I've been working hard getting my blood sugars under control along with my weight. I'm on Medtronic Paradigm pump along with my meter and doing well. We just moved to Texas and I've been urgently searching for a job to supplement my husband's income.
I had a second interview scheduled this morning for a job that I wanted and needed very much. Well, I "woke up" this morning in a hypoglycemic trance. I couldn't get up, I couldn't get ready, I was totally in outerspace. I missed the interview, and the job is gone now. My husband doesn't know yet, that I missed it. He is going to be very upset. I just don't feel like I am able to be a productive human being anymore.
I'm very sorry about your discouraging morning and the loss of the interview, danadoll. I am also very sorry you are feeling so discouraged and I know that not having a job when you want one certainly is a part of that. But for the D part, here is what I would do: (not saying you did/are doing anything wrong, just suggesting where I'd go from there)
In the moment of waking up "in a hypoglycemic trance" - first of all, I would always leave enough time between alarm clock and need to be somewhere to take into account D detours! Then I would immediately test my blood sugar and swallow the appropriate amount of glucose tablets. For me that is two if in the 50s, 3 if lower. that number may differ for you and it's good to know - before you need it what it is. I would go about my business to the extent possible for 1/2 hour then test to make sure I was up enough and prepare breakfast. Glucose tablets are the most precise dosing and rapid acting. I have them everywhere nearby and when I have that out of it feeling immediately dose myself so I can start to recuperate and think straight. There is no reason this process can't be accomplished in time to get out the door. You just need to have the confidence to know what to do and do it, not dwelling in the spacy zone any longer than necessary!
Then in the long term, I'd look at my overall insulin management. If lows are frequent I would look for a pattern and lower basal for the time zone two hours before the lows happen. With wake-up lows it will probably take some nighttime testing to see when you are starting to go low. The best approach is to prevent unexpected occurrences, but be prepared for when they happen anyway because that is the nature of D.
The job is gone now so all you can do is move on, but for the future, if I was still totally unable to get myself in a functioning form before I had to be somewhere I'd call and make something up (stomach flu with all that implies is always good!). Better that they hear from you and reschedule if at all possible, than just ignore it. Finally I wouldn't schedule job interviews for first thing in the morning. Good luck on getting your D under control and catching the next (better!) job that comes by!
Thanks for that encouragement Zoe. Great suggestions! I've been dealing with this for the past 27 years and even now, I need to remind myself that I still need to be diligent. I've just been doing so good. I haven' had a low like this in quite awhile and was just upset that it had to happen this morning. I guess it wasn't meant to be. I'm such a perfectionist so this disease drives me nuts because it's impossible to be perfect.
Thanks again for the encouraging words!!! It means so much!
Interestingly, nerves make me low (stress makes me high). When I'm starting school or an internship, even if I don't feel that overwhelmed, my BG drops. During the week before school started, I spent more time in the 70's than I had in the past few months.
I wonder if nerves for the interview had something to do with it?
You are absolutely correct. Don't know if there is any data to prove it other than experience. I do believe that stress makes me low. I slept fitfully over night because I was worried about getting enough sleep. I guess I should have been more worried about my blood sugar.
Sorry to hear this, danadoll63. It "comes with the territory"; your husband needs to understand that. When I'm at work during the day, I get hit with a low BG and it sends me for a bit of a loop. I was in a meeting the other day in which I had a 20-minute presentation to give in front of a number of high-end folks in the company, and then it happened...I knew my BG was slowly tanking before the meeting, but I was so caught up in trying to get ready that I forgot to eat something. During the meeting, I slipped into "the trance" that you referred to. I started to give my presentation, and my CGM began screaming at me (I didn't have my low end range set properly). I wanted to run and hide. Embarrassed and virtually out of it. Folks understood that I needed to stop and eat something, after one of my colleagues explained to them what was going on. I too felt like an unproductive person, but I keep rolling with the punches. If anything, I'll purposely run my sugars a little higher whenever I have something big to do...that way I know that a low BG won't sneak up on me. Hang in there, and stay strong. :)
Not only does your husband need to understand, he needs to help a bit more too.
On a critical day like this, if there is any way possible for him to schedule late arrival at work so he can be around to make sure everything's copacetic, well, he needs to do that. You might have made the interview if he had been there shoving Jujubees into you or something. :-)
I'm sure he's a wonderful man, but those close to us all need to understand that diabetes is not just your problem -- it's theirs too.
Thank you dwallersv, I tend to agree with you. He is like my parents were and seems to think going well is always my fault and something I failed to do. I do believe it is more in my control than anyone else's but fails to realize for some reason, that lots of things can effect blood sugars especially for a woman at my age like hormones, stress, illness. I would never wish this disease even on an enemy, but sometimes I wish people close to me like him could experience it for a day or two so they could understand better.
I'm so sorry you missed the interview and I'm even sorrier that your husband is going to be upset with you. Even though it probably won't do any good, I would contact the person who was going to interview you and let him/her know why you weren't able to make it. You weren't blowing them off and they should know that. Who knows - if something else comes up with the company you might not be automatically excluded from consideration.
Wow, tough situation. I'm thinking that if getting a job is important, you should follow up with the company. It may not work but you never know. That way you can at least tell Mr. Danadoll that you did everything you could before you go back to the drawing board. It can be hard to be "productive". Life is crazy and diabetes definitely gets in the way. I think I have survived ok by indulging in some pretty crazy activities and working to make sure that diabetes doesn't get in the way of things. Most of this for me is personal. I hope Mr. gets over it. Maybe stop going out to eat or something, which is probably healthier anyway, to save $$$ until you get out. That's sort of an obvious trade but if you can get him on board, perhaps it can turn some lemons into lemonade? Oh wait, lemonade is bad too...
Hey Dana, Welcome to Texas. The economy is good here so another position will come open As a hubby I always prefer the truth so be honest about what happened. Good luck on your job search and wish you the best
I completely can relate. I too have been feeling as though diabetes controls my entire life lately. It is just such a helpless disease and very unpredictable. I'm sure theres a wonderful job lined up out there for you. Don't give up the good fight, it could always be worse!!!
