Campamento Diabetes Safari

The first Campamento Diabetes Safari was held in May, 2005.  Two Certified Diabetes Educators, Dr. Stan De Loach, a clinical psychologist, and Ms. Francisca Arenas, a registered dietitian, joined forces to establish a program to support the educational and medical needs of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1).  Then and now, the main requirement for being eligible to attend Campamento Diabetes Safari is that a child or adolescent be using insulins to control levels of blood glucose (BG).  The Campamento is an international, temporary, not-for-profit institution, which once each year provides children and adolescents who live with DM1, whether they be from México or another country, with diabetologic education, recreation, and opportunities to meet peers in a safe and non-stressful setting.

In México, more than 835,000 persons have DM1.  The incidence of the condition rises about 3-15% every year, in México and worldwide.  The usually sudden and unexpected challenge of living with this chronic, incurable condition mainly confronts children and adolescents, of all social, cultural, and socioeconomic levels.  However, DM1 is not a condition limited to childhood and it is not a condition that one outgrows.  It does not go away with the passing of the years nor can it be controlled solely with physical activity or changes in the diet.

As they go through life, children and adolescents who have DM1 but who do not participate in an aggressive medical program of blood glucose management and self-management and for that reason do not have the opportunity to become educated through exposure to professional and up-to-date knowledge and technology, risk complications that are life-threatening: blindness, renal failure, cardiopathy, neuropathy.  These complications originate principally from the presence of chronic hyperglycemia.  Therefore, the Staff of Campamento Diabetes Safari attempts to utilize the opportunities that arise (for example, calculation of insulin doses, choice of foods, insulin and dietary adjustments prior to engaging in intense physical activity) to permit learning about the techniques and practical knowledge that facilitate normal, non-diabetic glycemic control.

Although individuals who have DM1 can never take a vacation from the condition, Campamento Diabetes Safari offers a safe context in which children and adolescents who have DM1 can grow in learning and maturity together with other persons who face the same challenges.  The Staff of Campamento Diabetes Safari believes that the Campers learn the standards of medical self-care more easily when they are secure, comfortable, well supervised, and exposed to medical and life's lessons in a variety of forms, during their everyday routines.

In order to approach DM1 proactively, children and adolescents with DM1 need several tools.  On the one hand, they need up-to-date knowledge, tools, and  techniques that will enable them to manage this chronic condition well, so that they can enjoy their lives in the present moment.  On the other hand, they need informed expectations for their future.  Campamento Diabetes Safari provides Campers with both sets of tools.  In addition the Campers benefit from the personal validation that they gain by knowing that they are not alone, but rather are united in an ongoing and shared effort with their peers who also have DM1.  The Staff members and fellow children and adolescents who also have DM1 exert a lasting positive influence on the Campers.  This positive influence lasts beyond the temporal limits of the annual Campamento.

Campamento Diabetes Safari receives no financial support from any national, international, governmental, political, philanthropic, or religious organization.

The Campamento's objectives

Campamento Diabetes Safari offers children and adolescents with DM1 a safe, supervised setting, designed to provide support, education, and recreation.  It provides them with an environment in which they can express themselves, learn to interact and work together with others in order to become integrated as members of their peer group and as educated and trained partners capable of collaborating with the team of health care professionals who share responsibility for their health.  Children and adolescents who have DM1 do not always have available opportunities to relate to their peers with DM1, but during the Campamento, practically everyone monitors blood glucose levels, injects insulins, and counts carbohydrates (CHO).  For these reasons, the Campers do not feel the need to explain themselves, to justify their behaviors, or to live differently from their companions.  They feel "normal" because they can simply "be" and know that all their friends and the Staff understand what they are going through.

The presence at the Campamento of other children and adolescents as well as adult health care professionals who also have diabetes ensures that the Campers can learn to understand and manage the challenges and dilemmas that they have in common as persons with this condition.  Campers increase their practical understanding of applied diabetes self-care.  The natural beauty and the climate of the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec (prounouced WAH-STAY-PECK) inspire and promote their intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual growth.

The Staff exercises leadership, brings to bear their own relevant experience, and capably supervises the Campers in all these processes.  They direct their efforts toward the overall objective of Campamento Diabetes Safari, which is to offer 4 days of safety, diabetologic education, and recreation for children and adolescents who have DM1.

