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Diabetic teen kicked out of Delsea Drive-In for candy contraband

clownboy said:
That is the worst excuse for ignorance of what is common knowledge I've heard recently. No, candy bars are NOT considered medicine, not in any circumstance, or by any business of medical establishment.
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Medicine - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

1
a : a substance or preparation used in treating disease
b : something that affects well-being
2
a : the science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease
b : the branch of medicine concerned with the nonsurgical treatment of disease
3
: a substance (as a drug or potion) used to treat something other than disease
4
: an object held in traditional American Indian belief to give control over natural or magical forces; also : magical power or a magical rite
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clownboy said:
No, I think they also brought stuff with them and for the other kids. Once again, the food in his D pack were available inside. Good parents would have known this.
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Once again, you have no idea the concession stand sold the exact sort of juice or snacks this particular boy needed, when you take into account his other medical issues. Oh yeah, long lines, the ride to and from the theater, hypoglycemia hitting when least expected, etc. m,eans he needs to carry safe foods on him at all times, not trust some business owner who says they have items available the boy can eat.

My son's RN Diabetes educator (A T1D herself) was quite blunt after a family holiday meal sent my son's numbers through the roof (even though the people doing the cooking supposedly kept track of carbs while cooking ) "You can never trust anyone else to cook or provide food for your child. There is a level of risk involved. Always be prepared to deal with the consequences of eating unfamilar foods."
 
SugarMama said:
Once again, you have no idea the concession stand sold the exact sort of juice or snacks this particular boy needed, when you take into account his other medical issues. Oh yeah, long lines, the ride to and from the theater, hypoglycemia hitting when least expected, etc. m,eans he needs to carry safe foods on him at all times, not trust some business owner who says they have items available the boy can eat.

My son's RN Diabetes educator (A T1D herself) was quite blunt after a family holiday meal sent my son's numbers through the roof (even though the people doing the cooking supposedly kept track of carbs while cooking ) "You can never trust anyone else to cook or provide food for your child. There is a level of risk involved. Always be prepared to deal with the consequences of eating unfamilar foods."
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I thought your position was that this isn't food, but emergency medicine.

Regardless, if his condition is that severe the parents are idiots for not checking beforehand. If his condition is that severe, then you don't go where outside FOOD is not allowed in the first place.

You're just making the parents look worse in your attempts to excuse their behavior.
 
GottaGo said:
If Junior is having convulsions with or without the contraband juice box, then they should be heading for the ER, dontcha think?
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what? no, they should hand him his capri sun that they carry around because their pediatrician probably told them too.

i just had an awful thought. if it turns out that he's their pediatrician, i am just going to walk out into the hills and never return to civilization.

GottaGo said:
The once or twice while in public that I needed to address a low BG, and did not have access to my own supplies, a simple step up to the register counter for after dinner mints or request of a waiter could I have a beverage immediately, along with saying my blood sugar was low, brought immediate results. I didn't need to make a scene, drag along a tote bag of junk food, or flash my vial of insulin.
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granted, but it is just so much more simple to let the kid have a juice box. props on sneaking that insulin.

GottaGo said:
A bottle or tube of Sugar Tabs would suffice to address most immediate BG lows, and if that's not enough, then they shouldn't still be at the drive in anyway.
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i don't know. the kid has to live as normally as possible, and the parents were probably following a medical protocol given to them by a pediatrician. i doubt that their intent was nefarious.

GottaGo said:
And just to add some snark to the deal, perhaps the parents didn't want to interrupt their movie watching, and just told Junior to eat his junk food so he didn't go low so they could watch the film. ;)
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definitely possible.
 
clownboy said:
You are correct. That is my belief, it was not reported that way.




Already covered, the theatre has the good stuff, just the type the kid needs on hand. So, that excuse is bogus.
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Irrelevant. The child needs to have his medicine will driving to and from the movie theater.
 
clownboy said:
And having lost on the elements, now you go for the semantics treatment. Predictable.
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You said
No, candy bars are NOT considered medicine, not in any circumstance, or by any business of medical establishment.
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It is obvious that in the case of someone with T1 diabetes, candy is medicine.

clownboy said:
I thought your position was that this isn't food, but emergency medicine.
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Now you're going for the semantics treatment.
 
