Low Blood Sugar Haze, With Coffee And Lemonade.

Lows are sneaky. YES, I always keep juice boxes/glucose tabs by my bed. 
Sometimes I run out of juice boxes. This would be one of those times.
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I woke up in the middle of the night a few weeks back with a "LOW, low."

Bolted upright; stumbled out of bed, through the hallway and into the kitchen. 

I immediately flipped on the light and turned on the coffee maker ( I always pre-fill both the coffee filter and water the night before,) because in my low blood sugar haze, 
I thought it was time to get up — which it was - at least as far as diabetes was concerned.

Then straight to the fridge. Open door, grab/open lemonade, gulping it down and crazy fast. Acutely aware of the desperate “glug, glug, glug, glug," that only those of us who have tried to raise a low bg quick and by drinking juice lightening fast, understand. 

BRAIN FREEZE from drinking cold lemonade too fast. 

Pour more into a 4 ounce glass from my cupboard, filling and draining twice.

“EAT 15, WAIT 15, EAT 15 WAIT 15,” plays on repeat in my head. 

The glucose meter flashes the number 52 on the screen. 

And that would be the exact moment when I smelled coffee and heard a faint hiss. 
OK, more like an extended drip. 

The coffee maker was indeed making coffee. 

I shook my head, turnoff hissing coffee maker, and wonder out loud if I’d have to toss the grounds. 

Maybe I could just… you know… turn it back on in a few hours... starting it right back up and where it left off. 

Like I do when my blood sugar drops. I stop and put "Kelly in real time" on pause, stop what I’m doing and treat… until I can switch back on… hopefully within few minutes later and right where I’d left off. 

Sitting on my kitchen bar-stool, I glare at my coffee maker and snarl: WELL THAT WAS A WEIRD NEW MOVE. 

And that "weird new move," really fucking bothered me.

It bothered me that I’d thought it was morning — which of course.. it technically it was — and it bugged the hell out of me that I thought it was 6:40 in the morning when it was actually 
4 am.

Sidebar: I can see the street lamp from my bedroom window when I get out of bed at night - I'm thinking that might have added to the whole, "me thinking it was morning," thing. 

It bothered me that I’d just wasted 3 tablespoons of Starbucks Breakfast Blend - that shit’s not cheap. 

It bothered me that I had a 9 a.m. breakfast meeting and needed to be at my best and would most likely be dealing with a low blood sugar hangover when my alarm went off in a few hours. 

The whole thing bothered me. I live by myself - I'm my go-to person for low blood sugars.  
I don't wear a CGM. 
  

I kept staring at the coffee maker until I thought I'd burn a hole through it. 

20 minutes later and starting to feeling human again. Blood sugar is 65. 
Heading in the right direction and feeling better. I grab the bottle of lemonade off the counter, taking one last, long, gulp. 
Put the cap back on tight (but still allowing for quick access,) and take meter and lemonade back to my room. 

I stretch out on my bed, turning over on my right side and place the bottle carefully on the floor. I run my left arm over the side of and reach my arm out into the dark - my hand brushes the neck of the bottle. 

I let out a sigh. If needed, safety is within arms reach and at my fingertips.

15 minutes and one last check. #Bgnow 82.

I don't remember falling asleep.

But I do remember waking up. It sucked. 

6:40 a.m. The church bell sounding alarm on my iPhone blares.
I hit mute and spy the bottle of lemonade on the floor... next to my bed... exactly where I’d left it. 

Back in the kitchen, flip open the top the coffee maker and stare down the filter. 

Yeah, there was no way I could “just turn it back on.” 

Dump the contents and start from scratch and adding a much needed extra cup. 

While it's brewing I check - blood sugar is 224. 
I give myself a combo correction/extended coffee bolus and utter: That number could have been worse. 
And in the quiet part of my brain I share with no one - I whisper internally: Actually, the whole thing could have been worse. 

I run my hands through my hair and spend a few minutes thinking about CGMs, while waiting for the coffee maker to do its thing. 

I make a cup of coffee and it is gone in 3 gulps. 
I pour another and head towards the shower. 

I arrive at my 9 a.m. breakfast on-time. I am my charming self. 

No Joke: I FUCKING SPARKLED. 

Because that’s what people with diabetes do — we fucking sparkle through the muck- we do our best and we make it look easy — most of the time and even when it isn’t.