Complementary objectives include permitting:

• Campers to live the Campamento experience with full social, medical, and physical security
• Campers to share concerns, questions, and emotional experiences with other persons, peers and/or adults, who also live with DM1
• Campers to benefit from the dynamic group support developed at the Campamento to acquire or deepen their understanding and knowledge of DM1 and its management and self-management
• Campers to enjoy recreational and physical activities in an unintruding yet supervised framework
• Parents of Campers to have a needed temporary break from the stress and efforts required of them every day

In most social settings, children and adolescents with DM1 constitute a minority, which occasions an experience of isolation and separateness.  In contrast, the Staff and Campers, a mixture of persons young and old who share the same challenges and triumphs, live together for 4 days.  Campers have a chance to meet and to learn from adults with DM, who are also health care professionals and who have moved through experiences related and similar to those familiar to the Campers.  These professional members of the Staff share with the Campers their own successful ways of handling the inconveniences and obstacles that DM1 can present at any age.  The Campamento experience becomes one of companionship and solidarity, rather than of aloneness and difference.

Formal and informal learning opportunities filter through all activities during the Campamento.  The setting and design stimulate a dynamic process of shared learning about behaviors with practical, immediate, and personal relevance.  The Staff assists Campers in maintaining optimal glycemic control and in developing the autonomy and maturity needed to themselves understand and take responsibility for their DM1, if they so wish.  Diabetologic education is not obligatory but is instead at the service of the Campers.  They decide what, when, how, how much, and whether (or not) to learn.  The benefits of personal experience, dialogue with other persons who have DM, and educational and recreational programs are ample and long-lived.  In the short and long terms, these benefits aid the Campers to minimize or avoid future health problems and the devastating and avoidable complications of chronic hyperglycemia.

Diabetes education

Practically without exception, the children and adolescents who attend Campamento Diabetes Safari learn something about DM1 and its self-management that they did not know prior to participating in the experience.  All members of Staff are actively engaged in the provision of diabetologic education, enabling the Campers to learn through personal experience and supervised practice with different health care professionals.  The educational effort is personalized and responds quickly to the new situations that arise in daily life as a child or adolescent with DM1.  Diabetologic education, individual and in small groups of Campers, is intermixed in social and recreational activities.

Aware that each person with DM1 is different, Staff utilizes a variety of methods to transmit information and techniques well suited to the chronological and mental age of the Campers.  Normally, the educational process is repeated at different times, on different days, and in different forms and contexts.  The Campamento Staff creates conditions in which the children and adolescents feel sufficient security, trust, and supervision to be able to learn and employ self-management procedures that are effective and possibly just learned.

Diabetes education furnishes strategies that permit the Campers to maintain their levels of blood glucose within a safe range of 71 - 99 mg/dL.  Applying these strategies is the only known path by which young persons with DM1 can sustain a good quality of life and distance themselves from the possible long-term complications of poorly controlled hyperglycemia, such as blindness, kidney damage, and amputations.  The Campamento serves, in addition, as an excellent forum in which to learn and practice the latest advances in the treatment of DM1. 

The themes of diabetologic education contemplated by the Staff are in practice adapted to the Camper's interests, age, and self-evaluated perception of educational deficit.  Frequently, topics addressed include:

• What is diabetes mellitus, type 1?
• Why did I get DM1?
• "Understanding DM1" (a group meeting for general questions, answers, and psychological support)
• Effective treatments for DM1 (education, insulins, food choices, physical activity) and their use
• The Laws of Small Numbers and their central importance in the successful self-management of hyperglycemia
• Self-management of DM1 using a regimen of multiple daily injections (MDI) of basal and bolus insulins
• Criteria for good metabolic control and optimal ranges for levels of blood glucose
• Self-monitoring of blood glucose (when?  why?  how often?)
• Insulins (types, characteristics, and peak and duration of action)
• How to calculate insulin doses
• Techniques for painless insulin injections
• Hypoglycemia (recognition, prevention, and treatment, in an adequate and timely way)
• Food groups (CHOs, proteins, fats, alcohol)
• Planning meals
• Healthy eating for the person with DM1
• Nutritional composition (CHO, protein, fat) and content of foods
• With the insulin analogues currently in use, are snacks really necessary for glycemic control?
• Counting grams of CHO
• The relation between insulin and CHOs
• The glycemic index and its use: the effects of different foods on blood sugar levels
• Physical activity and the requirements (food and insulin) for engaging in it safely and without hypoglycemia
• Ways of balancing insulin and food requirements during exercise or physical activity
• Ketones in urine or in blood: What do they mean?
• How to measure ketones at home
• How to avoid ketones and prevent ketoacidosis
• Ketoacidosis: Symptoms and treatment
• Care of the teeth and gums: Correct brushing technique
• Foot care: Hygiene and footwear
• Care of the eyes
• Alcohol, recreational drug, and tobacco use: Consequences for the person with DM1
• Prevention of long-term complications of chronic hyperglycemia
• What to do in special situations: Parties, trips, sports, temporary illnesses, holidays, pajama parties, all-nighters
• School and social situations: What do I tell my friends who do not have DM1?  What words do I use to tell them?
• How to handle verbal aggression from classmates at school
• My brothers and sisters and I
• My parents and I
• What are my parents worried about?
• Late news in the treatment and self-management of DM1 

In only 4 days of education, hands-on experience, and recreation, the Campers with DM1 do not necessarily return home totally capable of taking care of themselves.  They may still require time to master the self-management of the condition.  That, they will learn at an age and with an individual rhythm that are proper and correct for them.  In the meantime, parents continue to share the the responsibilities for management of DM1.

