I've read many posts in the DOC (diabetes online community) regarding their children experiencing lows.
You all see how they feel like crap on the outside, but I wanted to share what they are feeling on the inside through my own experiences with hypoglycemia.
Reading the posts and seeing the video from Justice's Misbehaving Pancreas blog made me both sad for him, but also MAD that these kids fighting diabetes have to endure possible lows all the time. It makes me MAD that because they are being kids, they're punished by lows. You D moms rock in your care for your children! You spend endless hours tweaking and changing insulin amounts to prevent lows. You awaken every couple hours each night to make sure that lows are not showing their ugly heads.
I understand how it feels to be in the 40's because I've been there. I've experienced them through having several glucose tolerance tests. Thankfully, my blood sugars will not drop to those levels otherwise.
Everyone experiences different symptoms and can also experience them at different levels in their blood sugars. For me, it starts with an inner shaky feeling. I can feel it start in my arms and spread throughout my body. At this time, I really need to sit down, because I start to feel faint. I'll feel flushed and clammy as it starts to drop. Then the profuse sweating starts. I'm talking sweating like I just ran a marathon. Sweat pours out of every part of my body: face, chest, back, underarms,etc... Once this happens, I feel as if I can't control my body. It's weak, shaky and sweating profusely. I then begin to cry. HYSTERICALLY! The feeling is SO awful, that I just want to do whatever I can to make it stop. I can't think clearly, I can't stand, I can't do anything but squirm, sweat and cry from the uncomfortable feeling.
Once I'm given some pop and my blood sugars start to rise again, my body will start to relax and the sweating will stop. I remain shaky for sometime, probably due to the adrenal rush with the low. A dull headache can sometimes follow. When I get home, I need to take a shower, change my clothes and take a nap. No one can fully understand what a low really takes out of you unless you experience it first hand. It feels like you just ran a race literally all day.
My son is still honeymooning (no insulin at this time) and will experience lows in the 40's without symptoms. We still cannot figure out why, but it shows that everyone is different at their threshold of "feeling" lows.
If you have anyone that takes lows lightly, please have them read this post. Feeling low is absolutely HORRIBLE! I've personally experienced it and it's NO FUN!
My heart goes out to each and every one of the kids that fight diabetes everyday! You're all fighters and WILL win this race! As for Justice, please know that we all praying with you and your family for a cure. You're a diabetic HERO! Thank you so much for sharing something that might help someone else.
Excellent post! Part of me wants to print it and show it to my son's teachers. My father-in-law, who also has diabetes, says lows are like running full speed into a brick wall.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the link love and shoutout!
ReplyDeleteI actually suffer from a form of hypoglycemia where if I go under 100 I FEEL LOW! Since I was a kid. I forgot thee name of it. Its awful.
I cant imagine with the 40s and 30s feel like. I dont think people truly understand how dangerous lows are,they hear Diabetes and think TOO MUCH SUGAR.
Great post!
It's always helpful to hear how lows make PWD feel. Bean can feel hers and she can tell me kinda how she's feeling, but a seven year can't always express what's going on inside of them. It helps me understand a bit more when I hear older PWDs tell their experiences and the more I understand the more I can be there for Bean!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Oh wow, Nikki! I didn't know you were hypoglycemic. On one hand, I absolutley wish I coud feel every symptom Ellie experiences with her T1D, but on the other hand I am so grateful I don't ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight!