View Full Version : Diabetics Hike???
thirdpartysc
08-06-2007, 10:19
Hi, I am pursuing a thru hike in spring of 2009. I also have Type I juvenile onset diabetes. I am interested in ANYONE who has this or knows of someone who does, that has attempted the AT. I welcome any useful information. Example: Does anyone have a reccomendation about a pump? is it easier than syringes on the hike? Thanks and good luck to all other thru hikers, I know you're nearingg th end of your juorney, Congartulations!!
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-06-2007, 10:22
A fellow who uses the name Bfitz here (known as The Dude on the trail currently) is diabetic and currently thru-hiking. He drops in some and I have asked him to respond. It may take a while as he is hiking and can only respond when he gets to a computer.
RockStar
08-06-2007, 12:08
Didn't LW mention he has Diabetes? I remember him posting in a thread that he tried to take in more sugar and realized after passing out ont he trail that his sugar would work itself out. He is hiking right now maybe PM him? I'm sure others will chime in as well. I just remember him mentioning his was concerned when he started as well.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-06-2007, 12:20
Type I (juvenile onset) diabetes is different than type II (adult onset) diabetes. While type II can often be managed via diet and exercise alone, type I generally requires medication - some of which need to be refrigerated if I remember correctly.
mobileman
08-06-2007, 12:32
I have type 2 diabetes and would appreciate information also.
Thirdparty, first of all I want say congrats on your decision to hike the AT and not let your diabetes be an obstacle. I recently spent 10 years working for an insulin company and have gained a great insight into the disease. A great guy who has Type I is named Will Cross. Check out his website, he is an avid climber and has climbed the 7 highest peaks in the world. Was the first person with diabetes to trek to the North Pole, South Pole, and climb Mt. Everest. I have met him personally as my former company helped sponsor him with some of his adventures. Regarding the pumps, there are several out there, so just pick one that is right for you and that your insurance will cover. Also as an option to the traditional vial and syringe, there are pre-filled insulin pen devices available that are a heck of a lot easier. The Novolog (from Novo Nordisk) and Humalog(from Lilly) pens are better than the Apidra pen but again it goes back to what your insurance will cover. Also, the long acting insulins, Levemir (from Novo Nordisk) and Lantus (from Sanofi) both come in pen devices too. I hope this helps and please keep me in the loop of your plans as I might be able to be an information resource to you as you finalize your plans plus having worked in the diabets arena for 10 years, I still have a great interest in it. As a side note, even as a TYPE I, you may find that your insulin requirments will decrease as your exercise level (i.e. walking the AT everyday) increase.
www.willcrossmotivates.com (http://www.willcrossmotivates.com)
Time To Fly 97
08-06-2007, 12:54
As a side note, even as a TYPE I, you may find that your insulin requirments will decrease as your exercise level (i.e. walking the AT everyday) increase.
Also, protect your feet. Jump on blisters as early as possible and make sure you are comfortable with your choice of shoes/boots.
Happy hiking!
TTF
I know of at least two Type I diabetics that have hiked the AT. One of them was Sweet Pea and the other was Needles. Their journals have long since disappeared into the ether though some of the formers postings may still be found in the AT-L Achieves. My son is also Type I diabetic and very physical active. The first thing is that you need to test often, up to 30 times a day. This means a lot of diabetic supplies. I would highly recommend that you find a doctor whose is supportive. The diabetic community feels that diabetic should not participate in strenuous physical activities, yet type I diabetics compete in triathlons, marathons, biking, football (soccer), basketball, etc. You can do it.
Grey Owl
VerticalClimb22k
08-24-2007, 12:43
I commend your efforts of not letting that stuff slow you down!
Just a Hiker
08-24-2007, 12:56
Hey there Thirdpartysc!