Management and self-management of diabetic hyperglycemia

A multidisciplinary team of health care professionals (Certified Diabetes Educators, endocrinologist, registered dietitian, clinical psychologist), trained in the care of children and adolescents with DM1, ensures medical and dietary supervision, as well as attention to the psychological well-being necessary for optimal management and self-management of the condition.  The health care team also supervises the Campers' blood glucose self-management practices, applying the 4 pillars of DM1 treatment: education, insulins, nutrition, and physical activity.  All Staff members are present, alert, and available 24 hours a day during the Campers' stay.

Under available professional supervision, the Campers monitor their blood glucose levels more than 4 times a day, according to their own perception of what is prudent and needed.  Staff offers advice and training in adjusting insulin doses according to the foods selected by the Campers, the intensity of performed or anticipated physical activity, the current blood glucose level, and the presence of transitory illness.  Staff teaches the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and early detection and treatment of them.  Campers learn the reasons to rotate insulin injection sites.

The medical team administers first aid for any condition or accident not regarded as serious; a physician is on call 24 hours a day for medical emergencies.

A registered dietitian supervises menu design, which takes into account the nutritional and energy needs of children and adolescents with DM1 in the Campamento setting, where physical activity tends to be greater than that realized at home.  The professional dietitian guides the Campers in the selection of foods from breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets.  Recreational activities, programmed with respect to the time of day that they are engaged in, are organized with the help of Activity Coordinators and Monitors who are competent and knowledgeable in the management and self-management of DM1 in children and adolescents.

Due to the frequent increase in physical activity during the Campamento, the health care team may make adjustments in the routine DM1 management that the Camper employs at home.  For example, in order to compensate for increased physical activity, eating a calculated number of CHOs or reducing the amount of insulin injected may be recommended before and/or after a scheduled hour of freestyle swimming.  These slight changes are typical of procedures at all camps for children and adolescents with DM1, and are valuable in preventing glycemic decompensation (hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia) and in teaching optimal self-management of daily routines at home.  They safeguard the Campers' ability to participate in traditional physical activities with greater security and less anxiety.

Staff

Ms. Rosa Elena Yáñez, Managing Director of Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011, is a Certified Diabetes Educator and registered dietitian with a Masters degree in Nutrition and Metabolism.  She has 16 years of experience in the management, self-management, and treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus.  She has worked as Monitor and Education Coordinator in camps organized by the Federación Mexicana de Diabetes; she works in Spain with the Asociación de Diabéticos de Cataluña and the Asociación de Diabéticos de las Comarcas Tarragoninas.  She is a bilingual (Spanish, English) citizen of México, currently living in Tarragona, Spain, where she is writing her doctoral dissertation while working at the Group for Investigation of diabetes and associated metabolic disorders, at the John XXIII Hospital.  She offers independent consultation in nutrition, DM, and obesity, and also writes educational articles about nutrition and/or DM, for publication in Mexican and Spanish journals and magazines.  Contact:  rosyanez@hotmail.com

Dr. Stan De Loach, Associate Director of Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011, has worked for more than 35 years in México.  He is a Certified Diabetes Educator and clinical psychologist.  He has more than 42 years of experience in the study, managment, self-management, and treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus.  A trilingual (English, Spanish, French) national of both the United States and México, he currently resides and works in México, Distrito Federal.  Contact:  saludo@usa.net

Dr. José Juan Torres, Associate Medical Director of Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011, is a physician with a specialty in Endocrinology.  He has more than 11 years of experience in managing and treating type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents.  He lives in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México, where he works in independent practice as part of Soluciones Médicas Integrales and as staff physician at the IMSS Hospital.  He is a Mexican citizen.  Contact:  tkoloress@hotmail.com

Mr. Luis Eduardo Botis, Activity Coordinator and Monitor for Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011, is studying Economy and Finances at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Estado de México campus.  He has successfully completed 5 years of work in the management, self-management, and treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus.  He lives in Cuautitlán Izcalli, Estado de México, and is a Mexican citizen.  Contact:  lebe_00@hotmail.com