Because we are tenacious, we are tired, and we don’t have a choice.

And at the end of that long day, I go to bed early because I need to sleep.  

What I Learned About Afrezza

At the end of April, I attended a meeting with Mannkind, the company who manufactures the inhaled insulin, Afrezza, with a small group of Diabetes Advocates and .Orgs at their HQ in Danbury, Connecticut. There we had the opportunity to meet with senior members of the company, including engineers and scientists and discuss Afrezza and Social Media.

I went in not knowing much about Afrezza, but was curious to learn all I could. 

I have friends (both on the pump and MDI,) who are fiercely loyal to Afrezza and I’d tried it once with positive results - more on that later. 

I went in with an open mind and hoping for another diabetes option for us.

Here’s what I found out. 

#######

Afrezza is a crystallized, inhaled, powdered form of Regular insulin that works quickly via the lungs and the bloodstream and is used for mealtime dosing.

Afrezza works fast - as in wicked fast. As in it starts working in 3 to 7 minutes, reaches its peak in 30 minutes, and out of your system within 1 to 2 hours. 

Basically, the short time in the system helps to prevent low blood sugar hangovers - my words, not Afrezza’s. 

Other short acting insulins (Apidra Novolog, Humalog), take 20 plus minutes before they start to kick in.

WHY? Because being injected through skin has a slower turnaround time than inhaling.

Injectable insulins peak in 2 hours and exit the body somewhere between 4 and 7 hours.

As far as the Billing Code, Afrezza uses the same billing code as an insulin pump - so check your Durable Medical Equipment clauses in your insurance policy. 

FYI: Exercise activates Afrezza.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials for Afrezza have shown no evidence of long term lung 

damage to patients. Our group was told that the reason why people have lung tests be
fore starting Afrezza is to rule out any unknown/underlying lung issues like COPD. 

Bitch Lows and preventing them 
Afrezza has been shown to reduce severe hypos by more than 30%. THAT"S BIG.

Dosing: Afrezza inhalable insulins are currently available in packs of 4, 8,12. 
Afrezza’s unit amounts differ from injectable insulin units -HealthCare Pro's help 
with the learning curve.

Friends who use Afrezza say it wasn’t difficult to get with the Afrezza program.

User Breakdown

Afrezza users are evenly divided into type1s - some of whom combine Afrezza with 

using their insulin pump. Using their pump for basal rates/correction boluses and 
dosing Afrezza for meals.  

The other 50% are type 2s.
Some users on both sides of the diabetes fence have experienced weight loss. 

Sidebar: There is currently no info re: LADA1.5 users at this time.

Is there a Patient Assistance Program? 

YEP. Go to Mannkind Cares Start Out Program and here's the link to the Patient Savings Card. https://www.activatethecard.com/afrezza7354/#

My Own Experience with Afrezza

My one experience with Afrezza was 3 years ago and it was a positive one. 

I was attending the Diabetes UnConference in Atlantic City and was out with some Diabetes Online Community friends who came to town early the night before the conference began. 

After copious amounts of Crab Nachos and bolusing multiple times - I could tell something was wrong. My numbers kept going up - even with an increased temporary basal rate of 40%. 
It turned out that my Medtronic infusion site had crapped out.

I had another infusion set with me, but low and behold that new site didn’t work either.

Yep, I was screwed. My blood sugar was well over 300 and I felt it.

I had two choices: Go back to the hotel a few miles down the boardwalk and change out my site, or take my friend M’s advice and try his 4 unit Afrezza and inhaler.  

I went with the Afrezza, inhaled, and 2.5 hours later (plus 1/4 of a turkey club,) my blood sugar was 167 - and I was happy.  

Closing Thoughts

I was impressed with what I learned about Afrezza, and while I don't want to give up my Omnipod, I would consider using Afrezza with my Omnipod therapy - and I'm going to discuss that with my Endo at my next appointment.

Also: Your diabetes is different from mine and collectively, people with diabetes need as many viable and beneficial diabetes options on the table as we can get!
Afrezza is an option. 

Disclosure – My expenses including travel, food, and lodging were covered by Mannkind,  and I was paid an honorarium - which I appreciated. 

