Low BS

Written June 10, 2009

Most seasoned diabetics are fully aware of the ‘out of body’ experience you have when you are dealing with a low bs. Of all the scary things regarding my disease, this one scares me the most. Hell, any description that contains the word ‘coma’ would scare anyone, I think. I like to call these times my ‘episodes’. I would experience more episodes on injections than I do on the pump. Thank you, Cozmo, for lightening up on the episodes! However, they do still happen.

As a matter of fact, at disneyland, my friend, Bill, took a video of my episode. The last thing I remember saying is that I needed to get something to eat. The last thing I remember seeing was Main Street. The last thing I remember hearing was my friend, George, talking about horses. I was gone, absent, mentally checked out. I was the walking dead. I went inside myself and tried to fix it. I was literally willing myself back to the living world.

As I climbed into the Pirates of the Caribbean boat, I grabbed Bill and burst into tears. The first thing I remember saying was ‘I can’t fix it!’ and we sat down on a wet seat. I don’t remember what he gave me to eat or drink, if anything. I don’t remember hearing any words. I just know that in the dark, while Captain Jack Sparrow’s voice and cannon fire shook my surface, I returned.

Low bs can take many forms…all of which equal crazy person. I have caused a 7 car pile up. I have tied a dish towel around my neck and proceeded to fly around the kitchen. I have yelled out ‘I want to fuck him!’ to a random co-worker. I have started fights with hobos. I have fought with paramedics who misjudged my strength. I have threatened to kill a friend. I have laughed hysterically for no apparent reason for extended periods of time. I have shoved Amanda so hard she fell then I told her I hated her. These are the things I have done, plus many, many more. Some funny, some sad, all horrifying.The best thing to remember about a diabetic having an episode is to not take it personal. DON’T TAKE IT PERSONAL!! It is not you. You are doing nothing wrong. You are not at fault. You just happen to be there, lucky you. No matter what things come out of your diabetic’s mouth, they are glad you are there. More importantly, they NEED you there. My daughter has a really hard time with this one. She takes everything I say personal even though I have no idea what I am saying. The second worse thing about my disease…hurting the people I adore. *sigh*

Glucose is fuel for the brain. When the brain doesn’t have efficient fuel, it becomes impaired. The person literally becomes dysfunctional. This can range anywhere from slow reaction time to a coma depending on how low the bs actually drops.Many diabetics recognize low bs by feeling shaky. The body realizes there is a problem and starts emitting adrenalin which causes the shakiness. The body will shoot out stress hormones to help regulate itself. Whew! Thanks, bod! Hopefully the diabetic will grab some fast acting juice and some long acting carbs. If they cannot, you hand them some OJ and a bagel, or, if in a pinch, some glucose tablets. Every diabetic should carry these or have these readily available. Even better diabetics have glucose gel or a glucagon. Now, most likely, they will fight you and not want to drink or eat. Force them. Period. The End. This is the point where you need to take control because your diabetic cannot. Ignore what they say, ignore what they do, tackle & pin them on the ground if necessary. Just make sure that sugar gets into their body in any way possible. Your diabetic will forgive you later. Haha! I promise

Some diabetics, who have been on insulin forever and a day, exhibit hypoglycemia unawareness. This is the inability to realize when they are having a low bs. This typically happens to me when I’m sleeping and well, duh, of course I am unaware. I’m dreaming of forests and cupcakes. However, unawareness is caused by having repeated low bs episodes. Repeated lows impair the body’s ability to secrete those stress hormones (ie: adrenanlin). Boo! Hey, the body can only do so much. A diabetic’s bod is tortured every day, give it a break. Haha

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Well, I hope this gives you a little insight into low bs’s. If I don’t laugh about my episodes, I’ll cry. Anyone who knows me knows I’d rather laugh. No one is perfect, especially Type 1 diabetic’s. We can only strive to do our best and that has to be good enough

*Peace.