My 14 year old daughter has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for two years and is on Humalog four times a daily and Ultralente. She manages her care relatively well and has been invited to an all-night lock-in at school. They will remain awake until about 5:00 am and will be playing games and dancing most of the night. How do we prepare for this?

I think there are several approaches. Here is one. She is on a very good insulin regimen to allow flexibility for this type of “spontaneous” activity. So I would suggest not working too hard: have her take her usual doses of Ultralente (Is she on twice-a-day or once-a-day? Once-a- day may not be quite as flexible.) and have her take her Humalog with meals, based on carb counting, as I presume she already does. With the anticipated increased activity, she should be prepared for possible lows and have her fast-acting glucose gel/tabs or cake frosting available, a well as her Glucagon Emergency Kit.

While her control may be a little bit funky that night and the following day, the very short-time of poor control may well be worth the socialization and fun! Most would want to think of your daughter as a “young person who happens to have diabetes rather than a diabetic, who happens to be young.”

DS