Being a Diabetic at San Diego Comic Con
People who love comic books, anime, cosplay, and anything nerdy have heard about San Diego Comic Con (SDCC). It is the largest convention of all things nerdy. It’s an annual convention that happens in San Diego, California each summer bringing in attendees locally, from across the United States, and internationally.
Comic Con Grows in Popularity
Over the years it has grown. The first three-day comic convention in San Diego was in 1970, had 300 attendees, and was held in the basement of the El Cortez Hotel. With the global increase in popularity in comic books, theatrical adaptations of superhero stories, anime, and games it’s become difficult to even get a ticket to SDCC in recent years.
I’ve been lucky enough to get tickets to SDCC several times over the past 15 years. And it’s amazing! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of fun, but it is exhausting! There are panels every day from 10:00 am to around 9:00 pm. There’s an exhibit hall full of independent artists, knick-knacks, exclusive merch, sneak peaks, and more. It’s gotten so large that nearby hotels are hosting panels because there isn’t enough room inside the San Diego Convention Center to host it all. Even if you can’t get a ticket there are some offsite events that you can still attend.
So Much Overstimulation
Needless to say, there’s so much at SDCC, it’s hard to get a handle on what you want to do, while paying attention to the timing of all of these things. Because of this (and my love of nerdy things), it’s more difficult for me to pay close attention to my diabetes. Which isn’t ideal.
Wearing a continuous glucose monitor helps, because all I have to do is look at my phone to see what my blood sugar is doing. And when I’m speed walking to get to a panel on time, that is much better than having to stop and pull out my fingerstick and test before I can continue speed walking.
Finding Food at Comic Con
One major thing that you have to think about is your dietary needs. People can pack and bring in their own food and water. But this would mean having to carry a cooler pack around with you all day. To some people it is worth bringing your own (probably healthier) food and carrying around the extra bag and weight. For me, and others, it isn’t worth it. Don’t worry, I do pack plenty of glucose tablets and gummies with me, but I don’t count that as food, it’s a tool to counteract low blood sugar.
That means I buy food at or around the Convention Center. And I don’t know if you have any idea what types of food they have for sale, but it is NOT healthy. There’s a lot of soft pretzels, pizza, and greasy fried foods. A lot of carbohydrates and not much of anything else. You can get healthier foods the farther you get from the Convention Center, but most of the food you can get nearby isn’t good for any diabetic, or any human being for that matter. So that means you are using more insulin than normal. Using less insulin is always better, but sometimes when super duper important nerdy things happen, you have to make an exception.
Don’t Forget to Drink Water!
Another problematic thing is staying hydrated. This isn’t a diabetic specific problem, but it is important. Most people carry around a water bottle with them, but with all the stimulation, it’s easy for everyone to forget to drink water. (I asked all of my friends who attend, and they agree with this statement).
Positive Things for a Diabetic at Comic Con
One of the positive things about SDCC is that you do so much walking. I average 15,000 steps per day, which is great. Walking is one of the things that will drop my blood sugar. Most of the time my blood sugar only drops after I’ve been walking for at least a mile. I usually am not walking for a mile at a time during this convention, but it’s another diabetes thing to think about.
A positive of SDCC is that it has disability services, so people can get an ADA sticker on their badge. I didn’t get this sticker in previous years, but this year changed my mind. My blood sugar went low so I sat down where I was, ate some glucose tablets, and waited for my number to go back up. Before all of that could happen, a SDCC staff member told me I had to leave because I did not have an ADA sticker. People aren’t allowed to sit down in the hallways. There are designated areas for people to sit, but if you have an ADA sticker you can sit anywhere. I will be getting an ADA sticker from now on.
There are so Many People!
The last concerning thing for a diabetic at a large convention like this is the number of people you are around all the time. Recent years attendance has been above 130,000 people. Being in enclosed spaces with that many people increases your chances of getting a cold, the flu, Covid-19, and many other things. Diabetics are immuno-compromised so this is something that can be a deterrent. Luckily masks are more common, and some people do wear masks at SDCC. And I assume not everyone wearing a mask is a diabetic.
Going to Comic Con is Worth it
This convention is a lot for many reasons, but it takes more planning and preparation for me. If you’ve read my other blog posts (Packing List, Cross Country Skiing, and more), that has been a common theme. I can still safely attend this convention I just have to be more aware of my surroundings. And know where I can get food, water, and a place to sit if I need to take care of low or high blood sugar.
Even with all of the extra work that goes into attending, for me, it’s worth it. I love being surrounded by so many nerdy people. We might not all be into the same nerdy things, but we all can appreciate and respect each other’s enthusiasm!
