Diabetes Expo - 2010

On Saturday, my sister and I took Cale to Navy Pier in Chicago for the ADA Diabetes Expo. 

Last year, the Expo was fantastic.  It was huge!  We attended a couple of "classes" including one for their summer camps.  Let me tell you, the video that they show...tear jerker!!!  Needless to say, Cale attended camp last year (on a scholarship no less) and is already signed up for this summer (fingers crossed for a scholarship!!).  We came home with BAGS of information, samples, meters, test strips, food, coupons, t-shirts, water bottles, you name it, we lugged it home!!!

Fast forward to this year...it was a complete let down.  Cale was so excited to go (he didn't go with last year, his school was having a fun fair).  He was bummed! It was considerably smaller.  Still in the same huge room, but everything was crammed together.  Very little give aways (I'm not a greedy person - really).  Nothing really new...except that I did speak with the OmniPod people and I was given another thing to try for Cale's allergic reaction to the adhesive, when he is ready to try again.  BUT, I found out that the new and smaller pods will be out by the end of the year AND even before that, the CGM should be integrated.  Now that was great news!!  Of course, only if he decides to try the pod again and we have success (cross the other fingers on that one!).  One other plus of the Expo was that The Home Depot was there in the kids corner and they had a wood craft for the kids to do.  Cale got a hard hat, apron, a pin and he made a wooden tool box.  His favorite part of the Expo was the balloon lady.  I'll post a picture of that after I steal Lauren's camera!!

Honestly, we did the Expo in under 45 minutes.  Keep in mind, we drove about an hour and a half to get there.  Driving in Chicago is C.R.A.Z.Y!!!!!  Really a let down.  Cale does not want to go next year - join the club buddy!!!  We shared the elevator with a couple of people that felt the same way we did. 

So, we walked along Navy Pier.  Had lunch at Bubba Gumps - yet another disappointment.  Just a heads up, when you go to Bubba Gumps Shrimp Co. - ALWAYS order shrimp!!!  The crab legs were horrible!!!  They were steamed in what I can only describe as toilet water with some green spices floating in it!  I kid you not. Ask Lauren!!!  THEN, McDonalds was out of ice cream!!  Are you freaking kidding me????

The highlight of the entire day was the Chicago Wolves game that we went to that night with everyone in our family.  The boys had fun and it was a great time!!  Hockey games are fun. 

So that was our trip into the city in a nutshell.  A smashed up nutshell!!!