Good Morning, Hypoglycemia
Type one diabetes has been a part of my life for more than 10 years now. Throughout those years I have had severe highs and lows. Let me tell you: low blood sugars are terrifying. A year ago I wouldn’t use the word “terrifying” to describe a low blood sugar. I probably would have said that lows are "annoying", "inconvenient", or even "part-of-it". I never had an encounter with severe hypoglycemia until midway through spring semester last year.
I was at spring sing practice early one Saturday morning when the attack hit. (Spring sing is a musical celebration my social club participates in every year) It was such a strange experience that I might not be able to describe it perfectly, so bear with me. I was on stage with a small group of people going over choreography. We went over a dance we just learned but I don't remember any part of doing that dance; I just remember suddenly feeling like I was in a mind-bending dream. The stage felt like it was moving and I was very confused about my position on it...if that makes sense.
My mind and body went on autopilot. I don’t know how I was able to do what I did next being in the state I was in. Most of my memory is blacked out from this point on, and what memory I do have is vastly distorted by minor hallucinations.
I remember lowering myself off the stage and stumbling into the chairs of the auditorium as I walked to a table with donuts on it. I grabbed a couple and then continued walking to the back of the auditorium. I didn’t sit down immediately because, in my dream state, I had the great idea of walking all the way to the cafeteria to get more food. (Which was crazy because the cafeteria definitely was not close by)
Eventually reality set back in. I never fully passed out but I regained consciousness as if I were waking from a dream. I found myself sitting in the middle of a row of seats at the very back of the auditorium. In my "dream" there were a lot of people sitting around me, but in reality nobody was there. Once I felt strong enough, I stood up, walked to the front of the auditorium where my bag was, and started eating glucose tablets. Once I understood what had just happened I began to shamelessly cry.
Why did this happen? Because I woke up high that morning, skipped breakfast, and way over-bolused. Friends, it is so important to listen to your pump! High blood sugars can be so frustrating, and it can be easy to put in more insulin than your pump tells you to in hopes of getting faster results. Give yourself the insulin your pump calculates and re-evaluate the situation 15 minutes later to deliver more if needed. I struggle with jumping the gun; foolishly thinking I know more than my insulin pump. Don’t assume you will need more than your pump says. You know what they say about assuming: you will pass out if you do it. ;)
I want to add a small paragraph to say how blessed I truly was that day. Only one other person in that room would have known what to do if I collapsed, and even then my bag with the glucagon in it was tucked under one of the many auditorium chairs, probably impossible to find. I know God was watching over me. When things like this happen I am reminded how quickly things can go south and how important it is to always be aware and prepared for hypoglycemia.