What it’s Like Camping with a Diabetic – Alex Interview
When asked if there’s any where I can’t go because of my diabetes Alex said, “NO! Emily can do everything! As long as you plan and you’re prepared, you can do anything!” I like that she is so positive and happy about what I’m able to do. This is why she’s such a great camping buddy and friend!
Where Have We Been?
Alex and I have gone to the following places to camp – Joshua Tree, Anza Borrego Desert, Big Sur, and Zion. The first three places listed we have camped many times. We’ve only been to Zion once, and we want to go back. (It’s pretty common that we want to go back to the places we’ve already been). We want to go back to Zion for multiple reasons, but one of them is so we can do it better. The first and only time we went we may have forgotten to pack a lighter to make dinner the first night… It was this trip that we learned to always pack emergency matches in the first aid kit. You never know when you’ll need them.
We’ve also traveled to a couple other places where we didn’t camp – Idyllwild, CA and Mexico. Luckily for us, we didn’t need any lighters or emergency matches during these trips.
Sadly, Alex and I didn’t get any camping in this year. Instead of camping I decided to interview her on what it’s like to travel with me. Read more of my interviews here.
How Often Does She Think about Diabetes?
When asked if she thinks about my diabetes when planning for a trip she said, “Yes, but not in a negative way.” She knows the importance and value of making sure I have everything that I need (diabetes wise). And that in this case it’s “good to be cautious”.
Alex does think about my diabetes when planning, but she usually leaves all of that to me. She knows that I’ve traveled a lot, and we’ve traveled a lot together. She knows that I know what I need. If I need it, I’ll ask her if there is anything she can help me with when prepping and planning.
She will think about diabetes often enough during our trips. Alex is always on the lookout for any weird behavior I might exhibit. This weird behavior is her clue that my blood sugar number is dropping and I need to stop and have some glucose.
How do You Feel Traveling with a Diabetic?
Since I’ve traveled a lot and have a system, especially when I’m camping, there isn’t much that Alex witnesses in regards to what I do in the background. It’s become second nature for me in a lot of ways. She has always been comfortable traveling with me. Over time she has witnessed me packing glucose tablets and other fast acting glucose. And she knows what to look out for when my blood sugar number is going low.
She said traveling with me is “like traveling with a normal person. I mean you are normal!” This was followed by laughter and us then talking about all the ways we aren’t normal (which has nothing to do with diseases and has everything to do with being weirdos).
What Happens When Something Goes Wrong?
Alex has always been good under pressure. She doesn’t freak out when I go low, she calmly stops and allows me to get out my glucose and patiently waits until I am ready to go again. I really appreciate that from her and why I will always travel with her.
Non-diabetes wise, she is also good at helping me with any big bugs that come my way, especially any spiders. She’s got a lot of positive qualities that I look for in a camping travel buddy.
Alex’s Advice for Traveling with a Diabetic
Alex’s exact response was the following. “Um traveling with someone with diabetes is not something to be afraid of. It’s not really any different than traveling with someone without diabetes. It’s just making sure you have everything you need.”
Alex has had it easy, by the time we started traveling together I had traveled enough that I knew what I was doing. That isn’t to say that I don’t still make mistakes, but that’s what being human is all about, making mistakes and learning from them. She said that I’m so good with knowing what I need for my diabetes that she doesn’t really need to think about it.
What Have you Learned?
Traveling with me has taught Alex how much she takes for granted. Her body manages its own insulin without her having to do anything. She doesn’t have to think about that or having to stop during a hike or at any time to inject insulin or have some glucose. She’s like, “Wow, I never have to think about this for myself. It sucks that you have to do that.”
She has learned to be more mindful, especially when I’m acting “normal”. She has learned that no matter how I’m acting that we need to always take periodic breaks just in case. As the saying goes, it’s always better to check yourself before you wreck yourself.
It makes her realize how grateful she is that she doesn’t have to go around life with something always on her mind. It’s easy to not realize or think about how others have it more difficult than you. It’s always good to take time to sit and think about other people and how they have to live their lives.