I was diagnosed with type II Diabetes while actually on the trail last year, and it has definitely changed the way I hike. My trail diet of ramen noodles and candy bars had to change, plus I have to take a pill each day. However, this is nothing compared to your daily struggle with Type I Diabetes. Even so, I have had to change the way I hike and it has been a difficult adjustment. While hiking, I am constantly trying to read my body and how I feel in order to make sure my blood sugar doesn't get too high or low. My point is that my illness hasn't stopped me from hiking even though the past year has been Hell physically, and your illness doesn't have to stop you from your dream of hiking the AT. Logistically, your hike will be tougher, but not impossible. The pump is a realistic option for you. My mother had the pump for awhile before she died and it really gave her more freedom, and it gave her a psychological boost because she didn't have to give herself shots any longer. This could be just the ticket for you.
I am sure everything will work out and I look forward to seeing you on the trail. Take care!
Just Jim
Jack Tarlin
08-24-2007, 14:05
As F.D. mentioned, my hiking partner The Dude (known here at Whiteblaze as Bfitz) is a former thru-hiker who lives with diabetes. I'm positive he'd be happy to talk with you and answer any of your questions. Write him privately here; if you don't get thru to him let me know and I'll either get you his private contact info or I'll tell him how to reach you.
Hi everybody....don't have much time right now but I'll log on tomorrow and post a missive about my experiences....I've had some crazy moments in the woods. You're definitely going to use more blood sugar strips than you're used to. Got to go, but I'll be back tomorrow....
A friend of mine with Type I diabetes -- though he was 50 or more before he was diagnosed -- attempted a thru hike 20 years ago. He quit after 400 miles or so.
His problem was food and secondary things like blisters, sore knees and other joint problems that slowed him down so he was always running out of food. He was never a typical diabetic. He was skinny as a rail all the while I knew him, which may have contributed to his problem.
I have type II diabetes that the doctors attribute to the steroid, Prednisone, I've been taking for an artery infection. With luck I'll be off prednisone in five months. I doubt if the diabetes will totally go away, but my need for medications are decreasing as the steroid decreases.
Regardless, it has slowed my hiking. I lead a five mile walk to a wild pond our town land trust has protected in the morning. But that is about the maximum of what I've attempted in recent months.
Very frustrating. But frequent blood tests -- that increase in number as we figure out what reducing the glyburide and metformin is doing -- adds to the hassle of planning more lengthy walks.
Weary
Sorry this took so long....
When I first started hiking I tried to anticipate everything I might experience and plan for it. I knew all that exercise would reduce my need for insulin (and it did, after a week or so of hiking I usually end up taking about 1/3 less Lantus or long acting insulin than I usually do). The other thing I notice is very small doses of short acting insulin have a magnified effect. Often very magnified. This might lead me to believe I could reduce my long acting insulin dose even more, but that seemed to lead to higher blood sugar than I wanted even with exercise, as if there wasn't enough insulin to keep my sugar stable and causing some kind of feedback that released extra glycogen into my system and raising my sugar further...this is the reason why exercise is usually not recommended when your sugar is higher than 250..But at the effective dose all that exercise seems to require that I take in a steady flow of carbohydrate to avoid going low...for me this seems to be about 25 or so grams per hour of hiking, which I do by mixing gatorade powder with my water. So theres no steady state available, you need to constantly correct your sugar, while avoiding overcorrecting...on low insulin doses a big blast of sugar taken to correct hypoglycemia will send your sugar through the roof, and of course you'll feel the need to take the amount of fast acting insulin you usually take for such a high blood sugar and end up severely hypoglycemic an hour later. The game you'll end up playing is one of constant monitoring and slight adjustments. While hiking I might have a blood sugar of 300 and take just 2 units of humalog and find myself low after only an hour, other times the same scenario I might find I'm still high after two hours and decide to take a little more...the danger here is any overcompensation can set off a roller coaster chain reaction in your blood sugar so every correction needs to be slight, and blood sugar monitoring needs to be very frequent...like once an hour while walking maybe every two hours after you've gotten used to what's going on...even if you feel fine, or feel high, you might be low or vice versa, the usual warning signals can get mixed up or mistaken for fatigue or vice versa...there's a certain "buzz" that goes along with hypoglycemia sometimes, and hiking on the edge of it can feel very good, like a runners high or something, and this can be dangerous...no matter how you think you feel, you can be surprised by what your test results show...I have my doctor perscribe that I test 15 times per day...Usually I only test about 10, but strips are expensive and you'll want to have plenty on hand.
