Low moments.

Posted by Alexis Pollak
August 27, 2010

I felt the low start to creep in about 15 minutes after lunch. I was just a little lightheaded, and had the telltale heaviness to my body that I get when a low starts to set in. In the middle of running errands, I was annoyed to have to deal with this. I sighed as I reached into my purse for a GU pack. It was the last one I had with me.

I gulped down the GU and headed for the check out of the store, a thin line of sweat starting to bead on my lip. I feel like crap, I thought to myself. I pulled out my DexCom and saw the arrow pointing straight down. I told myself to calm down and wait for the GU to kick in.

By the time I walked out of the store, my vision had started to blur and I felt weak in the knees. The drops of persperation on my lip had broken into a full-fledged sweat. I limped to my car and snatched my glucose tablets out of the center console. My hands shook as I twisted open the cap and began shoveling the powdery tablets into my mouth. My head spun, I felt faint, and I had to concentrate on the act of chewing the tablets. I swung my feet out of the car door, dangling them like a Muppet while I forced down the chalky sugar. I felt so shitty I wanted to cry. This was the worst low in a long time.

I moved back into the driver seat, full well knowing that I wasn’t driving anywhere for at least 15 minutes. I cranked the AC as I poured sweat, my body’s reaction to the extreme lack of glucose. Help me! my brain screamed, SUGAR. NOW. it begged. Just wait, I told myself, you’ve had 40 grams of carbohydrate at this point, it will come back up.

And it did come up of course. But not before I had lost almost 30 minutes of my day. Not before I ingested 200 extra calories after a full lunch that I didn’t want. Not before taking me to almost passing out. Not before making me feel like a failure for forgetting the insulin on board from 10am that had caused me to stack my lunch bolus. Not before sucking the life out of me for the rest of the afternoon.

Sometimes, I really hate this disease.

Lows

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Comments

You described it so well..I almost felt low just reading it.
I HATE this disease too! :(

Comment by Jen on August 27, 2010 @ 7:44 am

Those moments suck. No way around it. And life doesn’t always allow you to slow down and recover after a low like that so it makes for a rough day. Hang in there.

Comment by Michelle S. on August 27, 2010 @ 8:51 am

It amazes me how acurately you portrayed the dreaded near-death blood sugar crash that we’ve all had too many times before.

“Sometimes, I really hate this disease”

I ALWAYS hate this disease.

Comment by Scully on August 27, 2010 @ 9:20 am

Damn, I hate the sweaty low. And the sweaty low never happens when I’m at home and don’t have to go back to work.

Glad you’re okay; sorry you had to go through all that crap.

Comment by Jacquie on August 27, 2010 @ 12:24 pm

What a PITA :( Glad you made it through OK. See you Sunday at the Top O’ The World :)

Comment by Rich on August 27, 2010 @ 1:36 pm

Glad your okay! and I appreciate your very in depth description of what a low feels like. Miranda can tell me when she feels dizzy but can’t really expand on it. If you could kick your own butt, i’m sure you would but dont be disheartened.

Comment by Gerry Speirs on August 27, 2010 @ 1:58 pm
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