The Hangover.
Hangovers from alcohol are really awful, and the reason why at the ripe old age of 32 I can happily say I finally grew up a few years ago and haven’t had a severe one in ages (and believe me, it wouldn’t take much to invoke one these days…like two glasses of wine is a ca-razy night! My how times change!)
But there are two kinds of hangovers that don’t change with age when you have diabetes: the morning after a long night of lows or highs. Both suck, and both suck the life out of the next day. A night full of high BGs leaves you dry in the mouth the next morning, lethargic and unhelped by 17 cups of coffee. I tend to wake up super hungry on those days too, since I’ve got more insulin than a T-Rex pumping through my body (did dinosaurs get diabetes? Imagine the size of that pancreas!….digression. Ahem), but also feeling bloated and puffy. Ug.
Then there’s the low hangover, of which I experienced last week. The evidence the next morning was more damning than empty keg and a sea of red Solo cups in a frat house. Three drained juice boxes littered the bedside table, and I was still barely over 70mg/dL by 7am the next 
morning. I was tired from having been woken up 6-plus times throughout the night as my CGM alerted me to the low. I would treat it, but sometimes it wouldn’t come back up before the 15 minute “snooze” on my CGM alerted me again. The result was a gigantic headache, a fog thicker than molasses, and a day filled with coffee, lattes, and desperate espresso shots.
I think rough nights of blood sugars can be harder than a rough day of BGs. In the day time, you always feel like you have time to recover. Plus you can exercise for a high, reach for something tasty for a low, and talk to a partner if you’re frustrated. In the middle of the night, it’s a lonely feeling to deal with tough numbers in the dark by yourself. Although I always know I could wake Jacob up anytime for help or comfort, I don’t want my diabetes to disturb both our sleep. Instead, I try to quietly stab the straw through the juice box, or get up from the warm bed to the cold kitchen for some cold frosting from the cold fridge. On nights with highs, it’s the 12 trips to the toilet that annoy the most, each time feeling like a colossal effort and annoyance, coupled with a feeling of defeat. The next morning, the symptoms of the hangover vary depending on if you were low or high, but one result is always the same: a tired and grumpy start to the day.
The Diabetes Hangover: still best treated with a large coffee, eggs and bacon, and dark pair of shades!
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It’s 2:50am and I’m reading this as I wait for my BG to come up during a stubborn low. Cold creamy frosting? I remember seeing that in the fridge the other day. Thanks for the subtle suggestion, universe.