SugarMama said:
Once again, you have no idea the concession stand sold the exact sort of juice or snacks this particular boy needed, when you take into account his other medical issues. Oh yeah, long lines, the ride to and from the theater, hypoglycemia hitting when least expected, etc. m,eans he needs to carry safe foods on him at all times, not trust some business owner who says they have items available the boy can eat.

My son's RN Diabetes educator (A T1D herself) was quite blunt after a family holiday meal sent my son's numbers through the roof (even though the people doing the cooking supposedly kept track of carbs while cooking ) "You can never trust anyone else to cook or provide food for your child. There is a level of risk involved. Always be prepared to deal with the consequences of eating unfamilar foods."
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My educator made constant reference to SWAG. I finally had to ask. Scientific Wild Ass Guess.

It isn't as hard as it may seem, if you know the basics of what carbs base food contain. A good starting point is Calorie King's book that list the carbs in most base foods, plus many fast food and restaurant foods.

And when in doubt, running a wee bit high on your BG is better than a low. If you guess-timate 50 carbs, then take insulin for 33 carbs... or whatever ratio you are functioning on, drop about a 1/3.

Not all carbs are the same. A carb is a carb is a carb is pure bunk.
 
GottaGo said:
I am a Type 1 Diabetic. I'm not sure what you think is 'mild' about either type.

I understand all the nuances that go along with dealing with Type 1. Other than his insulin, both sugary beverages and candy was available (which some are claiming as 'medication') at the drive in.

I guess it goes to show that some people feel it necessary to 'medicate' with junk food, while those who have a true grasp of the condition understand the difference between short acting sugars and long acting sugars, and the effect it has on the body.

Candy/soda/sugar tabs are for immediate correction of a low BG. They are not recommended for long term use, nor for continued use AFTER correcting a low BG. You'll send yourself into a sugar seesaw that does extensive damage to your body. Correcting temporarily with candy/sugar tabs (since you seem to equate the two) should be followed by long acting sugars/carbs, such as fruit and protein foods.

Maintaining a slightly higher BG is not as damaging as the seesaw caused by continued consumption of sugary foods which cause highs, then attempt to correct with insulin, causing a combined drop in BG once the sugar is burned off and the insulin is in your system, which will usually occur around the postconsumption time of 2-3 hours depending on fat content of the 'food' consumed.

This child obviously doesn't have a grip on his condition, and the parents permitting the use of 'candy' as a method of medication is causing more problems than it's correcting. Until the child learns proper diet to maintain his BG at a more constant level, his parents are guiding him, and IMO, poorly.
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I have to disagree. 4 different specialists in pediatric endocrinology/T1D absolutely drilled it into our heads that candy = medicine in cases where low blood sugar (less than 70) is present. Candy, juice, sugar packets, honey, soda, frosting, glucose tabs, glucose gel, or whatever else contains 15 gms of fast acting carbs is appropriate.

As a T1 you should understand that even with the most tight control of diet, insulin, exercise, etc. cannot prevent BG from being too low or too high on any given day. There are so many factors involved in the body including stress, illness, puberty or just having one of those days when the body is not behaving that it's almost impossible to keep a perfect level BG 100% of the time.

You might want to go read some information on JDRF.org. Things have likely changed a bit since your diagnosis.
 
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sangha said:
Irrelevant. The child needs to have his medicine will driving to and from the movie theater.
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Irrelevant, if there are approved foods in the theatre, his FOOD can be left in the car. No one refused him entry for his actual medicine and other medical gear. Again, if his condition is so severe he cannot make it from the car to the theatre without eating candy, the parents are fools to take him to a theatre in the first place.
 
clownboy said:
Irrelevant, if there are approved foods in the theatre, his FOOD can be left in the car. No one refused him entry for his actual medicine and other medical gear. Again, if his condition is so severe he cannot make it from the car to the theatre without eating candy, the parents are fools to take him to a theatre in the first place.
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:doh

Umm, it's a drive in movie theater
 
clownboy said:
I thought your position was that this isn't food, but emergency medicine.

Regardless, if his condition is that severe the parents are idiots for not checking beforehand. If his condition is that severe, then you don't go where outside FOOD is not allowed in the first place.

