I was probably 14 or 15 when it happened. I don’t really remember. I sat in the kitchen floor laughing uncontrollably. You know… the kind of giggling that makes other people start to giggle, too. My mom turned around, smiled and asked what was so funny. I said, “I’m 27.” Her face went pale and I kept laughing as she started hurling food and juice in my direction. I stopped laughing and she looked more concerned. “The room started spinning,” I said. “I didn’t think it was funny anymore.” It was scary at the moment, but now it’s one of those, “Hey, remember that time…” stories.
My blood sugar eventually came back up and all was well… except maybe for my mom’s nerves. That’s the lowest I’ve been and had it recorded. The Saturday before Christmas, I thought it might be fun to break that record. (Well, that’s not exactly how it happened.) I stood up and felt every breath escape me. I saw a flash and couldn’t feel my legs. “I’m low” was all I could muster. My youngest nephew was asleep in the recliner, and the 2-year-old was in the floor playing, fighting sleep like a champ. I went to the back bedroom to get my meter. Forty-nine. I checked my pump an saw 8.5 units still on board. Oh, this was about to get interesting.
I swiped a kid-sized Yoo-hoo and a tube of my dad’s glucose tablets. After both were bare, I felt even lower. It wasn’t a normal low; it was intense. I told my mom where my glucagon was and said to take the Lacey out of the room if I had a seizure. I didn’t want to scare her or even worse, make her afraid of me. That’s when my mom went to wake up my dad.
I moved to the back room and sat in the floor while my dad sat next to me. I told him I thought I was about to have a seizure. I could feel it. He made me test again and that’s when I saw “26” staring back. Before me lay a second Yoo-hoo, a Capri Sun, the canister of sugar, peanut butter and a spoon. I pulled out the glucagon and drew it up. I waited for a second, hoping I was wrong about my feelings. The light in the room flickered twice. It reminded me of those cartoons when someone gets hit over the head with a bat and they see stars flashing for a moment. I looked up at my dad who understood the fear in my expression. He said, “do it” and I put the syringe in my leg, dosing half the glucagon. I sat the remaining aside so dad would have it if the first half didn’t work.
I kept up my end of the deal and continued to eat peanut butter. Ten minutes later, I was 72. My dad smiled and we made a bet about how high I’d be by morning. Five hours later, I was only 192. I went back to sleep without a bolus and woke up around 7:30 at 284. I bolused and came right back down to 102. Surprisingly, I didn’t have a headache or feel terribly bad. The hang-low-ver was minimal.
It’s the first time I’ve ever had glucagon without being unconscious. (I learned the partial glucagon trick from DOC blogs.) Normally, when I’m below 50, I panic. I didn’t this time though. Maybe it’s because there were two little ones in the house. Maybe it’s because I was home. Maybe it’s because my dad was next to me. Who knows? But what amazes me the most was my ability to function. Seriously y’all, when I hit 30 or 40, I’m a crazy person. I’m quite certain I could rival the town drunk for most ridiculous things said while low. This low, was crazy. I’m a little proud I was so “together” though. Is that weird? I was coherent and able to carry on a full conversation with my dad.
When I finally went back to the living room, my mom asked, “So yeah, how often does this happen? You in the 20s?” My response was “Once every 15 years apparently.” She rolled her eyes and said, “I remember that low.”
So what was your worst and/or most memorable low?
Oh sheesh, Victoria. You had me on the edge of my seat while reading this. I’m sorry.
I’m glad you were able to get through it alright and that you had loved ones around you.
My most memorable low was when I was probably about ten or so and I had a friend over and we were outside playing and all of a sudden it hit me. I think I yelled it was time to go in, my mom was asleep and my sister was watching television. I checked my blood sugar and the meter said “LO below 18” I was pretty calm at this piont but everything was fuzzy. I asked my sister to get me juice and she complained because she always had to get me juice when I was low.
Seriously, my stomach was turning as I was reading this. I’m so glad you were ok!
My most memorable low was about six months after I was diagnosed. My husband and I were sleeping in the basement of our house because it was so hot upstairs. I woke up with my alarm, went upstairs and sat down on the couch. I knew something was wrong but I couldn’t put my finger on why I felt so weird. I had very atypical symptoms. But, I tested and was at 32. I immediately became terrified because my husband was still asleep in the basement with a fan on and wouldn’t have been able to hear me if I needed help. I managed to treat it myself and everything was fine, but I’ve never forgotten that morning.
AHH! I want to throw sugar at my laptop, even though I know it won’t do one bit of good. Am I ever glad you were coherent and with those who know you and what you need!
Dude! That sounded so scary!
Do your roommates know how to use the glucagon in case the next time is not at home?!
¡Scarymente! I’m glad you’re okay.
The scariest low happened about a year ago less than an hour after eating dinner. Lisa was away, and I was just hanging on. Although I’m not sure ever went below the mid 30s, I was dripping sweat and feeling quite disoriented and terrified at the same time. I’ve never quite had a low like that before.