With that being said, all thoughts are my own and I was not asked to write about Afrezza - but I did because I wanted to share what I learned with you - and now you know ~ 

Diabetes & A 49 Blood Sugar That Sneaks Up Like A Bitch Ninja

It was a morning of trying to plow through, 
taking notes for an article I'm working on, two deadlines looming on the calendar, and doing my best to stop the Graham Cassidy insanity from happening. 
Focusing on getting shit accomplished. 
And out of nowhere, I suddenly felt shaky and tingly all rolled into one. 
I was sweaty and hungry and I didn't feel so steady on my feet. 
Diabetes had snuck up on me like a bitch Ninja and I was dropping fast. 
Status: Threat level Hot Mess, with a blood sugar of 49. 
I grabbed a juice-box, sucked it down, and immediately sucked down a second.
10 minutes went by and I ate 7 Swedish fish from the movie size box in my computer bag. 
The box of Swedish Fish I bought for 99 cents and on sale last week - and I don't even know why I'm mentioning that, but I am. 
Sidebar: Swedish Fish are now much smaller than they used to be. WEIRD. 
5 minutes earlier I was sitting at my computer and everything was fine.

Now? Not so much. 
I did my best not to overeat - easier said then done.
I watched the clock and tried my best to wait before treating again.   
20 minutes later my blood sugar was 95 and I let out a deep breath.
I fiddled with the InstaMessage App for a few, (see above pic,) and 15 minutes later I checked my blood sugar again. 
I was 142. 
A small correction bolus was given - what had gone dangerously low, was now on its way towards the cheap seats. 
Current Status: Blood sugar is172 with 1 unit of IOB. 
Pod PDM suggests I give myself a 0.30 correction. 
For now I'm holding off. 
Back to work - but a quick blog post because this is life with diabetes - and I continue to plow through. 

Sometimes My Body Screams Like A Wild Howler Monkey For Carbs

I listened to my body, and at that moment my body was screaming like a wild Howler monkey for carbs!

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The other night I wanted to make a low carb Italian chicken dinner (consisting of grilled chicken, red sauce an mozzarella, sitting on top a big, fat, delicious salad. 
I wasn't necessarily trying to eat low carb, I was just craving chicken, cheesy, red sauce and big salad goodness! 

But I didn’t give into my cravings because my body had other ideas. 

My blood sugar had been running on the lower side of normal for most of the day.
Not super low, but low enough to require  lower temporary basal rate, blood sugars in the 90s and grazing throughout the day. And when it came time to make my dinner, my blood sugar was 74. 

Clearly this chick needed some carbs as substanence  - and the thought of dealing with more lows after dinner wasn’t appealing.
Grilled Swiss cheese on a big slice of Jewish rye and with a side of broccoli it was - and I was OK with that. 
Sidebar: Who the hell isn't Ok with grilled cheese? 

Grilled cheese was a quick and delicious solution. I was hungry and bordering on hangry, and the grilled Italian chicken breast salad would have to wait for a more solid blood sugar day.

Diabetes requires us to go with the flow, be diligent and continually make split second decisions. 

Some are easy, some not - but we do it, because we have to.

Yes indeed, I I enjoyed my grilled cheese sammi and broccoli.

I didn’t spike, and my blood sugar was 160 before bed. 

I corrected even though my gut and the days blood sugars were telling me not to, and I ended up sucking down a juice box at 4am. 

SIGH. 

The next few days were juice box free and I finally made me delicious low carb grilled Italian chicken salad. 

Yep, going with the flow... embracing my inner howler monkey calling for carbs... not to mention the juice box on my nightstand~  

Diabetes: 3 Nights Of Bitch Lows In A Row

Because when multiple nights of middle of the night Blood sugar bitch lows happen - 
and I am reminded once again that diabetes is indeed a fickle bitch and being prepared isn't just for boy scouts. 
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There were three nights in a row last week when severe lows had me sleeping with, and drinking from a 48 ounce bottle of Apple and Eve’s Apple juice by my bed.
I was out of juice boxes and after stumbling to the kitchen the first night, I improvised and made sure I was prepared. 
3 nights of sweat stained sheets sans the kind of fun I would prefer when it comes to sweating between the sheets. 
3 nights of thinking WTF. 
Three nights of doing my best to breathe deep, and remain calm. 
3 nights of consistently lowering temp basal rates.
1 night of thinking that my blood sugar might not actually ever come up.
3 morning where morning came to quickly and not quick enough and all rolled into one.
3 mornings where coffee was key. 
1 morning of waking up with a crazy high rebound, 2 mornings of waking up to textbook blood sugars and being surprised.
2 mornings waking with the meter next to my head.
1 morning of looking down and seeing my meter sticking out from under my bed.

