diabetes: the worst it was
This one happened in early December 2016.
I was at work from 9 am to 8 pm. On my feet, running around the studio all day. I had lunch and snacks throughout the day. I got home and took the dog for a walk, then finally sat down on the couch. I took my insulin and was going to get to the kitchen to make a meal. I hadn’t eaten a meal in hours.
I’m not sure how long I sat on the couch. I don’t remember passing out.
Roughly two hours later I was woken up by paramedics bringing me to with a glucagon pen:
My partner had gotten home a little after 10 and found me unconscious on the couch, with a pool of drool under my face apparently. She tried to wake me / to get me to eat / to give me orange juice — to no avail so she had to call the paramedics. A first for her (after 5 years together).
I wasn’t wearing a Dexcom at this time. I was between testing them and getting my own prescription.
The first thing I remember is the drool on the couch. It really was a puddle the size of my head. So disgusting.
The second thing is the politeness of the EMT caring for me. He knew not too inject too much glucose to rocket my numbers up, but to carefully bring me to a conscious state. This was the FIRST EMT (of 9 ambulance visits in 30 years of diabetes) to do so. He was kind and calm and aware of how glucose works in the system. He told me that when I was finally awake enough.
He said he tested me and my blood sugar reading was 19 milligrams per deciliter. NINETEEN. That’s nineteen milligrams above death. You want to be between 80 and 120 in a normal, conscious state. I’ve tested myself in the 30’s before. Many times, in fact. I’ve even tested myself in the twenties.
Home glucose testers will read LO or HI when their is not enough, or too much sugar to count. Generally below 20 or above 500. I’ve tested myself at “LO” a handful of times, but this was my first confirmed glucose level in the teens. Scary.
The EMT talked with me until I was fully aware of my situation. He let me know I would have to eat food as the glucose injected doesn’t last that long. He didn’t know if I had taken insulin to get me in that state, so he wanted to make sure I monitored my BS levels.
It really was a first to have an EMT with that much blood sugar / diabetes knowledge. Every time in the past EMT’s would always inject a full glucagon shot, shoot your blood sugar up to the high 200’s (or into 300’s), ask if you want to go to the hospital (they can’t force you to go to the hospital once you’re conscious) and leave.
This guy was so polite and seemed to genuinely care about my well being. It was a first. I haven’t had an ambulance visit since — and now with my constant CGM readings I won’t ever need to.
Thank you Studio City Ambulance service and whomever that EMT was. I wish I would have gotten his name.