You're just making the parents look worse in your attempts to excuse their behavior.
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I am providing factual information from a parent of a child with the same condition as the boy in NJ. You continue to argue, minus facts to back your stance, because you refuse to admit you might be mistaken about the way T1Ds are currently instructed to manage their BG and the terminology used in current day doctor's offices all over the world.

It's interesting how this sort of discrimination is considered acceptable, but if it were another sort of discrimination people would be picketing the business and calling for the "Doctor's" head on a platter. I suspect the reason so many are okay with this sort of discrimination is because they are ignorant to the facts and realities surrounding T1D, they believe the myths and lies they've heard about Diabetes, and they have never had to look at their child go from "Oh my, that blood glucose is a bit high" to "We've called for a life flight" in a matter of 10 minutes as their child started to lose consciousness. I learned in a hurry that nearly everything I previously believed, about Diabetes, was false.
 
SugarMama said:
I have to disagree. 4 different specialists in pediatric endocrinology/T1D absolutely drilled it into our heads that candy = medicine in cases where low blood sugar (less than 70) is present. Candy, juice, sugar packets, honey, soda, frosting, glucose tabs, glucose gel, or whatever else contains 15 cbs of fast acting carbs is appropriate.

As a T1 you should understand that even with the most tight control of diet, insulin, exercise, etc. cannot prevent BG from being too low or too high on any given day. There are so many factors involved in the body including stress, illness, puberty or just having one of those days when the body is not behaving that it's almost impossible to keep a perfectly level BG 100% of the time.

You might want to go read some information on JDRF.org. Things have likely changed a bit since your diagnosis.
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Depending on the person's insulin to carb ratio, I'll use me as an example. If I'm at 70bg and ate an entire regular sized candy bar of 35 carbs (average) I'd be making corrections (taking small step injections) for the next 3 hours. Instead of eating a candy bar, I'd take one, perhaps two sugar tabs (5-10 carbs) and check again in 15 minutes. Likely I'd be pretty close to my target BG of 85.

Honey, grapes, raisins and certain other foods not only have immediate reactions, they also have extended reactions, so you will be addressing the rise in BG long after it should be necessary.

Things haven't changed that much since my diagnosis, I was late onset, and I do ongoing self-education on the subject.
 
SugarMama said:
I am providing factual information from a parent of a child with the same condition as the boy in NJ. You continue to argue, minus facts to back your stance, because you refuse to admit you might be mistaken about the way T1Ds are currently instructed to manage their BG and the terminology used in current day doctor's offices all over the world.

It's interesting how this sort of discrimination is considered acceptable, but if it were another sort of discrimination people would be picketing the business and calling for the "Doctor's" head on a platter. I suspect the reason so many are okay with this sort of discrimination is because they are ignorant to the facts and realities surrounding T1D, they believe the myths and lies they've heard about Diabetes, and they have never had to look at their child go from "Oh my, that blood glucose is a bit high" to "We've called for a life flight" in a matter of 10 minutes as their child started to lose consciousness. I learned in a hurry that nearly everything I previously believed, about Diabetes, was false.
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You're mistaken. I understand and have compassion for what you and your child go through. It sounds very much to me that you are a good parent who cares very much and you have educated yourself. But that still does not make this discrimination in any way.

As a good parent, are you going to take your child someplace where you know what they need to have quickly at hand is likely to not be available?

Look, I have some cousins who are extremely peanut allergic. They can't even walk into a place that serves peanut products. Does that mean all places should ban peanuts altogether just so they can go anywhere they want?
 
GottaGo said:
Depending on the person's insulin to carb ratio, I'll use me as an example. If I'm at 70bg and ate an entire regular sized candy bar of 35 carbs (average) I'd be making corrections (taking small step injections) for the next 3 hours. Instead of eating a candy bar, I'd take one, perhaps two sugar tabs (5-10 carbs) and check again in 15 minutes. Likely I'd be pretty close to my target BG of 85.

Honey, grapes, raisins and certain other foods not only have immediate reactions, they also have extended reactions, so you will be addressing the rise in BG long after it should be necessary.

