[Diabetes-talk] What did you do?

[Blindhands at aol.com]

Well my blood sugars have been all over the place in the last 50  years.  
More recently I had my highs due to steroids and a bout of asmatic  
bronchitis.  Do you know what your Prodigy meter says when you are over  600?  It 
says "High".  I have had blood sugars readings such as 585  and maybe only 
twice I had the "High" reading.  I have handled these on my  own only because I 
had experienced these things and I do know the symptom prior  to going into 
a coma.
 
At 585 I can function normally, but have a tremendous thirst, urinate  
frequently.  I have in the past gotten spikes like this due to forgetting  to 
take my insulin.  I have reacted by taking coverage according to a  sliding 
scale of what my doctor has set up for coverage of each 50 count past a  
decided normal for me.  I follow up with blood sugars and take more  coverage 
according to what they are.
 
At times I have eaten and other times I have not eaten one or two meals,  
usually breakfast and or lunch.
 
For me instead of thinking that one shot will do it to get it down, a few  
sshots spaced a couple of hours apart gets it down.  It does not just dive  
downward.  You do need to eat so you do not bottom out.  You can yoyo  up 
and down, too.
 
Once blood sugar levels come down to at least mid 200 I will eat and take  
coverage for carbs and blood sugar level.  It is important for me to eat at  
this point as I will bottom out and since I don't feel any symptoms  for  
low blood sugars any more, I can't tell when I am getting too low.
 
 
I have not been in a coma since I was a teenager.  That was before  blood 
machines at home and we would test urine and acetones.    I  have been in an 
acedosis diabetic coma 3 times.  Twice was while I was in a  hospital under 
the doctor's care.  Back then there was not endocrinologists  specializing 
in children around me.  Not even up at Yale Medical Center  which is 1/2 hour 
drive from where I lived.
 
Joyce