Just wondering how many times in a school year you need help
with a moderate to severe low? I bolused for a regular coke and got a diet at the
drive through. I didn't realize until 1/2 way into it and thought it tasted a little weird.
Needed help from school nurse and am quite embarassed by making the mistake.
I think this may happen from time to time with any diabetic though - right?
Sooo. . .. I'm wondering what is "average" for lows and/or needing help from someone. (I was too shaky to hold the juice box) gotta love being humiliated:-)
I have gone low even during a test one time. It was terrible, I had to ask the teacher for a spoon because I had some yogurt on me but nothing to eat it with. It was a Spanish class, and I had to explain to the teacher in Spanish because she wasn't understanding my English.
Whew, speaking a foreign language during a hypo.... VERY HARD.
To answer your question... I have had many lows at school. The one I mentioned was the only significant one that resulted in embarrassment, though. Keep some glucose tabs or granola bars on you and you should be set to treat all of your lows without any setbacks. Just be careful around test time. Test 1 hour before, and test again about 15 minutes before too. Even near-lows (70s and 80s) during tests can affect your test-taking abilities.
I was about to post saying I didn't have any stories of when I'd gone low during school, but now that I come to think of it, I actually do have a couple.
Two of which were doing tests in class:
1.) During this enormous test you have to pass in order to graduate high school that assesses how well students have learned and retained the information taught to them, our supervisor called for a break. Feeling shaky, probably just from nerves, I went over to my bag to test. We, obviously, weren't aloud access to our things, especially cell phones, while the test was in progress. However, it's diabetes - so I had an excuse, right? Aw, man, it doesn't sound as bad as it was, but when I was testing, the supervisor, in front of all the other students (20-30) mind you, exclaimed "Are you texting?!" Now, I'm definatley not the most outgoing person in the world; I wouldn't argue if you said I was shy. I am horrible at talking to people (another reason why Juvenation is such a blessing - I can express myself much better in writing :) ), but sheepishly I had to answer. I corrected them, explaining I was testing, not texting. But even today my friends still laugh about "Remember that one time..." Which really I don't understand. It's not even that funny, nor that great of a story.
2.) I had a large assessment that counted for about 20% of my grades. I'd studied all day previously, but lucky me, as soon as I get to the classroom my pump has a low battery warning (not a low bg, but still another semi-funny inconvenient occurrences during school story). Usually I can get my nerve up to speak up myself when it's diabetes at risk (definitely good), so I went up and explained to the teacher what was going on. Practically ran down to the nurse's office, not wanting to miss the test or run out of time as it was so vital to my grade (my grades are vital as well to me -- with diabetes, I like the opportunity to control what I can. I've had a 4.0 GPA for 5 years in a row) -- so I tried to go quickly.
But low and behold, 20-30 minutes later, try as I might, I could not get the top off where the battery goes in! I have a Paradigm 722 insulin pump, and usually the infusion set guard (that unclips when you insert it to the infusion set) can double exactly for this purpose. But, no, of course it couldn't work in a timely manner. By the time I was done with it, the plastic was completely mutilated. I had the nurse lock my pump up in the cupboard as I didn't want the annoying alarms going off during the class. Raced back to class, took the test... did pretty well, actually. And the good news was I eventually got the cap off :)
Now, back on topic. Sorry for the story tirade :) I don't usually go low during classes; maybe 1-3 times a week on a bad day. But I've tried especially hard not to when my teacher one year said "I can't have you going low in my class..." But that's another, completely irritating, embarrassing, and slightly degrading (of their comment) story :)
Hope this helped, although I expect not. At the very least I hope it entertained you all for at least a couple minutes.
Considering that I have been able to walk fine (fine in that I'm not collapsed to the floor but def, shaky) when my BS is at the 20s (in mg/dL) I have never had to ask anyone for help. HOWEVER, I did have a scare once. I had eaten lunch a couple of hours beforehand and was thirsty again (which was not a surprise), so I took out 65 cents and walked quite some distance to get to the physics bldg since that's the only vending machine where they had cans. Anyway, i drank my diet coke walked back to another science building and felt weak. I tested myself and was in the mid 30s so I checked my bookbag... i left my emergency candies, and some extra money I was going to put in my wallet that morning, at home! I panicked and just starting walking at a quick pace... which was very stupid of me, but I couldn't think straight. Then, for some reason I headed all the way to the physics building again as if hoping that something would happen, but I kept feeling worse (and I STILL kept walking, I know right? I wonder what my BS was like then?). I was actually afraid something serious was going to happen, I don't carry a medical ID tag with me, there was nobody in sight, and my mind didn't put two-and-two together that being low + walking = no good... I did what I had not done before and placed my hands in my back pockets... and I had two bucks!!!! I went bought myself sweets and was sooo relieved!!!!!!!! For the first time ever being a lazy bumb who wore the same pair of jeans about two days in a row, probably saved me a trip to the hospital. I learned my lesson very well that day. It was horrible and would never want that to happen to anyone. and trust me when I say that it was much worse than it sounds like written!
