a different kind of coaster

My diabetes turns into a roller coaster at least three times a week, and there's never any fun to it: an over-treated low blood sugar becomes a high blood sugar in minutes; that high number gets corrected by insulin and plummets again; and over, and over, and over again. Let's call it THE DIABEAST. It is the worst coaster in the world.

I haven't been to Canada's Wonderland since I was diagnosed with type 1. It was the cool thing to do back when I was 11, 12, 15, and now I want to go again. But there's a problem. When I started using an insulin pump in April of '09 (happy two year anniversary, my pump!) I was told explicitly not to ride roller coasters. Blood sugar roller coasters, of course, are allowed--even expected--but real coasters were out of the picture. No explanation was ever given. Up until this point I've just accepted it as another fact of my crap life: no candy, no pizza, no roller coasters, no fun.

(image via)

This week I decided to research the validity of this myth. I was only able to find one legitimate source; the rest was just overly involved parents spouting off on Disney message boards. Here's what Animas has to say:

Amusement Parks

- Very powerful electromagnets are sometimes used on "free-fall" amusement park rides. Insulin pumps should be REMOVED AND NOT TAKEN on these "free-fall" types of rides.

- High gravity forces can be experienced when riding on some roller coasters. It is recommended that you disconnect (NOT suspend) the pump while on roller coaster rides.

Um, what? Looks like the only ride I'm going to be riding is THE DIABEAST, forever. Well, maybe the Ghoster Coaster too. That one's pretty harmless.