Offroad as Diabetiker - is that possible? And if, that can be done well?

It is September 2001. My 9-taegiger foot march over the middle Atlas in Morocco can begin. The distance is to be received far away from the public transportation network and the possibility if necessary rapidly assistance. Telephone does not give it and also with the mobile phone gets one no net connection. Everything that I need during the day, I must carry. If I think there of absolute security, braeuchte I suddenly many more, than I can drag. If one has too much luggage, one goes into a new danger, the load becomes too large. Thus I consider myself strategies to measure around the different risks and to weights. One could say risk management. It is shown fast that one cannot prepare evenly for everything however it the often straight small things is, which are from high use.

I do not make the journey alone, her (this time) even by others was organized. About orientation and the meal we do not need to worry. We are four Germans and four Berber with their Mulis. We drive the first day of our journey toward the east on the large mountains too. On the way lunch time with Tagine to prepare for the typically Moroccan kind the meals in a "Roman pot". The cover looks like the pointed roof of a pagode. In addition there are special spice mixtures as with Curry. Due to my many journeys I need to think hardly whether I stand also everything. But I consider the most important rule consistently: Never drink directly before and to the meal! One diluted otherwise the gastric acid and runs the risk that possible germs in the meal are no longer sufficiently destroyed. Only if everything were thoroughly heated up, one can make confidently an exception.

Our goal on the first day is Imilchil. From northwest over El-Ksiba this place is attainable only with a good jeep. Approx.. 20 km exclusively are through a steep ravine, which infinitely leaves only place for the brook and many stones. Imilchil is admits for its marriage market. No, remain ' calmly sitting, one can no woman there buy, Allah is owing to! In September, the marriage-willing BerberInnen meets and can each year there as alternative to the obligation marriage still practiced unbureaucratically before the traveled registrar of births, marriages and deaths their Jawort give. Sometimes by the way also the sons of their mothers are obligation-married (compensatory justice). We unfortunately missed this pageant around one week, since the date became at short notice forced.

On the next morning our migration begins. It is only a short entering route of approx.. 25 km up to the lake Iseli. My sea-bag (sounds as merry in the stone desert) is patiently carried by separated the marching animals. So I can each time again arrange my daily luggage and have the main reserves in the evening. I had drunk too few and I notice at the neck scratching and easy cycle problems. I had been too lazy on the way, to continue again and again around the water bottle herauszukramen. In addition I enjoyed the fremdlaendische landscape and was diverted. But from there on I go with the hose. A mad invention such a "Camelbag". One bites a little on the mouthpiece at the hose end, which rises up mouth-fairly out of the backpack, opens thereby a valve and aspirates the liquid. In the water I dissolved minerals. My body hardly gets sufficient liquid goes it to me again well. We climb on a summit of nearly 3300 m height, during a daily performance of scarcely 50 km rubble distance. Me my feet take that badly. With the heat the foot problems come substantially faster. The normal plasters help not, them ringeln and strengthen the problem even still. I disinfect the open places with the spray, which I have for the catheter thereby and feel as an Indian. I lean decided off, when my Berberfreunde offers to me, to be allowed to ride on a Muli. Come to a hold if I continue to limb, 15 kg mean heavy backpack on the back. Renate was it, who asked me whether I would have heard nothing of the plasters "second skin" (Compeed). No, I did not know. There it gave me two of it. When it helped me, it to lay on looked at it me strictly and its eyes said "that its men always hero play must". But afterwards I was not more and I again somewhat in addition had learned.

Fast it turns out on our migration that the calculated quantity of water is much too small. My container seizes 4.5 litres and two of it would have been better. I can help myself however with the usual water bottles from plastics. In view of these approx.. 6 - one can introduce oneself to 8 kg only for water, how quickly I banished some in such a way from the backpack. There the usual safety consciousness relates itself very fast. Also for the insulin supply I do not carry a reserve forward, entrust I the Mulis. I risk it, with whose no carbohydrates increased loss to me to take to be allowed and through sporty employment the situation to master. But the problems like so often arise, where one did not assume them. Thus it began also at the beginning of the journey. In the direct flight from Munich to Casablanca the pump announced the end of the ampul. It was only the preliminary warning and the reserve should be sufficient. She did not do it however. Unfortunately the ampul end is not calculable as with the earlier Model (h-Tron) and so climbed the sugar mirror on about 300 mg/dl with the D-Tron insulin pump. For the flight I had to pack the luggage to other points of face: Objects of value, documents and heavier parts took I all in the hand baggage. So I could make the catheter change only on the meadow before the airport area. On French I was asked whether I was chemist. I am for openness and explained to the interrogator the function and effect of the pump. The eyes of the Maroccan told me, what he probably thought. In a country, in which there are many problems, one admires evenly the possibility, to help itself to be able.

