Maze of Fear

Throw this into the mix to add a bit more fuel to a d-mom's fear. Dylan is going on a corn maze trip tonight with his class. 25 kids, ages 11 and 12, are headed out to a corn maze located about an hour from where we live. They'll enter it at dusk, and proceed to find their way out using their wits, sense of direction, and flashlights. This is a BIG maze. We went last year and it look us about an hour and a half, of steady fast walking, to get through it. The kids will start all together, but will quickly split into smaller groups. And while there are a few parents going, I am not one of them (I have to work), and my 2 "go-to" parents, that are very familiar with Dyl's diabetes and recognize his low symptoms, are not going either.

So let's put this all together: type 1 child on a pump with newly increased basal settings + excitement of 24 other kids and a nighttime adventure + 3.5 acres of corn maze to get through, aka major exercise + dark + no diabetes-knowledgeable adult supervision + a maze (potential to get lost). Am I insane letting him go? What if he has a low and he can't find anyone? There are so many "what ifs" running through my head.

I have to keep forcing myself to remember that he is almost 12. He's not a little boy anymore, and he's lived with diabetes for almost 7 years now. He recognizes his lows early on, and is very good at treating them effectively. This is one of those times when I can hold on, or let go. And I need to let go, so that he can continue to grow and take on more and more responsibility. So I'm permitting him to go and have fun with his friends, knowing that he's armed with a tester, a juice box, a bottle of dextrose tabs, and his cell phone.

An example of a local corn maze