However, don't feel embarrased if you have to go to the nurse. It's better to seek help before it's too late!
I have gone low even during a test one time. It was terrible, I had to ask the teacher for a spoon because I had some yogurt on me but nothing to eat it with. It was a Spanish class, and I had to explain to the teacher in Spanish because she wasn't understanding my English.
Whew, speaking a foreign language during a hypo.... VERY HARD.
To answer your question... I have had many lows at school. The one I mentioned was the only significant one that resulted in embarrassment, though. Keep some glucose tabs or granola bars on you and you should be set to treat all of your lows without any setbacks. Just be careful around test time. Test 1 hour before, and test again about 15 minutes before too. Even near-lows (70s and 80s) during tests can affect your test-taking abilities.
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same thing happened to me, but i was at the local deaf center for my ASL class last semester. the thing is most the people there can't read your lips. i was on my way to my car and was about to leave when i started to feel shaky. i was like there is no way im leaving this building until my bloodsugar is up. so i went back into the center and walked up to the lady at the front desk and in my jumbled state of mind asked her where the candy machine was. im so glad that she could tell what i was asking cause i signed it like three times because i felt like i was about to fall over. i got the candy i needed and went back into the room i left and the man that was in charge of the activity i was participating in was like why are you back? and i signed i needed sugar and he signed back are you diabetic? and i signed back yeah. needless to say i am so glad i didnt leave the building until my blood sugar had risen. as it turns out my glucose was 45. if i had gotten in the car and driven away who knows what could have happened.
In High School I dropped every few days, never so low that I had major issues. Except one time during an econ test when I just dropped completely. My teacher realized it near the end of class, herself being a diabetic too. It took her and my freshman English teacher to get me to the nurse for testing and a snack. I was really embarassed as it involved stairs and people in the hallway. Thankfully I had a chance to retake the test. But that was horrible.
It is bad enough sometimes if you really think about the disease, but when you lose control so much that you need help, it is a humbling experience.
Ah, the humiliation of low blood sugars at school. I will say, however, that it also lets you know what people really do care about you, even when you didn't think they did.
Way back in grade school, there was this guy I knew who was always 'grungy', for lack of a better word. Of course, I was always a straight-laced nerd, so 'grungy' is really a relative term. Listened to 'heavier' music, was a little crass, and more disruptive than I preferred.
Anyways, one day I ended up going really low. So low that I was having trouble seeing and couldn't get my lock open. He had his locker like right next to mine, and was nearby when he saw the trouble I was having. He asked if I was ok, and if I needed help, and I told him the combination to my locker so that I could get at my emergency snacks inside. He opened my locker for me and hung out for a bit to make sure I was ok and had my food. I don't know what I would have done without him.
So despite it being a humiliating experience and as traumatic as every severe low blood sugar is, it made me realize that there are people out there who are really awesome despite our initial opinions of them. :)
This is not so much about the lows, but about the drive-thru. I asked for a diet coke and got a regular coke. It's so frustrating because to the people working there it's an "oops" oh well. This was in the first month I was diagnosed so I was freaking out! I didn't notice it wasn't diet until I checked my BS like an hour after I ate.
This is not so much about the lows, but about the drive-thru. I asked for a diet coke and got a regular coke. It's so frustrating because to the people working there it's an "oops" oh well. This was in the first month I was diagnosed so I was freaking out! I didn't notice it wasn't diet until I checked my BS like an hour after I ate.
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I hate it when those "oops" happen. My mom has this 'Ability' to taste the difference between diet and regular. She always makes sure that it is diet. We had a real bad experience once. We were at Chili's with some of our friends.... they had given me regular instead of diet. I almost passed out of a high because i was already high and coke affects my BG allooootttt!!!!!!! I fell into DKA really fast by the next day.
After getting very used to diet, you get to the point where you're able to taste the difference. In actuality, a lot of my friends who don't drink diet coke can tell the difference, just because the flavor is different enough to be noticeable.
I might just have a taste bud problem then LOL!!! I can barely taste the difference. I prefer Diet Coke over Diet Pepsi. Now there I can taste a difference... :D
ahhh the lows in school we all love those Im sure :)
There was one time when I was in my psych class that my bs decided to drop pretty rapidly... luckily I had a friend with me in the class... Ididnt really feel like I could get up and get some sugar so I asked him if he could go to the pop machine and get me a sprite... he was all over it... He shot up and practically ran out of the room... my prof is a really sarcastic guy and so when my friend just randomly left the room ... he made comments about him and everyone was kind of snickering. ( not bad commetns just funny ones) Anywas I got my sprite and you could see the confused look on my profs face lol it was too funny... i told hime after what had happened so as to not confuse him too much. Good Friend tho... i gotta say it was nice cuz the attention wasnt on me .. but on him ..l. lol is that bad thing to think? :)
I rarely drink pop, so when I do I have no idea the difference! It's easy to tell if I have a drink of regular and then a drink of diet but if I don't have anything to compare to I always am second guessing!