin theft or anything of that nature. I have also never had problems with roommates/friends taking my snacks or drinks but I'm fairly certain just about anyone who has ever met me knows I'm diabetic which helps! :) My roommate freshman year was great and my diabetes kind of became the running joke between us and anyone we encountered -- we actually threw an "anniversary" party on the date of my diagnosis & even managed to convince a few people it was contagious! If your daughter is straightforward & patient with people who don't know anything about diabetes (since most people don't), life will be much easier. Best of luck!
This info is all helpful, I still am only in high school but as I've been researching colleges it has been worrying me about how to deal with this stuff. In college have you run into any teachers that still give you a hard time about eating or taking breaks? I know it's way different from high school but I find that even when it's explained to my teacher I may need to eat they still give me a hard time.
Insulin should be safe as long as your daughter and roommate lock the door, which they should do anyone to keep computers, textbooks and other stuff safe.
Your daughters best bet to treat lows are glucose tablets. No one would want to snack on them and they last a long time.
I understand your concerns about parties, but realistically wild parties happen off campus, not in dorms. I was a Resident Assistant for 2 years of college and the main part of my job was patrolling the halls on the weekends. Your concerns will probably be more of an issue when she moves off campus with friends, but for this year it shouldn't be a concern. Schools usually put undergrads together and have a no alcohol policy since most of the residents are under 21.
Hope school is going great for her.
[quote user="Natasha"]
This info is all helpful, I still am only in high school but as I've been researching colleges it has been worrying me about how to deal with this stuff. In college have you run into any teachers that still give you a hard time about eating or taking breaks? I know it's way different from high school but I find that even when it's explained to my teacher I may need to eat they still give me a hard time.
[/quote]It can depend on the professor, of course, but most are fine with food as long as it's subtle. So as long as you're not chomping on chips or chowing down on a take-out meal, you should be good.
But you should probably go by the department for students with disabilities and get yourself in their files, because they'll prove a huge help if you end up in a class that normally wouldn't allow for food (some science, technology, or physical ed classes might not allow food). In situations like that, they can lay out exactly what accomodations you need, like being allowed to have and eat glucose tabs or candy. You wouldn't even necessarily have to talk to the professor if you don't want to, just notify the department that they need to send the professor a memo. (But also talking to them in person is always a good move.)
I graduated from college in 2009. I lived in dorms for 2 years and then in an apt. my last 2. I never had any trouble with my roommates or anything eating all my food or messing with my stuff. I kept some glucose tabs in my desk drawer, and some other stuff around the room. Granted we didn't let a bunch of strangers come hang out with us, but people were usually pretty good about asking before they just ate stuff. Nobody ever looked twice at my insulin.
I use an insulin pump, so needles weren't a big issue. I did have a small lock-box that I kept under my bed with some syringes in it in case my pump ever died and I had to do injections until I got a new pump, but I never had to use them.
There are plenty of places you can put "emergency" food - desks, dressers, closets, under the bed.... if you do have a party or something where there are a bunch of people who don't know not to eat you out of house and home, just throw your stuff in your closet. People shouldn't go rummaging through that looking for food - that is just rude and you can ask them to leave, lol. Once every one is gone, you can get it all out again.
I never had a boxes of food around either. I usually kept enough around to treat one or two lows, there just wasn't enough room for a case of juice and all my shoes, none of which I could leave behind. If I needed to eat something, I'd replace it the next day from the campus store or one nearby. Huge supplies of food gets overwhelming and runs the risk of going stale. Plus, I'd grab an apple or something from the dining hall to keep around too. If someone ate it, it was easy to replace the next day.
First you need to understand your daughter's current level of control. What is a typical Hemoglobin A1c? Pumping for a lot of people results in better control, meaning your body won't burn fat and muscle stores during high blood sugars as often. So a change to better control could be followed by some weight gain. However, I am willing to bet this is healthier than staying skinny, just add more exercise or cut calories. Pumping also provides continuous insulin in your system. Nondiabetic systems use higher levels of insulin to signal that it is time to eat. If during MDI treatment there are hours of reduced or no insulin, your body may interpret this "extra" insulin as a signal that you should eat, again resulting in possible weight gain. Don't obsess about weight, obsess about health.
The only reason why a pump would really lead to weight gain is because some people eat more often with a pump --because their insulin is so easily available! Some people even have lost weight after transitioning to a pump because they don't have to eat as often with the ability to control their basals rates so closely.
So just like a non-diabetic, if we eat more, we'll gain weight. Insulin is a storage hormone, meaning it stores any extra carbohydrates as fat if they're not needed to replenish glycogen stores in the muscles.
Here's a few articles on diabetes and weight control:
Nutrition:
1. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/27511/54437/interview-berry
2. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/27511/51113/interview-berry
3.http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/quizzes-273204.html?ic=4004
4. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/27511/49019/ginger-supposed
Weight issues:
1. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/27511/52047/interview-berry
2. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/27511/52031/healthy-weight
3. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/index-195546.html?ic=506016
Diabulimia:
1. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/27511/55832/weight-insulin
2. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/ask-ginger-260597-5.html
Hope this helps!
Ginger
Thank you for the information. Just to be clear my DD has good control of her blood sugar and is very active in sports. I was just wondering because I had read on her that someone had gained 50 pounds after going on the pump. I realize that is not the norm but was just curious if anyone else has had that kind of experience. Of course, health is always our number one priority, there is no obession with weight.
I just recently starting pumping... 2 months ago... and I have noticed a minimal weight gain but my doctor says it'd due to the fact that I have continuous insulin running into my body and I feel hungrier. We adjusted some settings, which seemed to help too. I think, especially if your daughter is active in sports, it shouldn't be a problem. Just keep an eye on how much she is eating and if it's increased from now. If it is, some few adjustments may be all you need.