[stylist] Please read my blog- stuff about diabetes

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Barbara,

Severe insulin reactions like what I experienced in this blog are
certainly serious and diabetics should manage their disease as
diligently as possible to avoid such episodes, but that being said, you
can follow a great diabetes management routine to a T and still end up
with results like this. This is not to say it's hopeless, but diabetics
need to always be prepared for extremes whether they be high or low
glucose readings.

I am extremely sensitive to insulin, and whenever adjustments are made
to my insulin pump rates, we have to start conservative because of this.
I tend to experience more lows than highs in terms of my extremes,
though not this severe of a low. As a child however, I experienced
severe insulin reactions similar to this on almost a weekly basis, and
it was through no fault of my own or my parents; I just was very
sensitive to insulin and how it responds to my body and what I eat. I've
always been underweight for my height as well, which contributes to the
whole situation.

Insulin reactions, for me, were worse as a child because I not only
seizured, but hallucinated and screamed uncontrollably while being
completely aware of it all; I can still recall things I hallucinated
during these episodes as a child some 20 years later. Now I tend to
drift asleep if not treated in time. Since becoming an adult, this
severe of reactions are few and far between. I still get low more
frequently than some, but not to the point where I can't treat it or
have an insulin reaction. I have symptoms of lows indicating I am low,
and I also can "feel" these symptoms while sleeping, so I can usually
wake myself up in time to treat. In seven years, Ross has only had to
"deal" with episodes like this about four times or so, and only one
other time did I seizure.

Yes, people can die from these circumstances, but unlike heart attacks
or strokes, when a diabetic experiences insulin reactions, there is some
time giving them leeway in which to treat it, or for others to treat. A
lot of factors contribute to this, so some may be more resilient than
others. And of course, if you can't feel symptoms coming up, it can make
it difficult to treat a low before dropping to a point beyond ones
ability to treat alone. I'm sorry for the loss of your friend, and
hopefully, as promised for the past 27 years, they will find a cure
soon, or at least some great discovery allowing for better management.

I know others like Chris Kuell can supply better, more factual,
information on the subject, but I've been type 1 diabetic for 27 years
and been through a lot of various circumstances. Diabetes is completely
manageable, and you can live a full, active life with diabetes, as long
as you are following a consistent plan. Diabetes affects different
people in different ways. A lot of misinformation is out there, and
there are differences between type 1 and type 2. What works for one
person, may not work for another.

For instance, I've never had a strict diet for multiple reasons, one
being I have a higher metabolism, and I've always been encouraged to eat
more than I typically do. I avoid high fat, high sugar/carb, high
calorie foods most days, but I can eat a Burger King cheeseburger or a
slice of chocolate cake and not experience high glucose numbers as long
as I take the proper amount of insulin at meal times. Typically, a good
range for any diabetic is between 120 and 70, but when active, if I'm
under 120, I need a snack to carry me through whatever activity I'm
doing. Some diabetics experience the opposite and require different
forms of treatment. And of course, I've always believed those closest to
you must be educated about your disease. I know diabetics who spouses or
close friends have no clue what to do in situations such as what I wrote
my blog about. Or I know other diabetics who are suppose to avoid
certain foods, meanwhile, their spouses or friends stock up on junk food
and sugar treats, expecting certain behavior in the diabetic while they
gorge on junk.

The minute Ross met me, one of the first things he ever asked was to
learn about my diabetes and how to help me with it. He's very involved
in my treatment, what my glucose numbers are, he even comes to doctor
appointments when he can. I've dealt with diabetes for years, and I've
had to handle lows and insulin reactions on my own, but when Ross is
around, I trust he knows what to do and will respond appropriately. He's
been a blessing for many reasons.

This blog gives me the opportunity to not only share my personal
experiences, but to help inform and educate the public on diabetes. I'm
so grateful for those loyal readers, and I am just so happy I can use
words to help others better understand and feel an emotional connection.
Thanks for reading and the kind words.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
 
"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan

Message: 5
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:33:40 -0600
From: "Barbara Hammel" <poetlori8 at msn.com>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Please read my latest blog
Message-ID: <SNT139-ds94516C395327C80855D40EB620 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

I've a friend who died because her blood sugar dropped before she could
get 
food--it was in the microwave when she was found--so this is a very
vivid 
description of what she may have been experiencing in her last 
moments--except, she was alone.  Thank God for Ross being there to help.

Bad experience, nice writing.
Barbara