Another concern is keeping insulin cold...this hasn't ever been a problem for me and I wouldn't worry about it on the AT, room temp is fine as most diabetics know...but another diabetic hiker (trail name Ketone from 04 I believe) invented a neat device out of a nalgene bottle that won the gear contest at trail days that year...I'll look for a link....that you could fill with water and keep your insulin in, it was pretty cool...
The main thing is getting used to your own reactions through experience and experiments...I'll post more as i think of it, but this ought to get you started....
Don't forget your glucagon kit and teach others how to use it.
I am a type 1 diabetic, and have been hiking for many years. Bfitz has covered most of the basics. I have found I need to reduce my fast-acting insulin pretty dramatically after a day on the trail. For basal insulin, a mid-range insulin like NPH twice a day 12 hours apart seems to work better for me than a long-acting like ultra-lente. Like bfitz says, test, Test, TEST--it's going to be expensive, but the alternative is worse. I keep my supplies in a small fanny pack that rides just above my waistbelt in the front. This keeps insulin, glucagon, testing supplies/meter and emergency glucose/snacks handy.
As I live in the southeast, keeping my insulin cool is a priority. FRIO pouches, which use the principle of evaporative cooling, work very, very well and are lighter than any ice/nalgene/thermos bottle contraption you can think up (trust me, I have tried!!). If you are handy with a sewing machine, they are easy to make. Quest Outfitters sells the "Crystal Cool" filler that you would need.
Type 1 is not easy to deal with outdoors, but it can be done.
Hello thirdpartysc.
My wife and I recently completed our A.T. thru-hike. She has type 1 diabetes and handled the related challenges extremely well.
Feel free to browse our trip blog: BLTadventure.blogspot.com (http://bltadventure.blogspot.com) or contact me privately and my wife may answer specific questions you may have.
It's a great trail! Go for it!
Stitch and Figgy
GA-ME 2007
pablodoogle
11-08-2007, 00:35
thirdpartysc, my first post. I'm planning a thru-hike for 2008 and have been a type 1 diabetic for 10 years. I've been using an insulin pump for little over a year and a half and would recommend one. It's helped me gain tighter control and freedom. Of course, I am continuously making adjustments based on my activity. The manufacturer of my pump introduced a continuous glucose monitoring system that some insurance carriers are starting to cover. I've had the opportunity to test it for about a month through my diabetes clinic. I'm hoping to get the system and use it on the trail, but that is TBD. Otherwise, I'm still working out logistics, but I plan to carry a small supply of syringes as a backup and larger supply in a bounce box. I'm sure I'll have plenty of advice a year from now.
pablodoogle
11-08-2007, 10:13
thirdpartysc, my first post. I'm planning a thru-hike for 2008 and have been a type 1 diabetic for 10 years. I've been using an insulin pump for little over a year and a half and would recommend one. It's helped me gain tighter control and freedom. Of course, I am continuously making adjustments based on my activity. The manufacturer of my pump introduced a continuous glucose monitoring system that some insurance carriers are starting to cover. I've had the opportunity to test it for about a month through my diabetes clinic. I'm hoping to get the system and use it on the trail, but that is TBD. Otherwise, I'm still working out logistics, but I plan to carry a small supply of syringes as a backup and larger supply in a bounce box. I'm sure I'll have plenty of advice a year from now.