Ms. Yazmín Sánchez, Activity Coordinator and Monitor for Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011, is studying Nursing at the Instituto Tepic, in Tepic, Nayarit, México.  She has more than 11 years of experience in the management, self-management, and treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus.  She currently resides in Las Varas, Nayarit, México, and is a Mexican citizen.  Contact:  yazz_2091@hotmail.com

Mr. Omar Morales, Chef for Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011, has a degree in gastronomy and Técnic en Cuina.  He has more than 4 years' experience in the preparation of foods low in CHOs for persons who have DM1.  Currently, he works as Food Manager at the Hotel Ciutat, in Tarragona, Spain, where he resides.  He is a trilingual (Spanish, English, Catalonian) Mexican citizen.  Contact: chefmoralesortiz@gmail.com

Note: No member of the Staff has any relevant financial interests or significant financial relationship to reveal or disclose with regard to Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011.

The members of Staff share relevant competence and experience and serve as instructors and leaders for the programmed activities.  Due to a Staff to Camper ratio of 1:2, each child or adolescent who participates in the Campamento receives personalized attention.  Sixty percent of professional Staff members have diabetes mellitus, tipo 1, and thus can serve as positive models of responsibility in the self-management of hyperglycemia, in addition to acting as advisors, teachers, trainers, and mentors.

Staff works together with the Campers to guide learning during educational or recreational activities.  In recognition of the international character of the Campers and the Staff, Campamento Diabetes Safari is bilingual.  Two languages are used: Spanish and English.  Members of Staff express themselves in one or the other of these languages, or in both.

Activities

All the educational and recreational activities at Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011 are designed to respond directly to the interests and needs of children and adolescents who have DM1.  Educational activities, organized as well as informal, are interspersed with recreational activities.  Educational activities are individualized and in the main are carried out individually or in small groups of 2 to 4 persons.  Sports and physical activities help to make clear to the Campers the beneficial effect of exercise on metabolic control of blood glucose levels.  The times scheduled for these activities take into account the needs and anxieties of persons with DM1.  The activities themselves are tailored to the age and level of previous experience of the participants.  Learning and participating in any event are self-directed; no Camper is forced or pressured to participate in any activity. 

Recreational options include: swimming, soccer, basketball, kickball, volleyball, arts and crafts, balloon games, ecological activities, paper and plastic recycling, memory games, lessons in group membership and team building, stories and tales, confidential dialogues, games of challenge and skill, walking and hiking, exploration of Aztec archeology, nighttime observation of the stars, regional flora and fauna walks, and bonfire...among other possibilities.

Schedule and program (modifications are possible)
 

Friday	29 April 2011
.	.
0130 – 0145	Supervised monitoring of blood glucose [insulin or glucose - according to individual's glycemic level]
0400 – 0415	Supervised monitoring of blood glucose [insulin or glucose - according to individual's glycemic level] for those with hypoglycemia during the previous monitoring
0730 – 0800	Arise; supervised monitoring of blood glucose [preprandial ultrarrapid insulin for blood glucose more than 130 mg/dL]; bathe, if desired; sunscreen; today's t-shirts distributed
0800 – 0815	Walk to Cabaña #60; preprandial ultrarrapid insulin for blood glucose less than 130 mg/dL; review the menu
0830 – 0905	Breakfast; free time; informal education about foods
0905 – 0945	Morning plenary assembly: Dreams and feelings
0950 – 1000	Supervised monitoring of blood glucose [insulin or glucose - according to individual's glycemic level]
1000 – 1100	Group physical activity
1105 – 1150	Individual educational activity: Drawing DM1 and its treatment
1155 – 1210	Structured, supervised physical activity: Sortie to the Aztec stairway
1210 – 1240	Small group educational activity: Topics according to Campers' interests [hypoglycemia?  painless injections?  glycemic index?  self evaluation?]
1240 – 1310	Informal rest activity: Climb up and down the Aztec stairway (those who wish to)
1310 – 1340	Individual educational activity
1345 – 1400	Walk to Cabaña #60; supervised monitoring of blood glucose; preprandial ultrarrapid insulin; review the menu; photos of Campers, t-shirts, donated products, foods, and memories
1425 – 1500	Lunch; free time; informal education about foods
1500 – 1515	Walk to the Hotel Zacatepec; dressing in bathing suits for those who wish to swim
1515 – 1700	Dialogues among the Camp Director and those Campers' parents who wish to participate
1515 – 1545	Structured supervised free time
1545 – 1700	Structured free time; sunscreen; swimming [pool 3] or another nearby physical activity for those who do not wish to swim; shower
1700 – 1715	Walk to Cabaña #60; supervised monitoring of blood glucose [insulin or glucose - according to individual's glycemic level]
1715 – 1800	Writing thank-you's to all individual and corporate donors and sponsors of Campamento Diabetes Safari
1800 – 1830	Educational activities: What kinds of food do I like?  Why?  What are the purposes and rasons for eating?  How to read the nutrition labes on foods
1830 – 1845	Supervised monitoring of blood glucose; preprandial ultrarrapid insulin; review the menu
1915 – 1950	Dinner; free time
1950 – 2020	Evening plenary assembly
2025 – 2145	Evening recreational activity: Bonfire
2145 – 2200	Supervised monitoring of blood glucose [insulin or glucose - according to individual's glycemic level]; glargine insulin/Lantus; bathe, if desired; to bed
.	The schedule and program may be modified according to the interests and needs of the individuals in the group.
.	.

