I am tired, so very tired, standing in the Target checkout line. And getting progressevly lower, though I don't believe I'm all that low. Just need a little something to pep me up, get me through checkout, and over to my parent's house for supper. Temp basal is already set on 0.0 for an hour.
No Peeps.
No juice.
No glucose tablets.
I grab the package of Reese's Pieces off the shelf, rip them open, and eat them, determined not to repeat the gas station incident.
The cashier scans my items + wades through my stack of coupons(which, predictably, will not scan). She is telling me something.
I want to sit down. I need to sit down. Now. To heck with groceries and coupons and nosey cashiers. So I slump down against the counter + start to shake. Stupid low.
The lady behind me (in the checkout) is talking to me. "I saw your insulin pump, are you low?"
I don't ask how she knows that. I'm just grateful that she does.
"Yes."
"You ate some candy-do you need anything else?" "No,I'll be ok." "Want me to call the squad?" "No, it'll be ok in a few minutes."
"Drink this."
Pepsi, real Pepsi. Automatically swallow, spill, repeat. Lay down. As with many of my lows, it gets worse before it gets better. Apethetic daze time.
Pepsi is slowly kicking in when the squad shows up on the scene.
"Hey, Heidi. Open your eyes. It's Ike."
"I didn't know she was diabetic." (Another familiar voice)
Squad buds.(dude,those were the good old days) Back when I had time to do stuff like that. Back before life got so busy.
"Low, huh?"
"Yeah." I'm so shaky, I'm not convinced my blood sugar has gone up much. Some InstaGlucose might just do the trick.
In the ambulance, a bg check rings in at 109.
"Still think you're low?"
"Yes."
"You know yourself better then this meter. Have a tube of glucose." Suck it dry.
"Another?" "Yes." Suck 2nd tube dry.
Bg check=118.
"I think we better go to a dextrose drip." He puts it in. "Cold?"
"No."(I'm always this shaky when I'm recovering from a major hypo)
Get to ER. Blood glucose after (more) juice, supper, and 3 hours...
401 mg/dl.
Do I feel stupid now, or what- why is it, by the time you get to the ER your blood sugar is normal again.(soon to be high) Of course, you don't know that it is going to go up but most eventually do. Sigh. Five minutes being seen by the ER doctor("We'll keep an eye on you/you're fine") and 15 being berated by ER nurse #2 for crimping the tubing("You're an EMT, you should know better!") I utterly despise ER's. I will never work in one. (as a nurse)
Got home, got to sleep, and had another low at 12 AM. I was working my way through a jar of peanuts when it occured to me that I might be low, better check. 53. Time for more juice. Back to the 300's again this morning, I need to get this smoothed out.
(*Note to insurance company: See why I need a CGMS????*)
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7 comments:
Sorry all this happened to you Heidi...........
Another traumatic experience(adventure) in having Diabetes.
I am glad that you arrived home alright and that the woman at the check-out was able to help you as well.
Timing and quick response is everything in Hypoglycemia.
Yeah, that sucks Heidi, I'm sorry that you had to go through this.
Aww Heidi, I'm sorry this happened. And bouncing up and down like a yo-yo sure does suck. Glad you're ok though
It is hard when the ones you work with have to come to the rescue....this has happened a few times to me and I feel like I can never live it down! Sometimes it just happens......
Oh for goodness sake. It was so very fortunate that you were not driving, or, fell down on the cement outside.
I have not had good experiences in ER's either. (Like the time they offered me a big dose of coumadin that was intended for the next cubicle.)
Hope you're doing better today.
Heidi sorry that happened.
But there may be a blessing, because arguing for a CGM should be a lot easier.
I hope your swings have settled down.
Yikes, your lows don't sound fun at all. I'm pertty new to all this but battle lows pretty regurally so far I've just trusted that the oj or glucose tabs will bring me back up in 15 minutes. Normally when I'm low I'll call my gf/ parents and just say hey if you don't hear from me in 15 mins we have a problem - so far that plan has worked and I haven't gone high after a low yet. (knock on wood)
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