On the fourth night everything was fine and the crazy lows left.
Still, I slept with a bottle juice by my bed for the rest of the week - because it made me feel better. 
3 nights of lows in a row doesn’t happen to me often, but when it does... it does... and reminds me that I always have to make sure I'm covered. 
There’s the less than pleasant bottle of orange glucose tabs in my driver side car door holder (I don’t know the technical motor-head name for it, but I’m calling it a car door holder,) that stays there in case I run out of my preferred Tropical Fruit, glucose stash I keep in my second car cup holder. 
There are those moments when I see movie size SweeTarts or Mike&Ike's on sale and buy them - hoping that I won’t need them to treat a low, but always relieved when I find them in the pantry during one. 
My suitcase always has a ziplock back filled with 3 infusion sets and 3 reservoirs, and my travel toiletry case always has an extra box of test strips and lancets - just in case something happens to my carry-on traveling pharmacy of diabetes supplies. 

I make sure I know where the gift shop and vending machines are in every hotel I stay in - and I boy a bottle juice for my the night stand in my hotel room - just in case. 

Same goes for always carrying a spare infusion set and KIND bar in my handbag  - because you never know. 

We make adaptions to our world when it comes to living with diabetes and being prepared.
Being prepared helps us to be independent, it it seems like it’s second nature and it makes us feel safe - until a crazy low (or a stubborn high,) leaves us sweating and scared. 
Waiting those 15 minutes for 15 carbs to kick in seems like the longest 15 minutes in the world because they are. 
But we do it - and we keep plowing through life and we get back up after the lows and the highs because we are resilient.   

We take the Boy’s Scouts motto to heart and make it our own - and we do our best to be prepared - and we keep praying that we will continue to get back on and plow through. 

Tonight I'll buy a couple of 48 ounce bottles of juice, a pack of juice-boxes, and a couple of bottles of glucose tabs, because I’m going away on Thursday and won’t be back until Sunday and don’t want to come home to a fridge without juice, a pantry with out juice-boxes, and a nightstand or carry-on sans glucose tabs. 

What about you? 

Orange Glucose Tabs

For some reason when it comes to Orange Glucose Tabs - I'm just not that into them. Nope, I’m more of a Cherry, Mixed Berries or Tropical Fruit glucose tab, kind of gal. 
FTR, I’ve never actually tried Grape or Green Apple flavored glucose tabs, but I think I could deal with the Green Apple. 
With that being said, I have two opened bottles of Orange Glucose Tabs (one in my car and one on my nightstand,)  and I'm not about to waste them. 
The other day before I left the the parking garage, I did what I always do before driving, and checked my blood sugar. I was 93  - with 1.10 units of active insulin. 
So I did what I had to do and ate 4 glucose tabs immediately, washed them down with 1/2 a 20 ounce sports bottle filled with water, thought happy thoughts and stuck the key in my ignition. 
An hour and a half later I pulled into my driveway with a blood sugar of 140 - and all was right in my world.
In the past, I’ve treated my lows with things that I have truly detested, because that’s all I had on hand. I’ve treated with spoonfuls of both pure molasses and rice syrup - fine for cooking, gross IMO, for eating raw. 
I’ve forced disgusting jelly filled cardboard cookies down my throat,  because at the time I was dropping fast and they were right in front of me at the dessert table. 
And once back in college when my friend and I visited her grandmother, I treated a low blood sugar with prune juice, because that’s the only juice that was in the fridge at the time. 
That was.... interesting. 

In the grand scheme of things, Orange Glucose Tabs are not a problem or a deal breaker. They are a solution to a potential low blood sugar or treating an actual low blood sugar - and I am a lucky duck, indeed. 

Of Weekend Work-Outs, Beautiful Weather & Mostly 'Bitchin' Blood Sugars~

Because this weekend I worked out both days and outside - and it was incredible. 
The weather was amazing and yep I'll say it, it was exhilarating. 
I didn't do a hardcare, kick-my-ass-to-the-curb, workout - One 3 mile mile walk yesterday and a 3.3 mile today. 

