I’m posting the answer I put on Barb’s blog, so that more people can see it:
I had a coma last September. If my friends hadn’t come looking for me when I didn’t show up for a picnic, and immediately gotten me to the Emergency Room, I would have died by the next morning.
The lesson for me, and I think a lot of diabetics, is how to recognize when you’re in more trouble than you can handle by yourself. No one ever told me that when my BGs were in the 400 - 600 range and I COULDN’T get them down, no matter how much insulin I took, I was in danger. The girl who died in DKA may have tried to self-treat, and didn’t know to call 911. I certainly didn’t. The best I could say is that I knew I was in trouble, but I didn’t know how much.
I’d love to see a column, and more advocacy about how to know when you need help.