Lifeguard

When I worked at GCC, I was a lifeguard, along with three of the other counselors.  Two were PWDs and two were PWoDs. (At the time, I was on a minimed pump).  Most of the campers would be in the pool at one time, and while generally only one of the lifeguards was on at a time, it was common for many, if not all, of us to be in the pool.  And then I got the question “What are you going to do with your pump?”  For me, it was a simple question.  I didn’t wear it.  Now don’t get worried.  Swim time was 45-60 minutes long (I don’t remember exactly).  And we couldn’t allow the campers in unless a nurse was at the pool.  So I would leave my pump with the nurse (or waiting for it), and I would get my eagle eyes on.  I never had to jump in and save any kids.  In the two years I was there, none of us did.  But if I did, I didn’t want to have the moment of, “Should I detach my pump?”  I didn’t want anything getting in the way of needing to save a child.  Sometimes I would finish on the higher side, but I was okay with that because I also didn’t want to go low while guarding.

I started thinking about this picking up the Genius kids from camp where the lifeguards check IDs.  And I was wondering, are there any PWD’s out there who lifeguard on a daily basis?  If so, how do you manage your D while you’re there?