Temperatures felt more like late October than December - until the sun started going down, then there was no doubt that it was December. 
And those workouts contributed to the best multi-day blood sugars in... well,.. I don't know, because I'm not quite sure, but like a while. WHATEVER.

And now yours truly is ready to go to bed because fresh air + working out = sleepy time. 

But because of DIABETES throwing a bitchswitch, and even with my insulin pump's temporary basal rate reduced by half for most of the afternoon and all of this evening, my blood sugar is now 80 with 1.10 units on board. 

But Im not going to stress - I'm going to do.  
I'm going to knock back the rest of my juice, then eat a cheese stick, wait for my numbers to go up, and hit the sack. 
And I'm going to be thankful because I don't feel like being in bitch mode.
I don't feel like getting mad or frustrated - I'm not in the mood. 
 Today was a good day and I'm thankful for the beautiful weekend; the workouts, the sights and the mostly bitchin blood sugars. 

Bitch Low: The Aftermath

Tuesday night around 6:40ish I crawled into my bed because I felt like I’d just been run over by a truck. 

I was exhausted and tired and if I could have gone to bed for the rest of the night right then and there, I would have. Of course I couldn’t, because who the hell goes to bed at 20 minutes to seven? Not this girl! 

I curled up under the covers, closed my eyes, tried to chill and thought about the “why.”  

1.5 hours earlier, while on the phone, I had what I can only describe as a Bitch Low. 

One of those lows that literally comes out of nowhere, beats you up and leaves you feeling like you’ve been physically and mentally beat up in its wake.

As the person on the other end of the phone talked, the familiar feeling in the pit of my stomach that strikes me just as my blood sugar plummets, made itself known and I started to sweat. 

I looked around for something quiet to eat, because I didn’t want chew and crunch into the phone. 

I should have just ended the phone call, but I didn’t. 

OK, I refused to end the call. I didn’t want diabetes or the Bitch Low to win. 

I spied glucose tabs in my handbag, but they were too crunchy. 

Right next to the glucose tabs were three fun size, 3 Musketeers bars in a ziplock bag. 

Fluffy, chocolately and 3  bars equaled 34 carbs. Yep, I could work with that.    

I wolfed each bar in less than 3 bites, poured myself a few shots of juice and watched the minutes tick by, and all while doing my damnedest to participate in the phone conversation.  

Finally I said something like,"Well, I’ll let you go....,"  and ended the call. 

Then I made a beeline for the kitchen and downed two tablespoons of honey, followed by vanilla almond milk. 

 I was eating like there was no tomorrow because even though I didn’t check my blood sugar, I knew it was a really low one.

20 minutes later my blood sugar was 90 and still felt wobbly. Cut to an hour later when my blood sugar was 138 and I was wiped out.  

I’d had plans of making a good dinner, but the thought of actually doing anything was no longer appealing -  and I wasn’t hungry. 

Bitch Lows don’t happen to me very often and I’m incredibly grateful for that, because I hate them. I hate how drained I feel after. And I'm glad this one occurred at home.  
And while it knocked me down, it hadn't knocked me out. 

I was beginning to drift off, when my phone rang a little after 7. 

I was still feeling spacey and tired but I was happy to see a familiar name flash on the screen, so I picked up and said hello. 

My blood sugar was holding study at 143 and whileI was still a little rough for the wear, I'd won this round. 

Diabetes Bitch: 2

Bitch Low: 1

Diabetesalicious Lite: Some Stuff Not Related To My Low Blood Sugar Hangover, Edition.

Currently dealing with a low blood sugar hangover that occurred this morning at 4:30 a.m and resulted in a 7 a.m. 297 blood sugar. 

I'm not going to focus too much on it because I just don't feel like it. 

I have a lot of work to do, holiday or not - and what went up, did indeed go down - even if it took all freaking morning and took up way to much of my brain's bandwidth. 

Instead, I'm focusing on some cool links of the Diabetesalicious Lite variety~ 

Are you looking for gluten free candy and carb counts? 
If so, check out THIS POST over at Children With Diabetes  - It's a list of gluten free candy/carb count - AWESOME. 

Do you know who Diabetes Canine Shero Marjorie is?? Click HERE and find out - And get your cool Marjorie shirt while you can! All sales of the shirt benefit The Diabetes Media Foundaton. 