Accommodations

The Hotel Zacatepec at the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec, Yautepec, Morelos, México, is the site for Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011.  Small groups of up to 4 persons of the same gender (1 Staff member and 2 - 3 Campers) and of approximately the same age share large clean and comfortable rooms.  The rooms for 4 persons have two sets of bunk beds or one set of bunk beds and two twin beds; each bed has pillows and blankets, as well as sheets and a pillow case.  Each room has recently been renovated and redecorated; in each room, amenities include electricity, telephone, television, refrigerator, room fan, sink with mirror and a full bath with shower and toilet.  Daily room service provides soap, toilet paper, and small and large bath towels.

Food

The healthy foods served at Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011 contribute to an optimally balanced diet that favors the normalization of blood glucose levels, which is the suitable treatment of DM1.  At mealtimes, registered dietitians and other Staff members explain to the Campers how, when, and how much to eat in order to maintain blood glucose in an acceptable range...as well as the wherefore of the recommendations offered.  They promote adequate and logical food intake in relation to the dose of prandial insulin injected, the current level of blood glucose, and the degree of recent or upcoming physical activity.  Staff teaches nutrition principles, emphasizing those foods that conserve health and favor optimal ranges of blood glucose.

All foods are served family style (buffet), at three meals each day except Saturday.  Snacks are not foreseen; hypoglycemia will be treated with glucose tablets or, in severe cases, glucagon.

The registered dietitian, the Certified Diabetes Educators, and the Chef revise the menus to ensure that the meals are correctly composed and prepared, that they are complete, varied, sufficient, and not detrimental to blood glucose control, that they include items from the different food groups, and that at the same time they are foods that the Campers enjoy and find attractive.  Food is available in sufficient quantities and is served punctually at the times indicated in the schedule.  Among the foods offered are: salads, soups, vegetables, eggs, meats, chicken, Mexican dishes like pork rind, pistachios, noncaloric flavored waters and plain water. 

The Staff dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educators instruct the Campers in how to interpret and use in their meals the information presented on the nutritional labels of commercial food products.  They emphasize attention to the labels of items that are typically consumed.

Working together with the multidisciplinary health care team, the dietitians prepare food plans when necessary and teach Campers to calculate the nutritional values, the number of grams of CHO, and the glycemic effect of the foods incorporated in their individual food plan.

The nutrient content of the foods tentatively planned for the menus at Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011 is provided on the Internet.  The anticipated menus are the following:
 

Wednesday

.

0800 – 1000  (breakfast...offered to Campers who may not already have eaten breakfast, taking into account current blood glucose level and ultrarrapid insulin previously injected)

Ham  Oaxaca cheese slices Lettuce  Red Bell pepper pieces (contain CHO) Light Hellman's mayonnaise (contains CHO) Ground black pepper Sugar-free gelatine gelatine (made with water) (contains CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus-flavored Green Tea

.

Between-meal treatment or prevention of hypoglycemia, if needed: glucose tablet(s) sufficient to achieve or maintain normal glycemic levels

.

1400 – 1435 (lunch)

Chicken salad (contains CHO) Mushrooms filled with cream cheese, sautéed in margarine (I can't believe it's not butter) or butter  Grated Parmesan cheese Cucumber slices with avocado pieces (contain CHO)  Cold lettuce leaves Ceasar salad dressing (not "light") (contains CHO) Sugar-free gelatine gelatine (made with water) (contains CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus-flavored Green Tea  (plus possible leftovers)

.

Between-meal treatment or prevention of hypoglycemia, if needed: glucose tablet(s) sufficient to achieve or maintain normal glycemic levels

.

1905 – 1940 (dinner)

Egg salad, with Hellman's light mayonnaise and mustard (contains CHO) Steamed spinach, with margarine (I can't believe it's not butter) (contains CHO) Celery sticks filled with homemade pimento cheese (contains CHO) Pickled Jalapeño slices  Sugar-free gelatine gelatine (made with water) (contains CHO) #10 - #20 pistachios each Camper (10 pistachios contain 1 gram of CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus-flavored Green Tea (plus possible leftovers from lunch)

Between-meal treatment or prevention of hypoglycemia, if needed: glucose tablet(s) sufficient to achieve or maintain normal glycemic levels

.

