To Eat or Not to Eat

I agree; that’s also my impression.

And I think “mini glucagon” is a fantastic tool when a person is ill and can’t ingest enough carbs to treat lows.

Knock wood (raps her knuckles against her head), we’ve never had the occasion to use emergency glucagon for its original intended purpose.

Nor have I, thankfully.

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Reading through this thread reminds me again where my daughter and I would be without TuD and Gary Scheiner: in a world of hurt…

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Yup. If it hadn’t been for my self-study (and this community), I’d be in much worse shape. Doesn’t bear thinking about.

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That’s the key: ever-so-gently sliding in the narrow little straw. If he doesn’t begin to suck, you might try gently tickling his jaw near his ear.

But if he awakens screaming, all bets are off. I think glucose gel is a great Option Two: much more difficult to spit out than juice.

I’ve never had to use glucose gel, so the following is heresay: I believe the non-cake decorating gel made for rapid glucose ingestion may have more carbs per nL. But if cake gel does the trick, I say go for it. I’d avoid the red one at all costs, however, as it causes permastains. But you probably already know this. :wink:

I’ve never hear of non-cake decorating gel. The stuff we use is just your average decorating gel. I have also heard of something

Has anyone had, tried and/or had success with any dextrose gels (which is really what decorating gel is I think just by another name.) But there are actual products out there such as these.

Yep, that’s the stuff to which I was referring. I think I spied some at our local big-chain pharmacy. You could ask the pharmacist or pharm-tech if they carry any the next time you pick up your son’s insulin. But if the cake-gel stuff is working and you can deal with the resulting stains, why fix it if it ain’t broke? I’d finish up my existing supply of cake gel and then maybe try the “medicinal” stuff. If it works just as well, time for a price comparison.

ETA: I’ve heard that dextrose is quicker than glucose. But YDMV.
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As you see we feel your pain. The doctors may tell you that you simply need to follow their directions more carefully. Here is a historical perspective that may help. Insulin in the 1920s was removed from animals but it was impure. Syringes were huge and large doses of impure dilute insulin were required. Now here is the main point. In science there are first order effects. When study is begun they are all that matter. Secondary effects are unimportant. There are also tertiary effects that are undiscovered. The first order effect of insulin is that diabetics can eat and live. The shots were the primary concern because they were hard to give. They had to be applied to the butt cheek. Getting enough was tough and abscesses occurred from contaminants. That was a big struggle. It seemed that the best potential for progress was an additive that would make insulin last longer. Then fewer shots are needed. That was a great advance. Long acting insulin. Diabetes problems were solved. But diabetics lived less than 30 years after diagnosis. Better than days or weeks but not healthy. It was the secondary effect. Blood sugar could go high or less high or even normal with insulin balance. I was diagnosed in 1975. I was taught to use u40, u60, and u100 insulin concentrations. I was taught to pee in a cup, use a chemist dropper and reaction tablets with a timer and do a color graph comparison reading. The goal was to spill a trace or 1+ of sugar into the urine. That would avoid a low blood sugar and avoid a high blood sugar. Really? No, but that was the method by which one could live a relatively normal life. Really? No, but longer than 30 years. So doctors were trained on first order effects. Experts began to teach second order effects. But the question was would the effort to manage second order effects be worth the effort. Would patients make the effort? Here is a success story. A patient from the 30s did exactly the same exercise every day of his life at exactly the same time. The patient ate exactly the same meals at exactly the same time every day of his life. The patient never undertook exercise outside of the work out. And the patient was healthy for a long time. Success? No, but a long life. Then comes the famous study of the 1980s. Some patients did like that guy. The other group didn’t. The second group was dying so the study ended and the second group was told that secondary effects were important. Blood tests and easier shot giving helped with secondary effects. Pumps and continuous monitors helped with secondary effects. Artificial pancreas helped with secondary effects. So today non diabetic blood glucose levels is the goal. Today there is data from continuous monitors. Some people are paying close attention to that data. One new book on that subject is “Sugar Surfing”. The wrist watch glucose monitor helps a lot to perform sugar surfing. Yes you have to paddle into the wave and balance. Every wave is unique. The doctor helped you with first order effects. Medical technology helped you with secondary effects. Tertiary effects will be apparent when we can classify what is being gleaned from the data coming available today with help from the Internet community. I was dog tired Friday. I took off my pump and injected 20 units at 4:30 and ate a meal. At 6:30 the BG lowered. I snacked and slept. At 1:30 BG rising past 120 mg/dl. I started insulin pump and did correction bolus. 3:30 BG was high I took a large dose. At 5:30 BG was dropping past 150 mg/dl. I ate two pop tarts and three cups whole milk. At 8:00 BG rose above 200. I correction dosed and kept food nearby. That’s what I live with. I can work briefly above 200 but I have to correct it quickly. Somehow the body uses fat when the insulin balance is off. The fat use is exhausting. BG below 70. Mind does not work. If I have to work it’s on auto pilot with no decisions. That has to be corrected ASAP. When BG is dropping I feel exhausted temporarily. I don’t have an explanation. In olden times how I felt was my only guide. But the body becomes less sensitive when effects are frequent. Good luck with the child.

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