On October 16th 4pm, EST my first friend with diabetes, Joe Soloweijcyk's being being interviewed over at tudiabetes.org about his amazing book, "A Type 1 Diabetes Guide To The Universe."  

I've read the book and it's awesome, as is Joe.  So tune in, you'll be glad you did. 

And download the book, already! 

Speaking of tudiabetes.org and things that occur in October, October 20th is the kickoff of the #bigbluetest! 

between October 20th and November 20th, 

The #bigbluetest is EASY. All you need to do is: 

1. If you have diabetes you test their blood sugar (no diabetes? no testing!)
2. You exercise for at least 14-20 minutes.
3. You test your blood sugar again (again, only if you're a PWD)
4. You share their experience on BigBlueTest.org or through the app for iPhone or Android.
5. It's super easy, it's free, and it helps you and others living with diabetes! 
6. And here's the kicker: For every result that's shared, The Diabetes Hands Foundation will grant 1$ in support of people with diabetes, globally. READ more about #thebigbluetest, HERE. 

Some Non Diabetes related links: 

Here's a list (courtesy of Mashable,) of 18 products versions that cost more, simply because they are made for women. Bullshit Factor, threat level: INFINITY.

My niece Cristin's show, "A to Z" premiered a few weeks ago on NBC and it's AWESOME. 

If you haven't watched it, you need to. It's on every Thursday on NBC, at 9:30, EST. 

I'm incredibly proud of Cristin and I think the show is really smart and funny, much like my niece! 

And I love that for the past 7 years I've been able to share Cristin's success with The Diabetes Online Community. Seriously, it makes me smile - And I love to smile, smiling's my favorite! 

Diabetes Creativity: Mason Jar "Juice Boxes."

I had to share because this made tickled pink! Or in this case, pickled cranberry.
Not really, but you know I mean. And it also reminded me of something my mom would do for my t1 dad. She always packed him a cooler of food for the car when he was on the road (he was a Sales Rep,) and she always placed 2 little glass jars (emptied and dishwasher rinsed mayo or peanut butter jars) of OJ in there for my dad, just in case he needed juice. This was in the 1970s/1980s, before plastic jars and pre juice box days. 
Turns out, my mom was on to something.  :) 
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Mason Jar Juice Boxes

I realized last night at 11:55 pm that yours truly was out of juice boxes and I always like to keep one by my bedside.... just in case. 
I was annoyed with myself, until I remember that I had some 6 oz Mason/Ball Jars in my pantry. I keep them on hand for delicious breakfast smoothie overflow - I always seem to make more delicious breakfast smoothie than I need and I hate to waste it. 
The mason jars keep the smoothie tasting yummy  and I find that the glass chills the leftover smoothie in the fridge quite nicely without screwing up the texture. 
But, I digress. 
I embraced my inner crafty chick (OK not really, I just filled up 2 jars with cranberry juice) and made my own. 
I left one on my bed stand (I didn't need it,) and the lid of course kept the juice right where it was supposed to be, in the jar. I put the jar back in the fridge this morning and it's still good to go. 

Diabetes creativity in a pinch: Kelly: 1 Diabetes 0. 
:) 

Of Juice Box Lows & Being A Grown-Up

I was food shopping  - Something I don’t aways love to do, but ALWAYS make sure I do none the less. 
I walked down the “JUICE” aisle  as I popped some glucose tabs and saw that the Apple and Eve Fruit Punch juice boxes were on sale. 
You know, the ones with the cute little Elmo on the front of the box? 
They’re my favorite and I was hungry (more than hungry, I was starting to get that low feeling in my belly,) so I grabbed two eight packs, stuck them in the cart’s kiddie seat and immediately started ripping open the packaging. 
Stocking up for the first day of school?” Said a mom who was making her way towards me from the opposite end of the aisle.
'Not really,' I said as I tore the wrapping off the tiny straw and pierced open a juice box. They’re for me. 
Mom: Ohhhhh.... Well, we’re all big kids at heart.
I took a huge gulp and said: Yep, I totally am. Alsi: these juice boxes are the perfect size to treat a low blood sugar like the one I’m having now.
She gave a look like I had three heads and I continued walking down the aisle... slowly, but at the same time hurried and deliberately like - And I sucked down my juice box dry in record time. Then I lanced another Juice box and sucked that one down.
I didn’t want to have a conversation or go into greater detail or make small talk.
I wanted to keep going so I could get back to the business of feeling normal.  

