Above Photo: Jasper National Park, picture taken by Deb
“The Girls” – View from Knox Mountain, Kelowna
If you’ve never been to the Canadian Rocky Mountains it’s hard to describe them. Majestic is perhaps the best word we can think of.
They make up part of the American Cordillera, essentially a continuous sequence of mountain ranges that run from Alaska to the tip of South America.
To set the stage, we pile into the car; Jen, the girls and myself for a 7-8 hour trip through the mountains. Daddy is flying out in a couple days, Papa is 5 hours behind us. Jen’s driving; I’m in charge of food and insulin. The single lane highway, speed, and curves around the mountains add a level of complexity to the standard d-parent driving. Tasks of measuring and handing out snacks, and dosing insulin. We’re both happy to have a second set of hands for the trip. We have snacks with carbs, snacks without carbs, lunch; and all the diabetes supplies, along with bikes and scooters. Surely, this trip would take a couple days if you stopped driving to hand out food and administer insulin. Even though Jen’s packed every supply imaginable, if we did forget something or run out, we are not worried because we are staying in Canada, the pharmacies can liason.
For young children, the girls are really good, aided with IPads and an armload of stories. “Squuuzzz Me Mommy, Squuuzzz me Gramma……………”
We have found vacations are a bit of a rollercoaster – different food, excitement and activities all have an impact. When B swims, the Dexcom graph looks like the mountains; soaring and crashing. We reduce her basal in advance as much as we can, but all trips to the pool aren’t planned. And what kid wants to wait for hours when they ask to go for a swim. So every 20 – 30 minutes she needs a finger test to keep track of BG. The Dexcom can’t keep up and doesn’t read in the water.
There is a slight time change and even though that’s been accounted for on B’s pump, we eat differently and at different times. We go to a play place; and it’s reminiscent of swimming. Lots of running and we go low and then high. Except, now she keeps going up and up. It’s not making sense. Oh yes it does now! Test for keynotes, her pod ripped out while at the play place and no one noticed. No insulin was delivered at lunch with Uncle J. Pod change in the parking lot – thankfully no ketones.
Everyday there’s a wonderful new experience or one repeated, and remembered fondly.
Two of the girls favourite places to visit when in Kelowna are the u-pick cherry farm and the goat farm. Good thing we know cherries are about 1.5 CHO each. Exactly how many can you eat and still pick some for the pail? Goat Gelato at Carmeli’s, Kelowna; is a pure guess for carb count, but it sure is good. If you’re lucky the goats will be hanging around to entertain everyone.
Going to sleep in a different place is an art, adult and child. The dishwasher sounds like a jet launching. We agree to turn it on every night at bedtime – to drown out any other sounds. It works, they are sleeping.
All’s quiet until 5:30 a.m.; or until the next low, or the next high, or the dog needs out. Tomorrow it’s the petting zoo and then the beach!
It’s nice to vacation and it’s nice to go home…..and Diabetes comes with you.
