Tuesday, June 20, 2006

The Low

I got home a little later than usual last night. A Dr's office called at 4:55 PM to change a patient's insulin dosage. The patient is Type II, but is on insulin. She has all sorts of mental issues and can give herself the insulin, but is not competent enough to draw it up. That's my job. I draw up a week's worth at a time and leave it in the fridge for her. Since she is on nighttime insulin, I made the trek out to her house after hours to fix her insulin.

Anyway, I called Michael and told him that supper would be a little later and asked him to check Riley's sugar in a bit to make sure it wasn't going low. He checked. He wasn't low.

Once I got home, I immediately started on supper. But, when it was about half-way done, the profuse sweating and the shaking started. And, I'm not talking about Riley, I'm talking about me. Michael was talking about something that went on at work (since school is out, he puts in pools and spas during the summer). I was just sitting on the couch and looking at him and trying to grasp what he was saying. I was sweating so much that my shirt was sticking to my back. And, my hands were shaking so badly I couldn't even untie my tennis shoes.

On a whim, I got Riley's machine. My sugar was 60. Now, how did that happen? I did skip lunch yesterday, but that's not unusual for me.

I drank some soda and by the time I got done with supper I was feeling better. But, I was so worn out. I felt like I had run a marathon. I just lay on the couch for a while.

All I kept thinking was, "Is this how Riley feels every time?" I was only 60. He's been much lower than that before. He doesn't usually act tired afterwards. Is that normal or was it just me? I really felt like a limp dish rag.

I guess I just got a taste of what Riley goes through. And, it just breaks my heart.

6 comments:

Allison said...

About whether or not you got a taste of what Riley feels, I definitely think so. However, I don't want you to think that Riley somehow feels so much worse when he's lower. The thing is, diabetics are used to rapidly swinging blood sugars. You are not. I know hypoglycemics who get very shaky, crabby and woozy and their blood sugars are in the 60s and 70s, and they never (or rarely) top 125 mg/dl. But we, on a regular basis, swing between 50 and 350, so I think most of us have been desensitized to any real significant awareness of a drop. We obviously feel it, but I think it's stronger in a non-diabetic when they go "low" because it's so rare.

Limp dish rag is a pretty accurate description... I suppose you do know how it feels. And it does suck. I'm sorry you had to go low. It's fun for nobody.

Shannon said...

Wow, 60 is pretty low. I can't imagine what the full effect is for a diabetic when they're affected by a low.

Jamie said...

Wow - I've often wondered what it was like when Danielle went low .... all I know is that it's not good, but I really don't know what it's like.

BTW Allison - my kid loves your dancing kitty LOL.

George said...

I agree with the dancing kitty. I don't feel much at 60 anymore but that is definately what I feel when I am low.

Scott K. Johnson said...

I think for me it depends on ... stuff (I guess). Sometimes I feel real bad, other times, not so much.

I almost always get the tired thing afterwards - really hard to function for a while.

I wonder why you got low though?

Penny Ratzlaff said...

I don't know, Scott. It hasn't happened again. Stress maybe? I really don't know.