The end of the Juice aisle ran smack dab into the Store Pharmacy, and that would be precisely where I stayed for the next 10 minutes while I waited for normal to begin again. 

Normal did return, the hanger subsided and I got back to the business of filling my cart.

Diabetes At The Car Dealership~

I sat there and tested my blood sugar twice - 90 and 74, but I knew I was lower. 

Much lower. Like “shaky hands” type of low.  

I’d already downed my last 5 glucose tabs and quickly unwrapped the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups I'd just purchased from a vending machine. I popped the first and then the second peanut butter cup  in my mouth in quick succession, sat back in my seat and reminded myself that:
1. I had also purchased a snack pack of NutterButter's from said vending machine - Just in case 
2.  I should relax and breathe breathing deep. 
I always feel vulnerable when I get a low blood sugar, especially alone, be it in public or private. 

“Are you having that shaky feeling?” Said the woman sitting across from me.
Me: Yes, I am. 
Lady: I hate that feeling.
Me: Me, too. 
Lady: I’m type 2 and on Victoza - T2 runs in my family. 
Me: I’m t1 and that runs in my family. I’m on an insulin pump.
Lady: My dad ended up on insulin, my sister has t2 as well. You’re on an insulin pump.
OK,  so does that mean you were diagnosed when you were little? 
I hate diabetes. I hate that everybody judges me for having T2. All the magazines and news people say”Just cut back on sugary foods and drop the weight and you’ll be fine. I’m not overweight and I don’t eat much sugar. 
Me: My sisters have t1, too - So did my dad. And yes, I was 8 when I was diagnosed.  
It drives me crazy when the media blames the people with diabetes for their diabetes. 
It drives me crazy when anyone does. Correct them, tell them it’s not your fault, you didn’t do anything wrong. Obviously, there’s huge genetics coming into play.

Lady: I know, but as soon as people find out I have t2, everyone thinks it’s my fault. 

And in that very second I wanted to get up hug her, but I was still feeling a bit wobbly. 
Unfortunately, I’d been at the car dealership for 2.5  hours (more on that in another post,) and my insurance company was taking forever to fax the 'proof of insurance coverage’ paperwork back to the dealership. 
I was trying to stay calm, but I was mad at myself for switching handbags and not bringing enough to eat.  Total rookie move on my part - As was forgetting my E-Z Pass for the ride home. 

But back to the lady with t2. She started talking about her Honda and I smiled politely as I waited for the low feeling to go away. 

I felt better and was just about to jump in the conversation full swing when my Sales Rep found me and told me that my paperwork had come through. 
I thanked him, got up and went over to the lady and said: Good luck with your car. 
Lady: You, too - Enjoy your new wheels!
Me: Here’s my card, email me if you want. There’s a lot of people online with diabetes - And we help one another - It’s called the Diabetes Online Community and I can send you some great blog/community links. You’re not the only one  - There’s a whole bunch of us out there. And keep up the good work - You’re doing a great job!
Lady: Thanks, I will. I’m really glad we started talking. 
Me: Yep, me too. 

And then it was time to drive my new -to-me car home the 20 miles home. 
I tested my blood sugar before I put the key in the ignition and was 146. 

I felt good and slightly nervous, but I felt good. 
A new car and a new chapter in my life. 

And a Diabetes In the Wild encounter when I was feeling at my most vulnerable & alone. 

Yep, it was good day, indeed!

Of Type #3 Friends And A Diabetes Game Plan Re: Extreme Low & High Blood Sugars

My friends know I have type 1 diabetes & they've always been both proactive and interested in what they can do re: my diabetes. They understand the difference and causes of both a low and a high blood sugar & they've been with me during both.  
Still, sometimes I forget that my diabetes isn't just about me. 
I forget that my friend(s) worry about their FWD (friend with Diabetes) and they want to help and be there for me. 
In order to do that, it's crucial to have a D game plan in place in the event I was actually unable to tell them what to do. 
I hope to God it never comes to that - And so do they. 
 But with that being said, we still need to have a game plan - And so do you~  
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Over the holiday weekend, my friend (who, for the rest of this post shall be referred to as T,) and I went out to get our first official cone of the summer. 