Things haven't changed that much since my diagnosis, I was late onset, and I do ongoing self-education on the subject.
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My son's usual go to for a low is 15 Skittles or 4 oz of organic apple juice. He would need to eat 3 or 4 glucose tabs to get 15 cbs and those things taste like crap. One time his school nurse shoved frosting (from her own personal cupcake) in his mouth when she saw that he was shaking so bad he couldn't get his testing kit out of his bag. She followed the rule that you treat what appears to be a low, then test, and if you were wrong, you correct with insulin at the next meal time. He's also tried Dex 4 drinks, since they are smaller bottles than juice, but found they made him feel like vomiting--same with glucose gel. Even though he finds them nauseating, we still keep them in his kit, just in case. Both the juice and skittles equal 15 cbs of fast acting glucose. Raisins digest too slow in him and don't bring his numbers up quickly, so we don't use those for correction.


My son's rule of 15 is simple. 15 fast acting carbs (candy, juice, etc), wait 15 minutes test again, if above 100 eat a protein/carb snack (crackers and peanut butter is a good choice). If not above 100, then treat again with 15 fast acting carbs, and proceed with another test in 15 minutes. If above 100 follow with protein/carb. The fact that sometimes he has to double treat to get back in a normal range means he carries several "snacks" in his D pack.
 
clownboy said:
Irrelevant, if there are approved foods in the theatre, his FOOD can be left in the car. No one refused him entry for his actual medicine and other medical gear. Again, if his condition is so severe he cannot make it from the car to the theatre without eating candy, the parents are fools to take him to a theatre in the first place.
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Did you miss that this is a drive-in theater where this took place? The car itself came into the theater, and it is the fact that this kids medicine in the car (and no matter how many times you deny it, in this context, the candy and juice are medicine) was treated as a violation of the theater's policy against “outside food”.
 
clownboy said:
Look, I have some cousins who are extremely peanut allergic. They can't even walk into a place that serves peanut products. Does that mean all places should ban peanuts altogether just so they can go anywhere they want?
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No, I don't believe peanuts should be banned in all businesses, just like I don't believe medical supplies should be kept from people who need them. Obviously the boy in NJ doesn't have to go to the drive-in that refuses him his medical supplies, just as your cousin can wisely avoid businesses that serve peanuts. The comparison with the peanut allergy is this: Would the business take away your cousin's epi-pen or refuse them entry because of their allergy? Probably not. They might strongly suggest your cousin make the choice not to enter, but they would not take away their life saving medication. That would be stupid and would also be a form of discrimination. Your cousin would be given the choice to leave and stay totally safe or to enter and take the risk, while keeping their epi-pen handy. By telling Ben he couldn't have part of his medical supplies the drive-in discriminated against him.
 
clownboy said:
As a good parent, are you going to take your child someplace where you know what they need to have quickly at hand is likely to not be available?
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My child would be carrying his supplies with him, at all times, much like what the boy in NJ does. There is no need to purchase items anywhere, when the person carries their own supplies. I even have a letter, from his physician, outlining the appropriate supplies he's legally allowed to carry, on him, at all times. Candy is listed. As well as Glucagon, insulin, needles, alcohol preps, sharps container, etc.
 
clownboy said:
Then the answer is a simple one, don't go to the drive in movie theatre.
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Or IOW, you got pwned with your nonsense about leaving the food in the car while they went to the theater and are now trying to distract from your bone-headed argument.
 
I am not sure about the rules of linking to other websites, so I will quote information and add the link to where I found it. If it's against the rules I can remove it.

I hope this puts to rest the argument whether or not telling the boy in NJ that he could not have his emergency glucose supplies (candy/juice) would actually be considered discrimination. Just as someone with allergies who was told they could not have their epi-pen or an asthmatic told they could not have their inhaler or a person who uses a walker, cane or wheelchair and is told they can't bring them in....all appear to be forms of discrimination.

Here is the quote:

"People with diabetes have the right to participate fully in our society without sacrificing their medical safety or facing discrimination because of misunderstandings, fears, and stereotypes about diabetes. Federal laws prohibit most public places and programs—whether operated by private companies, non-profit organizations, or the government—from discriminating against people with diabetes. You should not be excluded because of your diabetes or be denied access to your diabetes supplies, and you should be provided with reasonable accommodations if necessary."

Link to the source:

http://www.diabetes.org/living-with.../fact-sheet-diabetes-public-gvrnprograms.html
 
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