June 26: Visit to the Barton Center Diabetes Camp
I was invited to the Barton Center for Diabetes Education to speak to the campers at one of their summer diabetes camps.
The Barton Center for Diabetes Education enhances the lives of people with diabetes, especially young people and their families, through unique and creative programs that educate, support, and encourage health and confidence. It is the largest independent camping and educational program in the country dedicated to children who live with diabetes and the people who care for them.
It was such an honor to be invited to to visit the camp and speak to the girls attending camp. John, the executive director, gave us a tour of their modern facility before we met with the campers.
Afterwards, we were given the opportunity for a personal tour of the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum which is located on the grounds of the Barton Center for Diabetes Education. Clara Barton responsible for the founding of the American Red Cross and is reknowned for her travels to many Civil War battle sites and providing relief services to the wounded.
Pictures from our visit:
June 27th, 2006 at 3:44 pm
The museum to boot! I spent a summer as an intern there - I’ll have to tell you a few tales.
Glad you made it to camp and I hope you enjoyed your time there!
June 27th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
I remember going to a camp in WI called of all things “Camp Needle Point”. Despite the name it was a good experience and I learned quite a bit. They had canoeing, camping, softball, and campfires. I remember that the non-diabetic counselors would make us run around the outside of the cabin if our urine test was too high. The scale was Negative (blue) to 4+ (yellow). Pretty crude but it was the best technology at the time (late ’60s). The last time I went we all got to try test tape.
There was also a right-of-passage ceremony night when all the “Tenderfoots” passed on to “Buffalos”. We each had a little phrase to say around a big campfire and then a counselor would slam us on the shoulders from behind to signify our passage. I still have the leather buffalo-head key fob we all got.
Anyway, we all learned about identifying “dents” in our arms and legs so we could avoid the scar tissue you mentioned in your blog. We didn’t learn about carbo counting because it didn’t exist. We learned about exchanges and what foods were free. BTW, fat was not free.
We had to account for all the exchanges that we thought we might consume for the day and take a single golden injection in the AM to cover everything. Seems to me that some kids were on a different regimen and would take a second injection later in the day. Today we call this “Pediatric Research” and is much more controlled.
Looking back on this now it all seems pretty rudimentary and naive by todays standard of treatment. But in all honesty..my life as an 11-year old diabetic was pretty good. Our parents were actively involved in testing and treatment/injections without being over-bearing/over-protective. There was always the pool or the ice rink across the street that would take care of a high BS in short order. Sure back in the early ’60s Mom had to pressure cook the glass syringe every night but she did it. Dad got the onerous task of administering some of the first finger stick BS test I ever had when the CliniTest test strips came out. I think these took about 5 minutes to read and even then the error was +/- 50 mg/dL but much more accurate than the urine test that could be over an hour late. Thanks M&D for your long effort and support.
I gotta stop this…
Sorry to cut open a vein on your blog and get a bit OT but the mood struck and triggered some deep memories after reading about the camp for diabetics.
June 28th, 2006 at 8:33 am
Wow I have not seen CBC camp since it has been redone.. great pics and glad you where about to stop there on you wonderful tour… I think what you doing is wonderful and inspiring coming from someone who dreams of being in shape with diabtes.. Thank you for what you doing ..