.

Thursday

.

0830 - 0905 (breakfast)

Freshly  made pork skins  Guacamole without chile (with avacado, tomato and green onion) (contains CHO) Cucumber slices in vinegar and black pepper  Red and green Bell pepper strips  Pickled Jalapeño slices  #4 or #12 almonds (4 almonds contain 1 gram of  CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus-flavored Green Tea (plus possible leftovers)

.

Between-meal treatment or prevention of hypoglycemia, if needed: glucose tablet(s) sufficient to achieve or maintain normal glycemic levels

.

1400 – 1435 (lunch)

Mexican-style lamb meat steamed in the ground inside agave leaves Mexican green salsa (without chile and without avocado) Lettuce leaves, cucumber slices, red Bell pepper slices Hellman's light mayonnaise flavored with chipotle pepper (contains CHO) Low-CHO salad dressing  Sautéed cactus leaves  Cheese cake soup (contains CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus-flavored Green Tea (plus possible leftovers)

.

Between-meal treatment or prevention of hypoglycemia, if needed: glucose tablet(s) sufficient to achieve or maintain normal glycemic levels

.

1930 – 2005 (dinner)

Cajun chicken (eaten with chop sticks) Lettuce and cucumber salad Caesar or Italian salad dressing (contains CHO) Green beans, with bacon bits  Sugar-free gelatine (made with water) (contains CHO) Unsweetened, flavored coconut (contains CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus- flavored Green Tea (plus possible leftovers)

Between-meal treatment or prevention of hypoglycemia, if needed: glucose tablet(s) sufficient to achieve or maintain normal glycemic levels

.

Friday

.

0830 – 0905 (breakfast)

Scrambled eggs, with cream  Browned thick-sliced, meaty bacon  Sautéed zucchini squash (contains CHO) Mexican green sauce (without chile or avacado) Sugar-free gelatine (made with water) (contains CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus-flavored Green Tea  (plus possible leftovers)

.

Between-meal treatment or prevention of hypoglycemia, if needed: glucose tablet(s) sufficient to achieve or maintain normal glycemic levels

.

1425 – 1500 (lunch)

Green salad (lettuce, cucumber, olives) (contains CHO) Homemade or other salad dressing Ground beef with vegetables (contains CHO) Steamed and buttered broccoli (contains CHO) Pickled Jalapeño slices Sugar-free gelatine (made with water) (contains CHO) Unsweetened, flavored coconut (contains CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus-flavored Green Tea (plus possible leftovers)

Between-meal treatment or prevention of hypoglycemia, if needed: glucose tablet(s) sufficient to achieve or maintain normal glycemic levels

.

1915 – 1950 (dinner)

Grilled shrimp  Salmon and smoked tuna salad with chopped cucumbers and Hellman's light mayonnaise  Green beans sautéed in extra-virgin olive oil (contains CHO) Lettuce leaves Caesar or Italian salad dressing Sugar-free gelatine (made with water) (contains CHO) 2 teaspoons of chocolate-flavored whipped cream (contains CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus-flavored Green Tea (plus possible leftovers)

.

Between-meal treatment or prevention of hypoglycemia, if needed: glucose tablet(s) sufficient to achieve or maintain normal glycemic levels

.

Saturday

.

0830 – 0905 (breakfast)

Sausage and cheese melt (contains CHO) Sautéed cactus leaves  Cucumber slices in vinegar Sugar-free gelatine (made with water) (contains CHO) 1 teaspoon of chocolate-flavored whipped cream (contains CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus-flavored Green Tea (plus possible leftovers)

Between-meal treatment or prevention of hypoglycemia, if needed: glucose tablet(s) sufficient to achieve or maintain normal glycemic levels

.

1345 – 1420 (lunch)

Smoked pork chops topped with melted Manchego cheese Cole slaw (contains CHO) Mushrooms stuffed with spinach, sautéed in margarine (I can't believe it's not butter) Sugar-free gelatine (made with water) (contains CHO) 1 tablespoon chocolate-flavored whipped cream (contains CHO) Be-Light (flavored sugarfree water) and sugarfree Lipton Citrus-flavored Green Tea (plus possible leftovers)

Who may attend Campamento Diabetes Safari

Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011 is designed to provide educational and recreational opportunities for children and adolescents who have type 1 diabetes mellitus and who are between 7 and 18 years of age (with birthday between 27 April 1993 and 27 April 2004).  Campers of any nationality, race, gender, political belief, or religion may participate in the Campamento.

Children and adolescents who were diagnosed with DM1 within the last 12 months, as well as those who have never participated in an educational camp for persons with DM1, may find the orientation and learning gained in the experience to be especially useful.

Cost

Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011 is a not-for-profit event.  The total cost for registration and participation in the Campamento is 2700 Mexican pesos.  The registration fees are the same for each participant, from whatever country he or she may come.  One US dollar is equal to approximately 12 Mexican pesos.  The total cost of registration in US dollars is $230.

The cost of participation in the Campamento includes housing for 4 days and 3 nights, all food and any glucose tablets needed, supervised educational and recreational activities, care by the medical team, and all necessary supplies (namely, Optium XCEED home blood glucose monitor and Optium strips for testing, B-D insulin syringes, and lispro and glargine insulins).

The cost of bus transportation from the Taxqueña bus terminal in México City, Distrito Federal, to the Campamento reception area at the entry to the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec, Yautepec, Morelos, is not included in the total cost of participation in the Campamento.  The bus ticket costs approximately 92 Mexican pesos (approximately $7.50 U. S. dollars), one way, and 184 Mexican pesos (approximately $15.00 U. S. dollars), round trip.

Due to the high levels of individualized  attention and education, the true costs for each participant for the 4 days are far more than the registration fee.  The support and generosity of the donors and sponsors make it possible to charge only $2700 Mexican pesos ($230 US dollars) for attendance.  An individual, an organization, or a public or private association can sponsor one or various Campers who without this economic support would otherwise not be able to attend the Campamento.

Registration

All registration forms can be found on the internet here. They can be printed, filled out, and sent by mail or delivery service (such as FEDEX, DHL, MULTIPACK) to the address printed on the first page of these forms.  A single copy of all the forms is sufficient to register.

Campers' registrations will be accepted in the order in which the application forms and payment are received.  Registration will close when the maximum number of Campers previously decided upon has been accepted.  A minimum deposit of 50% (1350 Mexican pesos or 150 U. S. dollars) of the total registration fees must accompany every application for participation in the Campamento.  All necessary registration forms must be received by 1 April 2011 at the latest, without exception.  Likewise, the total cost or any remaining partial payment of the registration fees must be received by 1 April 2011 at the latest, without exception.  The address to which to mail or deliver registration forms is found on the first page of these forms.

Payments, cancellations, and refunds
 

Deposit	.	A deposit of one thousand, three hundred Mexican pesos (1350) or one hundred and fifty (150) U. S. dollars is necessary to reserve a place in the Campamento.  This deposit, in cash or by bank deposit to the Banco HSBC account indicated on the first page of the registration forms, must be received before 1 April 2011.  This deposit is not transferable.
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Final payment	.	Final payment of the full cost for registration or of any outstanding balance must be made before 1 April 2011.  If final payment of the total cost of registration is not made before 1 April 2011, a previously made and deposited reservation will be canceled.
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Cancellations | Refunds	.	In the event of cancellation before 1 April 2011, all payments made will be refunded, minus a nonrefundable one thousand (1200) Mexican pesos or one hundred (100) U. S. dollars, which are retained for administrative costs, without exception. In the event of cancellation on or after 1 April 2011, no partial or full refund of the registration fees already paid will be made, without exception. All legitimate requests for refunds will be processed after 15 May 2011. Once the Campamento has begun, if the Camper is unable to complete the Campamento for any reason, no partial or full refund will be made, without exception. If the emotional, psychological, or behavioral characteristics of the Camper are detrimental to the harmony and appropriate development of the Campamento, or if they could be destructive to the Camper himself or herself or to other Campers, the Camper will be suspended, without any full or partial refund, without exception.  The Camper's parents (or their alternates) will be contacted and advised to pick up the Camper immediately.

Clothing and personal items to bring
 

Important note: Persons who use insulin should bring with them to the Campamento The types and quantity of insulin(s) and sufficient syringes for their personal use during the trips to the Campamento from their home and from the Campamento to their home Their blood glucose monitor and a sufficient supply of test strips for their personal use during the trips to the Campamento from their home and from the Campamento to their home Results of the latest several glycated or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values Medicines taken for conditions other than DM1

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Identification of clothing and other personal effects It is essential to mark or label in some durable way all articles of clothing, including footwear, backpacks, and other personal effects brought to Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011, which does not take responsibility for lost or forgotten articles.  The articles should be clearly marked with first and last names (not just initials).  Old or inexpensive clothing is recommended; formal or new attire is not needed during the Campamento.

