Imagine yourself experiencing bizarre symptoms and sensations that are so strange you think you are a prisoner to a body possessed by aliens. Then you go to the doctor and find out you have some incurable disease you never heard of and you face a future of needle injections, unending medical appointments, blood testing and lifestyle restrictions that cause your friends to shun you and make fun of you. Imagine as the disease progresses you may go blind, have your limbs amputated and your sex life impaired forever. Now imagine you are 11 years old and you find out you have diabetes. </p><p>Those that develop diabetes later in life usually know something about it and are often not surprised at the diagnosis because others in the family have had it and it was just a matter of time. Someone diagnosed with diabetes at age 50 will not have so many years to develop the severe complications as a child who is not even out of school yet. Type 1 diabetes that usually affects children is typically unexpected. Adult onset (Type 2) diabetes often requires the use of oral medications or just diet control but those with Type 1 have no choice but to take insulin injections. </p><p>Kids often feel like they must have done something wrong that they ended up with such a terrible disease. The parents frequently feel overwhelmed and helpless to do much about it. Even worse, kids feel isolated and alone because they often don't know anyone else with the disease. They have to carry special equipment and food with them and they need to go to the nurse's office at certain times during school to get tested and get shots. </p><p>Overprotective parents, family members or friends may treat them delicately and not let them enjoy many of the usual sports and other activities everyone else is doing. Kids find themselves constantly being watched and scrutinized for any little thing that might indicate abnormal blood sugars. </p><p>One mom found that her 16-year-old son had formed an informal alliance with four other diabetic kids from school and they all became best buddies. When another friend came to them complaining of diabetes-like symptoms one of them checked the kid's blood sugar and found that it was high. They were the first to identify him as a new diabetic and he also joined the group. The same boy recognized the symptoms in his 20-year-old brother and decided to check his blood sugar which was elevated. </p><p>So where does a child go for comfort and support? There are support groups for people with diabetes but they are typically for older individuals and mostly geared toward the much more common Type 2 diabetes. Children's Hospitals and some clinics sometimes have support groups but those are often serving parents more than the kids. To find someone their own age within a local community can be very difficult. </p><p> Kids need to be able to be around other young people to be able to share their experiences and concerns. There are camps they can go to all over California, the United States and the world. Information is available at www.diabetescamps.org.</p><p>Memorial Hospital Los Ba&#241;os will be hosting their own camp July 18.</p><p> <i>Chuck Newcomb, MS, RD, CDE is a consulting registered dietitian currently providing medical nutrition therapy services for Memorial Hospital Los Banos. He has a Masters of Science in Clinical Nutrition from New York University. E-mail questions to the Attention of ChuckRD at: MHALosBanos@SutterHealth.org.</i>