Summer camp for chronically ill teens?

[green_the_fish]

I would really like to go to camp this summer, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle that with my pain/urgnecy/frequency. Especially the pain, I think. What if the camp is uncomfortable with the the medications I take? What if I feel awkward because I have to sit out of activities? What if I have a flare, and they don't have any properly trained doctors? I'm scared that my illness will just screw up the whole experience for me.
I had heard of special camps for kids and teens with chronic illnesses, so I've just spent the last few hours looking for some of these camps online. Unfortunetly, I couldn't find any that were right for me. It seems that most of them are geared toward people with developmental disablities, cancer, diabetes, or severe physical handicaps. I'm not sure what I should do...
-Does anyone know if there are camps for teens that are chronically ill, but don't have cancer or cerebral palsy or anything like that?
-Could you give me any names?
-Should I just go to a regular summer camp, push myself to try to act as normal as possible, and just try to hide this stuff as best I can?
-Should I just give up and not go to camp this summer at all?
Also, I'm kinda financially challenged (AKA: broke! :lmao: ), so I've either gotta go to a cheap camp (about 300 bucks max), or go to a camp as a Junior Counselor or Counselor in Training. I've heard that some of these camps are free, that would be great!
Any ideas?

[Portia17]

Hi

I remember when I was your age (way back when.. lol) and I did not have i.c. There were a lot of activities like swimming, games, going to the zoo every week, arts and crafts.

You know if you want to go to a regular camp, you do not have to participate in anything you do not want too. I remember when I was a counselor if the kids did not want to swim, go on trips they did not have to an one of us had to rotate and not go on trips or not swim and we just would sit quietly with them doing like arts and crafts and such.

Maybe you can find out if they still do that

One thing I remember was being picked up by the yellow bus, going in trips with that bus. It was fine then but might be not a good ride for the bladder now.

See if you can find out if you can do stuff like that meaning not participating in things that would cause you pain

Hugs

[Betsie]

Hey Green!

have been off for awhile and will be for sometime, but just caught this.

YOU, my young IC sister have so much to offer....camp is a blast and my heartfelt suggestion for you is to look into being a counselor. Talk to your guidance counselor. Is IC a factor? perhaps...but what if it is something you can look back on as the best summer of your life...what if you just trust that things can work out and on a bad day, you have coverage with peer counselors!

And what if you have a chance to influence a child with your wit, humor and intelligence....as my favorite author once said..."Oh, the places you will go...." :woohoo:

This from a seasoned 'camper' in her youth.....don't let an illness hold you back...it is a bump along the way..lbut it is not your life. Okay, Mrs opinionated is out of here....just think you have too much to offer...think it over. ;)

[green_the_fish]

I guess I should go to camp then... the people have spoken :)

Edit: Okay, let me try to express my feelings on something...
I guess I would prefer to go a camp for chronically ill teens, that way I *know* that my illness won't be a problem. Also, I would get to meet other people my age with health problems.
I guess I'm wondering if I would seem like a moron, since IC/CPP isn't considered a "serious" illness by most people. Do you think they also might refuse to accept me because I don't have a 100 percent concrete diagnosis?

I don't know... I guess my ideal situation would be to be a junior councelor at a summer camp for chronically ill kids, and help to support them. Either that, or go to one a cheap one for chronically ill teens. Are there actually camps like that, or are all the special needs camps for people in wheelchairs and stuff?

What if I'm too healthy for a special needs camp, but too sick for a normal camp? :(

[ICNDonna]

If you contact one of the camps for diabetes or other diagnosis, they may very well have contacts for the kind of camp you're looking for.

Donna

[Betsie]

My cyber answer? LOL...you might have much to offer and tons to gain by working with kids with illness...where you can show them caring speaks volumes and they can care back. that would be a perfect scenario for me....in my cyber advice of course. it sounds like you could get both. Certain magazines advertise lots of camps in the back. Yankee magazine is one and I know there are others. Our Sunday paper magazine also has tons at various times and for a variety of needs. Hope you find a good fit for you whatever it is.

[vm]

Green - Here is a link that appears to have a lot of links to many, many camps. You might check it out and see what you can find:

http://www.kidscamps.com/

[sacausa]

Think about what activity you can do....for example: swimming, horseback riding, tennis, etc..... and then go to a camp that specializes in that particular activity.....

[green_the_fish]

Hello to everyone, and thanks for the support.
Well, I tried to find camps for teens like me, but I don't think there are any. All of them are for the major and common illnesses.
So, my new idea is to work as a C.I.T. at an overnight camp for little kids, about 6-10 years old. That way, I'll do what they do. The camp wouldn't make little kids do hardcore mountain climbing and stuff like that, because they're too small, so there wouldn't be too many activities that I couldn't do. Also, little kids go to the bathroom often anyway, so I would only be going a little bit more often than they do :lmao:
I'll keep everyone updated on my quest for an illness-friendly camp!