On the further way of our migration we come by remote Berber localities. The children hurry us enthusiastically against. They hold out begging the hands to us. But I do not support exactly. I make a play from it. Thus I look much am interested each Haendchen from all sides, also the back. In the Nu I turned all child hands - like one is being able to there still beg! As it trick check up laugh common we all mean. I seize myself per a hand and in such a way pass in review we haendchenhaltend at the astonished adults. Oh, I state not only two children, it am at least one dozen, because at each hand hold I a whole chain of them, who are considered much to be allowed to hold also once my hand. Many kilometers behind the village only become them somewhat jerkily and I dismiss them with one large drop each. Repeats themselves at each village and my Kumpanen give me the pointed name "Rattenfaenger". In the next to last village is celebrated and I to it is invited. The large area fills gradually full curious, then play two young people on a small drum and in such a way which like a home-made violin. At the beginning it sounds deplorable, but it is a little later for me the most beautiful music - it lives. The marriagable girls (starting from 15) rise and dance hueftschwingend with raised arms. I have a few photos made, there hardly seize four tender arms to me down and pull up me energetically. When I look into the pretty rolling eyes, dance I voluntarily also. It is not also so with difficulty, even I as Nichttaenzer can that. One adheres to the hands, makes thereby circling movements and goes thereby forwards and back. Which there already wrong one is to make, if the with one another is the most important. Such celebrations make it possible to become acquainted with themselves more near and to overcome for hours forced distances. Nevertheless is noticeable to me from the outset, how open and free the Berberfrauen is. Unverschleiert, with open and curious view meet them me - pleasantly, but very unusually in an Islamic country. Fast I closed and regret these kind humans in the heart much that I cannot remain. I decide to come back and carry medicines forward. It gives here as well as no medical supply. A few old person, on herbs and a mobile physician (alleged), is occasional everything understands itself that. We are constantly asked for pain tablets and eye drops. And the needyness is not to be surveyed. Some infant does not play no more, it can from his verkrusteten eyes out-see. Suffering it is carried affectionately by larger children on the hip.

If I look back, I do not see the efforts under which we over the passports of 3000 m height rose, the constant to and off over steepest slopes, along at many meters deep erosion grooves, which forced us, awayless into the ravine abzuklettern. No, I see only these attractive humans, who live faraway our civilization in "emergency communities" and thereby kept an incomparable kindness. I am promised it to see again,!

That would be now a good conclusion, but I would like to still describe, how I came in this wild landscape with the insulin supply by right. The time in the pump must be absolutely adapted to each zeitverschiebung, otherwise fast everything turns out in disorder. One should carry more forward also clearly at material, as just. For example me an insulin ampul fell down, because I had naturally my eyes elsewhere. Catheters made problems and had to be replaced prematurely. Once the clutch needle became bent with the divisible rapidly, the insulin dripped laterally out and the sugars snapped highly. Then I determined a further deficiency of the new pump opposite the old person. I am used to it to serve the pump by the clothes and her not each time to out-pull have. Folded so far always, not in such a way with the new pump. I wanted to confirm an alarm without him to look at, since I knew, which it was. I had eaten nothing over 12 hr. and became apparent the safety alarm (alarm time changed over from me). I tried thus desperately not to serve the keys which can be felt so that the alarm stopped. Only I many later noticed that I had activated completely different function. That could to be able be done badly into the eye. A giant problem, if the function catheter filling is switched on so by mistake, those only after 20 IE again independently deactivates itself. Even if one still notices, how one is to then eat IE for 20? I had to make this once around midnight for 12 IE - I do not remember gladly. Otherwise the pump therapy is very stable and for each employment suitably. Particularly the second program of the new pump worked. Depending upon situation I could switch between normal and sport program. Exactly that was the reason, why I had decided for this new pump. Due to my experiences I would like to encourage each sugar patient (and others) to make itself topfit for its Handicaps over thereby its dreams to realize to be able. Obstacles are there to be overcome. And wenn's, macht's the more fun succeeds. So that it does not go however inclined, one begins best small, learns and increases. And who now already calls me an adventurer, does not know, what I still everything intend...

© Guenter Weeren Guenter Weeren@gmx.de