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Type 1 diabetes and theme parks

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
R

Rollercoaster

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Type 1
Hi,

In January I'm going on holiday for two weeks and will spend every day of the holiday in theme parks going on rides, walking all day and having a lot of adrenalin pumping through me body. Does anyone know how this would affect me levels and what precautionary measures to take? I heard Amelia from X Factor has type 1 and that she reduces her insulin before a performing, which is obviously an activity that induces a lot of adrenalin. So how would I best approach two weeks of theme parks?

Thanks!
 
No bright ideas from me but I hope you have fun
 
Hi, I would take your normal doses for the first day and see how it affects you personally, we are all different. I usually go high when I am anxious and low when excited. Keep a careful eye on things and be aware that if you are eating out, food might be more fatty than usual and therefore last longer or have more carbs than you are used to like pizza and burgers. Keep sugary drinks / hypo treatment on you at all times just in case! Have fun!

Should also mention, that for me, adrenaline slows the absorption of food because the blood is diverted from the digestive system to the brain, heart and muscles. I find that when I have a hypo, it takes longer for the sugar to take effect.
 
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With any new activity, the key advice is to test regularly and adjust insulin accordingly, plus have food & drink with you at all times, as they tend to be expensive in theme parks and you wouldn't want to loose your place in the queue. Walking will improve your insulin sensitivty, stress may rise it, weather can have various effects depending on levels temperature & humidity. I'm guessing you're going to Florida, as I can't think of anywhere esle with enough theme parks to fill 2 weeks. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g34515-s208/Orlando:Florida:Weather.And.When.To.Go.html or, nearer the time, http://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/orlando gives 2 week forecasts, which are more likely to be worth trusting in a continental city than anywhere on islands of Britain and Ireland.

Have a great time.
 
Florida is probably right, as it's also likely to be the only place warm enough at this time of year for parks to be open. 🙂 Ohio has at least two parks (Cedar Point and one of the King's parks -- King's Island or King's Dominion, I forget which) -- but Cedar Point doesn't open until May (I suppose us in Britain, who have park opening as early as February some years, are made of stronger stuff) and it's probably the same for the other one.

I've only been to one amusement park since Dx, and that was to the one in Southend-on-Sea, so my experience probably doesn't mean much re. coasters for Real Men (tm) (or Real Women for that matter), and I'm Type 2 anyway. The Southend park has only one really scary coaster (or had in 2008 when I went), and that one was too scary for me. 😱
 
Natalie123 said:
Hi, I would take your normal doses for the first day and see how it affects you personally, we are all different. I usually go high when I am anxious and low when excited. Keep a careful eye on things and be aware that if you are eating out, food might be more fatty than usual and therefore last longer or have more carbs than you are used to like pizza and burgers. Keep sugary drinks / hypo treatment on you at all times just in case! Have fun!

Should also mention, that for me, adrenaline slows the absorption of food because the blood is diverted from the digestive system to the brain, heart and muscles. I find that when I have a hypo, it takes longer for the sugar to take effect.
Click to expand...



Not much more to add, just keep plenty hypo treatment and snacks to hand.
 
Hi everyone!

Yeah I'm going to Florida. Cannot wait! robert@fm I've actually been to Cedar Point and Kings Dominion as well - as me username suggests, I'm a big theme park fan! Incidently, it was on holiday to Cedar Point when I started really getting ill with symptoms of type 1. Thanks for all your tips and suggestions - I'll keep some food with me at all times; Copepod, you're right in saying theme parks are expensive: at times they're a complete ripoff! I guess it'll be a bit of a learning curve, learning how me body deals with adrenalin and such things. Thanks everyone!
 
I went earlier in the year and didn't notice much of a difference, however I think you'll be going on much bigger rides that I did! 🙂
 
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