Wow. I love the Internet. All you wanted to know - and then some! - about rocker Bret Michaels and his experiences with Type 1 diabetes can be found at DiabetesHealth. No, wait! Don't leave. I swear, this is really quite interesting reading.

Michaels (44) is the longtime vocalist with the campy hair metal band "Poison," most famous for the weepy 1988 power ballad "Every Rose Has its Thorn." Don't laugh. The guy has sold 25 million albums. Anyway, about the diabetes: Michaels was diagnosed with the condition at age six. The early diagnosis, Michaels says, was a blessing in disguise in that he grew up accepting it as part and parcel of everyday life. He remembers going to insulin shock at least four times as a child, and recalls one incident when his father, afraid Michaels was having a seizure, tried to force his mouth open and Michaels bit down so hard he nearly separated dad from finger. Aww. Good times!

Like lots of diabetic kids, Michaels attended diabetes camp and says he remains a big supporter, even contributing fundraising dollars to underwrite camp scholarships.

His observations on diet are worth reading. Favorite food/dietary weakess? Peanut butter: "Man, I could eat a jar of it, and that's why I have to just keep it away from me." And he stresses his secret comes down to portion control. "Cut 'em back," Michaels says. "The more carbs you pound in, the more your blood sugar's just going to rise. Your blood sugar goes high, you start to gain a lot of weight, and next thing you know, it's a lose, lose, lose situation that just spirals down."

Michaels is now on a three shots-a-day regimen and checks his blood sugar levels four to six times daily, and makes it eight times a day when he's on tour. He goes backstage twice during shows to check his blood sugar. He also admits he's "a little old school," in that he sticks with standard injections and meters. Pumps? Apparently, Michaels is not "cosmetically ready for the pump just yet." Guess it's hard to conceal a pump under spandex...

Physicians say type 1 diabetics need to be responsible for 95% of the behavioral management for their disease, however when it comes to adolescents with type 1, evidence shows they are managing less than 20% of their diabetes. Caregivers are picking up a hefty tab.

Adolescents lie smack in the middle of a developmental see-saw. They are entering an age of more independence and self-reliance, but they are not yet adults. Gradually learning to manage type 1 diabetes on their own, with purposive training, is an important set of stairs to climb during the teenage years.

A recent study published by Eddie Hill and Jim Sibforth in the peer-reviewed Therapeutic Recreation Journal examined the benefits of an autonomy supportive environment for adolescents with type 1 diabetes at a summer diabetes camp in Utah. (A control group diabetes camp in Idaho was a part of the methodology.) In Utah, staff was specially trained to support camper autonomy (e.g., "What is your blood sugar and how do you feel?" versus "Check your blood sugar and you need insulin ... or you need sugar.") The camp invested in diabetes education, meal planning assistance, camper-led parent training, testing and adjustments, leisure education, camp games and activities, daily exercise, challenge course intiatives and good 'ole free time.

As a parent, sending your child with diabetes to overnight camp may seem a pipedream. You endlessly are assisting, reminding and checking up on them to help keep their disease under control. How could your child ever head autonomously away to camp? One answer is the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) diabetes camps for kids.

The ADA is the largest provider of diabetes camps for kids in the world. Safety is their number one priority, as kids with diabetes are guided by well-trained staff, usually adult counselors with diabetes working within a climate that understands the daily regimens. Kids are surrounded by kids just like them, diabetes is the norm. Diabetes education within an experiential framework is an integral part of camp philosophy. Kids come back learning how to better manage their disease at a pace relevant to their ability and age.

Summer Solstice is a week away! Check out the ADA website on diabetes camp -- there's a camp locator tool and mucho information and advice.

I was just reading about Camp Kudzu, one of these wonderful-sounding camps for kids with diabetes. This particular camp is in the Atlanta area. People involved with the camp describe why it's such a great thing for their kids. No, it's not just about having fun and bonding with other diabetic kids...although that is a big part of diabetes camp. It's also about education, but with a practical emphasis. Kids can practice in groups, day-after-day, all the ins and outs of testing their blood sugar and administering insulin -- everything involved in managing diabetes. This is a big relief for moms and dads, just to know their children have that knowledge to fall back on so they're used to not being totally dependent on their parents for their diabetes needs.

Every day the kids check their blood sugar before lunch. They then choose from an array of foods, with each food item being assigned a carbohydrate number. After lunch, camp counselors help the children to add up the total number of carbs they've consumed and evaluate their choices. This is helpful just in itself, but the environment also helps. They can test and talk openly in groups without anyone coming up asking questions or whatever.

My only question is, why name a kids' summer camp after a noxious weed that's choking up the countryside?! Hmm.