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Recommended items Sunscreen (SPF 20 or greater) Tennis or running shoes Baseball cap (with brim for sun protection) Blue jeans Shorts T-shirts or cotton blouses for 1 day (there is no laundry service at the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec; each Camper will receive 4 t-shirts, one each day) Underwear for 4 days Pajamas Socks for 4 - 5 days Flip-flops or sandals (for use indoors and outdoors) Windbreaker or light jacket or sweatshirt or sweater (with long sleeves) Swimming suit Toilet articles (brush or comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, Chapstick, hand lotion) Small backpack or large handbag Plastic bags (for dirty or wet clothing) Insect repellent Blood glucose meter, strips, lancing device, lancets, insulin(s), syringes (for personal use during the trips to and from the Camp site)

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Optional items (according to personal preferences and previous experience) Writing paper and pen or pencil Musical instrument (guitar, flute) Ball (basket, kick, soccer) Favorite stuffed animal or security blanket Camera Film (for the camera if it is not digital) Pocket flashlight Small change ($2 - $3) to spend for unforeseen extras Rubber or plastic sheet or waterproof mattress protector (if necessary)

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Unnecessary or prohibited items and products Knives Pocket knives Hatchets Guns Arrows Objects designed for acts of violence Felt-tipped permanent markers Cigarettes Matches Tobacco Alcohol Fishing poles Air mattresses Dangerous objects of any type Air-inflated floats Radios Electronic games Music players (compact disc players, cassette players or recorders, MPEG players, iPod) CDs Jewelry or other valuable objects Cell phones and iPhones (Phone calls are obstacles to the process of adapting and joining, which are key elements of the Camp learning experience.)

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Directions to Campamento Diabetes Safari

The housing and other facilities used for Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011 are located at the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS).  Yautepec is situated 4,462 feet (1,360 meters) above sea level, 47 miles (75 kilometers) from México City.  The Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec is at Kilometer 27 on the México-Cuautla highway, in the town of Yautepec, in the State of Morelos, México. 

The Centro Vacacional is a beautiful tourist complex, with a subtropical climate and abundant trees and flowers.  Its small streams and expansive garden areas are the setting for the modern, recently renovated facilities, which include hotels, cabañas, swimming pools, wading pools, playing fields and courts, a geodesic dome, an Olympic stadium, medical services, and various small supermarkets and stores. 

Two first-class bus lines (OCC and ADO, telephone: + [52] [55]  5544 9008) offer daily, non-stop, direct service, with on-board rest room, from México City to Oaxtepec, every 15 - 20 minutes during the day, leaving from the Taxqueña Bus Station (Central de Autobuses Taxqueña) in southern México City, and arriving at the Oaxtepec bus terminal, located directly in front of the main entrance to the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec.  Advance seat reservations are not required; a seat is assigned at the time of ticket purchase.  A one-way ticket costs 92 Mexican pesos (about $7.50 U. S. Dollars); a round-trip ticket costs 184 Mexican pesos (about $15.00 U. S. Dollars).  The one-way trip takes approximately 1½ hours, depending on traffic.

The same two first-class bus lines (OCC and ADO, telephone: + [52] [55]  5544 9008) offer direct service 3 times each day (nonstop and with on-board rest room) from the Mexico City International Airport (Terminal 1) to Oaxtepec.  The departure times from the airport to Oaxtepec are: 8:30 a.m., 4 p.m., and 9 p.m.  These departures stop at the Oaxtepec bus terminal, located a few steps from the main entrance to the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec.  From Oaxtepec to the Mexico City International Airport (Terminal 1), scheduled departures leave at: 4:20 a.m., 7:20 a.m., and 2:20 p.m.  The cost of a one-way ticket is 152 Mexican pesos (approximately $13 U. S. Dollars).

Parents or guardians who bring a daughter or son to the registration site for Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011 can find nearby housing in the many excellent hotels and guest houses in Cuautla, Morelos, some 15 minutes by bus or car from the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec.  The Staff of Campamento Diabetes Safari 2011 asks that for the duration of the Campamento, campers' parents or guardians neither visit nor be housed in the facilities of the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec.

Maps and additional information, in Spanish, about Mexico City can be found at www.mexicocity.com.mx/index.html.  The same maps and information can be found in English at  www.mexicocity.com.mx/indexen.html.

Map of the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec

If one or more of the photos below are not visible (not downloaded), simply right click with the mouse on the small visible red x and select "Show picture."  The picture will then download from the server onto your computer. .

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Photos of the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec
 

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Main entrance to the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec	Overview of lower level of Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec
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Geodesic dome	Underneath the geodesic dome
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Typical kitchen space for the Campamento	Typical dining space for the Campamento
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Olympic swimming pool (at top) and wading pool (at bottom)	Cold, curative sulphur waters (nope, they don't cure diabetes)
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Outdoor basketball courts	Room for 4 persons (partial view)
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