thirdpartysc, my first post. I'm planning a thru-hike for 2008 and have been a type 1 diabetic for 10 years. I've been using an insulin pump for little over a year and a half and would recommend one. It's helped me gain tighter control and freedom. Of course, I am continuously making adjustments based on my activity. The manufacturer of my pump introduced a continuous glucose monitoring system that some insurance carriers are starting to cover. I've had the opportunity to test it for about a month through my diabetes clinic. I'm hoping to get the system and use it on the trail, but that is TBD. Otherwise, I'm still working out logistics, but I plan to carry a small supply of syringes as a backup and larger supply in a bounce box. I'm sure I'll have plenty of advice a year from now.What brand pump do you use?
pablodoogle
11-12-2007, 11:01
bfitz, my pump is a Minimed Paradigm Insulin Pump from Medtronic, model 522. More info can be found at their website www.minimed.com (http://www.minimed.com). For anyone interested, the American Diabetes Association has some general info about insulin pumps at http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/insulin-pumps.jsp. Another site, http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_technology/insulin_pump_models.php, provides a comparison chart for insulin pumps, though I'm not sure how current it is. I noticed they list a battery life of 3 weeks, which I've seen last notably longer but may depend on my personal settings. Keep in mind that not all the models shown may be available in the US (at least that was the case when I was researching pumps a couple years ago). Also, a healthcare provider may be more familiar with one or two models over the others. From what I understand, the Minimed is fairly common.
That constant glucose monitoring sounds fantastic! Have you (or anyone) done any serious hiking with a pump? I like to hear how you felt about that vs. injections? I've never liked the idea of having something attached to me all the time like that... but with the constant monitoring it seems like it would be well worth it.
Jan LiteShoe
11-16-2007, 18:05
That constant glucose monitoring sounds fantastic! Have you (or anyone) done any serious hiking with a pump? I like to hear how you felt about that vs. injections? I've never liked the idea of having something attached to me all the time like that... but with the constant monitoring it seems like it would be well worth it.
Bfitz, I have a friend, Type 1, with that pump. He's an athlete, and is crazy about it, even went out and bought stock in the company (Medtronics), so convinced was he is would be The Next Big Thing due to its innovation. He's a physician's assistant at the Univesity-Chapel Hill Diabetic clinic, and his daily work includes teaching diabetics to manage their sugar. His thing is mountain bike competitions, so hey, it's not that far distant. Anyway, he's another fan, and someone who knows the medical ins and outs due to his work.
pablodoogle
11-29-2007, 16:03
That constant glucose monitoring sounds fantastic! Have you (or anyone) done any serious hiking with a pump? I like to hear how you felt about that vs. injections? I've never liked the idea of having something attached to me all the time like that... but with the constant monitoring it seems like it would be well worth it.
The most recent "serious" hiking I've done was day hikes during a vacation to Glacier NP this past summer. The trip included some 7-9 mile hikes. While I didn't have the glucose monitor at the time, I still checked BGs regularly. The pump took no more getting used to than did getting used to injections. While it seemed strange wearing it to bed at first, I felt the tradeoff for any oddity was worth it. It's also nice not to have to inject a needle everytime I want to eat; instead I just have to press a few buttons before meals and perform an insertion about once every three days.
Hi, I am pursuing a thru hike in spring of 2009. I also have Type I juvenile onset diabetes. I am interested in ANYONE who has this or knows of someone who does, that has attempted the AT. I welcome any useful information. Example: Does anyone have a reccomendation about a pump? is it easier than syringes on the hike? Thanks and good luck to all other thru hikers, I know you're nearingg th end of your juorney, Congartulations!!
i am a diabetic,i was dx with type 2 dec 2005.i us lantus to set my basil rate
and novalin70/30 before meals,i have section hiked from springer ga to pinkam notch nh.if i did a thru i could get away with buying humalin n and humalin 70/30
as needed in trail town,these two insulins can be bought without a prescription anywere,and will be ok a couple weeks with refrigeration.but in hotter weather
this is what i would use hiking with insulin,link bellow
http://www.genmedical.com/shop/en-gb/dept_66.html
http://www.lifesolutionsplus.com/frio-insulin-travel-wallet-extra-small-p-422.html
i hope this helps:cool: neo