There's something about a small vanilla soft-serve ice-cream served in a plain cone the does for it me. I love how sweet it tastes and I love how the plain cone eventually gets drenched with the vanilla in every crevice and fiber of the cone  - Seriously, I could wax poetic about soft-serve vanilla on a plain cone for hours - But I digress & back to the story.

T and I battled the tourists and took our cones outside to sit at one of the tables outside the ice cream shop and caught up on life.

I forget exactly what we were talking about when all of sudden T said: 

What should I do if you were to pass out right now - besides of course calling 9-1-1? 

And how would I know if it was due to a low or a high blood sugar? 

I mean should I test your blood sugar while you're passed out?  I know how to do that because I did that for my mom.

And if it was because of a low, should I put that gel/icing stuff in your mouth - I could keep some in my car.

Seriously Kel, I need to know what to do. 

And in that second I was reminded that my diabetes affects my friends and family - That they worry more than I realize - Even when I think I’m not giving them a reason to.
My diabetes, good or bad, isn't just about me. 

And I felt both grateful and guilty all rolled into one. 

Grateful because I had friends who cared about me and wanted to be there if I needed help - As well as when I don’t. 

And guilty because they worried. 

So then I was like: 

Re:passing out due to a high blood sugar/ DKA, I'd like to think if I was to pass out of because of DKA, I’d be symptomatic  before hand. 
Symptoms like fruity breath, nausea, thirst, ketones elevated blood sugars.  
I  hope it wouldn't just appear out of the blue. I mean that’s how it happened back in college when I had the flu & DKA  and I had to be admitted. 

Buuut, with that being said; if my pump tubing got disconnected and I didn't  realize that it was disconnected, DKA could happen out of the blue, like in a few hours. 
OK, If I EVER PASS OUT - CALL 9-1-1, ASAP. 

Also, re: DKA,  I'm afraid of anyone but an EMT messing with administering insulin to me, unless they know and understand insulin dosing. JUST PLEASE CALL 9-1-1.

T: I didn't know that about the pump & I remember when you had DKA in college. 

Of course she remembered it. 

T, her twin sister U, and I had been friends since the first day of freshman year at college. We'd had our typical college escapades, but they’d also helped me with my sister Debbie and they’d both come to visit me in the hospital when I was admitted with the flu and DKA our Jr. year. 
I was in intensive care and it must have been incredibly scary for them to see me all hooked up to IV's. 

Their mother had been diagnosed with type 2 in her 60’s, so they experienced life with diabetes - mine and their mom's - And it impacted them. They knew a lot more about D than most people who don't have diabetes. 

T and her sister were very versed in my telltale low blood sugar phrase of “I have to eat now,” and never questioned it. And sometimes when I didn't have to eat ASAP, they still got all Jersey with the wait staff. 

T & I discussed the possibility of passing out from low blood sugar and glucagon, which we'd never actually talked about in detail. 

I explained that even if I needed glucagon: 

A. I’d have to have the glucagon with memon my person

B. My friends would actually have to know how to prepare and administer glucagon for it actually work.

Me: Bottom line you need to call 911, ASAP! 
And if I'm passed out cold, please don't put anything in my mouth - I'm afraid of my airways being blocked and the possibility of chocking. CALL 9-1-1, ASAP and PLEASE make sure I’m breathing. And read this, this and this.

And then T said: Get your glucagon RX filled and invite all your friends over for cocktails and show us how to set it up use it!

And once again I reminded of my lucky duck, status..... And our conversation stuck with me all weekend. 

Also: I need to get a CGM .

Bottom Line: Our friends worry about us - even when all is well. And that is a beautiful thing, it really and truly is. 

I understand that nobody likes to talk about the diabetes what if's, including me. But we have to - We have to tell our friends how to handle situations that hopefully will never happen.  

Do you and your friends have a game plan in place if (God forbid,) a low or a high blood sugar renders you unconscious & or unable to fend for yourself and unable to articulate what you need them to do?  

If you don't, you need to make one and have that conversation, ASAP.

For instance, do your friends know the warning signs of DKA?  
And on the opposite end, do your friends know what to do if you should pass out from a low?
Have you discussed glucagon with them and do they know how to use it? 

Have you stressed to your friends (and by "stressing" I mean screaming at the top of your lungs) that that under no circumstances does a low blood sugar require insulin, EVER. 

You need to - Your life depends on it - So does your peace of mind - And just as importantly, their piece of mind~