I have a love/hate relationship with my diabetes. Today was one of those hate days. I went to go tanning (don’t lecture me…I know it’s bad) and right in the middle I felt weird and tested and was 42. SO i had to stumble around to get my clothes back on and get outta there, all the while feeling like I would pass out at any moment. Luckily, I made it to my car where I had some juice waiting for me and everything ended swell. BUT it freaks me out to think that I came thisclose to passing out while tanning and no one would have came to help me for a while…the bimbo girls working there would have just thought I fell asleep in the bed if I didn’t come out right away. I will always test before stepping foot in there now 
I had a close call. It was after lunch time. I checked and my glucose was 64. Okay, time to eat. I drove to a barbeque place and I got in line. The lady at the counter took my money and gave me correct change and a receipt numbered 200.
I sat down and stared at my receipt, when she suddenly called out the next number… “1-6-3…”, she said. I did the math and figured out that there were 36 other paying customers ahead of me to get their barbeque, and more importantly the bun of their sandwich or their fries next to it.
There were three options, the way I saw it. One. I could walk back out to my car and retrieve a sugar tablet to top me off before lunch. Two. I could try and tough it out, stay perfectly still in my chair and breath quietly, so as not to burn numbers by seeming to fret about my numbers. And last resort, Three. My plan was to snatch a bag of chips off the rack and pay for them after munching some carbs.
The game became more complicated when the lady at the counter began skipping around, calling numbers out of sequence. She called 207 and then 172. Brother ! I started people-watching. The dusty workers and the mothers with children. The policeman and the pretty girl in the sandals. I secretly regretted not going to another place not so popular and crowded and slow for lunch. I watched as the people ahead of me went up to the counter and finally received their prize.
Finally my order was prepared and she put it in a bag and called out my number. 200, that is my number. I grabbed my loot and she apologized that it had taken so long. No problem, I said. I headed to my car with a smile on my face. I was very low, at that point, but I was not shaking. I was not sweating. I ate a few fries with the greatest sense of accomplishment I have had in a while.
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Situations like this are why I always have glucose tablets on me. Not nearby, but on me. I always have a tube of glucose tablets in my pocket or in a SPIbelt if I have no pockets, even if my bag isn’t that far away.
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I am surprised to hear you say you drove when you tested at 64. General guidelines are to test and be 100 before driving. And then to not eat something before leaving just amazes me.
Like Jen, I always have something with me.
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Yes, driving at 64 was not a wise decision.
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In my own defense, I am not USUALLY so low. My glucose tablets were in the car. And I usually get a bbq sandwich almost immediately at that place. But I understand what you’re saying.
Thanks.
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Since you had glucose tablets, how low would you need to be to use them ??
I’m not a lawyer, but if you had injured yourself or someone else while driving, and you knew your BG was low, I don’t know how you could forgive yourself. I don’t think your defense would stand a chance.
I hope understanding means you would make a different choice next time.
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If I felt myself being low, I would obviously used a glucose tablet. I am very aware of when I need sugar. I can feel it. I never felt anything.
I only had to drive 300 feet, then turn right, drive another 500 feet. Wait at the light, turn left and drive 400 feet. So your getting out of shape because of my “driving” is inappropriate.
The barbeque there is delicious, smoked pork shoulder with a sweet and spicy sauce. Memphis is the mecca for delicious barbeque. There is a Barbeque Festival every year in May. On the banks of the Mississippi River. Y’all are all invited.
But the question arises why not take a single glucose tab when you tested a 64 which could have easily been a 58 (or 70)? Being slightly low can leave you slightly impaired with slower reaction times and it turns out you could have used that bit of sugar while waiting.
I guess they don’t sell coffee at that place. Otherwise you could have just grabbed a packet or two of sugar from the condiments table.
Maurie
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Right, but I did not feel low. I was never shaky nor sweating. I just walked into the place to get a sandwich, which promised to be full of numbers. I traded the idea of a chalky glucose tablet for a delicious meal.
Count all the numbers I would have gotten from one purple glucose tablet, the bread on both sides of the smoked pork, the sugar in the sauce, and the fries made of salty potatoes.
Heck, I was gonna use some insulin after all this, anyway.
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I think it’s a good idea to treat any level of hypoglycemia when operating a vehicle, even if it’s minor and there are no symptoms. Blood sugar may be dropping and “feeling fine” doesn’t mean that reflexes and cognitive functions aren’t being subtly affected. My understanding is that people using insulin are told not to drive if their blood sguar is below 80 to 100 mg/dl. I can’t drive, but as a pedestrian I would hope that everyone being given the priviledge to drive is respectful of the fact that they are operating something capable of killing people with the smallest of errors, and that they take every pecaution be as safe as possible while operating their vehicles.
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While its never a good idea to drive while low we must remember what is a significant low for some is not a problem for others. What we know about our own bodies is far more important than what is written in medical literature.
While I bow to the conventional wisdom about driving at such numbers and would not start a trip I can see how @Robert17 would feel comfortable with his decision to drive.
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I would just say I’m not risking my drivers license over “I felt fine”. Good luck arguing that one with a judge. I would suspect 100% of the time you would be on the losing end of that argument.
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The way I saw it was that I needed to eat, so I ate. So I did the correct thing.
A judge in his black robe would have to catch me running over a pedestrian to even start a debate about my blood sugar. And, obviously, if I rolled over someone, I would drip with guilt till the end of time. I did not roll over anyone, so I did the correct thing.
I mentioned it on TuD and I have discussed it in a civilized manner. I did the correct thing.
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