Diabetes and hiking/backpacking

[kevinweitzel75]

Just saw this on TV and thought about hikers and backpackers that have diabetes and thought that this was a pretty good thing. Has anyone used it? http://www.novonordisk.com/diabetes/pub ... efault.asp

[Jim]

I'm not diabetic, but in the vein of telling stories, 2 summer ago on Humphrey, 2 different diabetics came up and checked their sugar. They were both beta-cell lacking or Type 1 diabetics. The first one came and left, and then the second hiker came up. Both sat in the same spot and checked their sugars. I asked the second one if he knew the first one ( a women), but he did not. It was the only time I have ever seen anybody do that. Bizarre, the way it happened.

I have used similar insulin pens on people, and they are easy to use. Should be OK for hiking.

[big_load]

I'm not diabetic, but in the vein of telling stories, 2 summer ago on Humphrey, 2 different diabetics came up and checked their sugar. They were both beta-cell lacking or Type 1 diabetics. The first one came and left, and then the second hiker came up. Both sat in the same spot and checked their sugars.

Apart from happening in the same spot, it's not surprising that they would be checking. Altitude wreaks havoc on insulin-dependent diabetics. It took 4wheelbob at least three tries to bag his first 14er because he had such trouble controlling his blood sugar. Of course his energy expenditure was a lot higher than average, because he was climbing in a wheelchair.

[Jim]

Not, it isn't surprising they would be checking. The event was surprising because I had never seen it before on the trail, and have never seen it since, and to have two separate type 1 diabetics, which is the rare kind today, who did not know each other, check their sugars in the same spot, within minutes of each other, that was like lightning striking twice. I should have bought a lotto ticket, that day.