Diabetes Camp - Year 3

Grace is at her third year of diabetes camp. It's different than year one and year two. There's a different feel in the air - she knows what to expect, she knows many of the kids, she remembers her counselors and looks for them, she says hi to the camp staff like it's old hat.

This is what it must be like to come home every summer. I see it in her eyes.

She has been looking forward to this week for five months. Scratch that. She's been looking forward to this week since the moment she left camp, in 2011. So make that 360 days since she left. The countdowns start, the asking about if I paid for camp yet starts, the asking if I got anything in the mail about when camp is this year starts. It starts the minute we get home from this year's camp.

This year, as we sat with the endo who will be in charge of her cabin for the week, she greeted Grace with a Hi Grace! How are you? Whatcha been doing since last year? which caused a giant smile on Grace's face.

Her camp endo remembered her.

We went over basal settings, carb ratios, target BGs, and all the math associated with diabetes. We talked about her needing a temp basal to go swimming. And her endo chimes in Yeah, I know she tends to go low after swimming. The power of memory. And of being remembered. It made me smile.

Her endo asked Grace what some of her goals were this year at camp.

Have fun. (Isn't that fantastic that that was the first thing she thought of???)
Make new friends
Learn some new d stuff (her words)

Yep, I said, that's about it. She can also show you that she can completely change her Pod all by herself, start to finish, so she might want to show you that. Her endo smiled, cause frankly, she could do that last year. Always good to just show people again, I said.

And we ceremoniously walked over to her cabin and made her bunk bed for her. She got the bunk next to her DBFF. That made everything right in her world. And soon enough, it was time for us to go. The shortest time we have ever had dropping her off.

OK, Grace, have a great week. See you on Friday.
I'll miss ya Mom and Dad. See ya Friday.
Be good.
I will.

Pick up is in one day. Oh how I miss her.

You know, there's only 360 days til Camp 2013.