Halloween and Diabetes….Be Afraid…..Be VERY Afraid……REALLY? Nope. Boo.

Insulin PumpFrom three years ago and updated but still a treat (get it?)…..enjoy.  Happy Halloween.

Within the next week will be Halloween. Halloween means so much to kids. Our kids with diabetes are no exception. I remember when Kaitlyn was younger and many neighbors bought stickers and toys for Kaitlyn; “…I did not know what to get for her”, Was a common response.  Not really necessary, but we just said thank you for their thoughtfulness…..and they were very; thoughtful.  People can surely be wonderful.

We were discussing this weekend, over coffee, that each year there was no doubt with all of the walking that Kaitlyn would do that ‘going low thing’ and it would not only occur; but almost always at the exact same block each year. (Spooky, huh?)  She would carefully choose something out of her bag full of treats (of course juice boxes and ‘stuff needed’ were readily available ‘just in case’—but letting her choose something from her Trick or Treat bag…why not?). We would wait a few minutes and continue on. Fun and frights continued.

By time she was out on her own in junior high school (in an era of no CGM like DEXCOM may I add) she was pretty well versed on how the drill worked on Halloween. In a recent conversation neither Jill nor I could remember any major adjustment on this date (and remember prior articles of mine stating Kaitlyn was considered as ‘brittle’, which translated meant she was extremely tough to control….it was a phrase we hated). On this day our kids strive and want to be just like all the others kids…….AND THEY SHOULD BE.

Let them.

I remember many conversations from people over the years who do not live with diabetes; how much Halloween must be a ‘disaster’ for us, having a child “who cannot eat candy”. People thought that we would deprive our child of this incredible right-of-passage. Those of us ‘in the know’ know better, don’t we? 😉

If you do not know….you should learn how close to normal you can make this day. Our kids are not driving close to a cliff during this day.  Don’t treat it as such.   Yes, be smart but every time you feel the word ‘no’ coming on……change it to making it about choices.

Of course we would control the candy; some gave money in exchange, some put the candy outside for the GREAT PUMPKIN to take and exchange for a toy; but we always controlled what the kids ate, what ALL THE KIDS ate; and we went through it all like every other parent did each year (you would be surprised how much leeway THIS gave us on removing ‘stuff’, think about it).

We all do/did ‘Halloween’ things.

There are many things that you can find online about kids, diabetes, and what to do. Today I want to check in with where YOUR head’s at.  Parents? You should not be afraid (pun intended) of this day and you should spend the time enjoying your kids while they enjoy the day.

Diabetes never stopped us on Halloween, never missed a day in all those years; and it should not stop you either. Go and enjoy. This is a holiday for kids to enjoy and with a little knowledge and a little ‘smarts’, the only frightening thing about the day should be at your front door when the doorbell rings.

Be afraid……..be very afraid? Nah…….enjoy; Halloween is nothing to ‘spook’ you.
…….and as a side note; Kaitlyn sits as an RN to take her CDE test in January.  Yes my dear colleagues/parents-in-arms…….They. Can. Do. Anything.
I am a DiabetesDad.
Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

 

Halloween, Diabetes……Be Afraid, Very Afraid…….REALLY?????

boo halloweenThis week is Halloween.  Halloween means so much to kids.  Our kids with diabetes are no exception.  I remember when Kaitlyn was younger and many neighbors bought stickers and toys for Kaitlyn; “…I did not know what to get for her.”

People can surely be wonderful.  We were discussing this weekend, over coffee, that each year there was no doubt with all of the walking that she would do that ‘going low thing’ would not only occur but almost always at the exact same block each year.  She would carefully choose something out of the bag. (of course juice boxes and ‘stuff needed’ were readily available ‘just in case’ as well—but letting her choose something from their bag…why not?).  We would wait a few minutes and continue on.  Fun and frights continued.  On this day our kids strive and want to be just like all the others kids…….AND THEY  SHOULD BE.

I remember many conversations from people who do not live with diabetes in their household how much Halloween must be a disaster for us, having a child “who cannot eat candy”.  People thought that we would deprive our child of this incredible right-of-passage.  Those of us ‘in the know’ know better, don’t we?

If you do not know….you should learn how close to normal you can make this day.  Our kids are not driving close to a cliff during this day.

Of course we would control the candy; some gave money in exchange, some put the candy outside for the GREAT PUMPKIN to take and exchange for a toy; but we always controlled what the kids ate and went through it all like every other parents do each year.

We all do those things.

There are many things that you can find online about kids, diabetes, and what to do.  Today I want to check in with where YOUR head is at.  You should not be afraid (pun intended) of this day and you should spend the time enjoying your kids while they enjoy the day.

Diabetes never stopped us on Halloween and it should not stop you either.  Go and enjoy.  This is a holiday for kids to enjoy and with a little knowledge and a little ‘smarts’, the only frightening thing about the day should be at your front door when the doorbell rings.

Be afraid……..be very afraid?   Nah…….enjoy; Halloween is nothing to ‘spook’ you.

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

 

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN: YOU CANNOT EAT CANDY….YOU HAVE DIABETES!!!!!

 

I have a good friend of mine.  Let’s call her Marie.  Actually that’s her name.

Marie had this idea for an event to do in her home town in Connecticut.   There is this incredible candy store in Ridgefield called Deborah Ann’s Chocolates.  Many would call it a landmark in the community.  The candy there is some of the finest and best tasting you will ever have in your life.

Marie’s idea was to run a fund-raiser for the Diabetes Research Institute out of the candy store, but more than that, it was an opportunity to teach.  A sweepstakes with the grand prize being an incredible basket of candy……really?  Candy….diabetes?  How in heaven’s name could such an idea ever be possible?

Years ago I was in an office and there was candy in a dish on the receptionist’s desk.  Someone came in from a neighboring office and noticed the candy.  She came into my office and stated she was horrified that we would have candy in a dish.  “How could we?”
I smiled at her and responded, “You do not have anyone in your family with diabetes, do you?”  When she answered that she didn’t, I explained to her just how much candy is needed for hypoglycemic reactions and also that, quite honestly, cardboard just doesn’t taste so good after a while.

Marie’s idea was to utilize the candy store as a teachable moment.  She had flyers by the register explaining exactly what the event was all about and why a person with diabetes eating candy is really not the same as a person with lung cancer smoking a cigarette.  It was a fabulous idea but coming from Marie, these type ideas are not uncommon.  A mom who truly gets it.

So with Halloween just a week away, be ready for the questions about candy.  Be ready to say thank you to the neighbors who will tell you, “I have fun stickers for Kaitlyn, because I did not want to give her candy.”  Bless their hearts for caring so much.

There will be a time to teach others about what candy means to those with diabetes…….and that lesson when done correctly will always be sweet. 

I am a diabetesdad.