Low blood sugar

Since getting my blood sugars back under control I've noticed that I tend to experience low blood sugar more often than not, it's not a major issue but I would preferably not have to worry about low blood sugar more than I do under normal circumstances. My consultant reduced all my basal rates by 10% when I last had clinic and that is a really positive step for me because it shows that my body is using insulin as it should be and isn't putting up any resistance anymore.

In light of the subject of low blood sugar I'm going to talk about what I now know to be my first ever low blood sugar experience. This particular experience took place before I was diagnosed, I can't remember exactly how long before my diagnosis it was but I don't think it was long before. I know you're probably wondering how it was possible to experience a low blood sugar if my beta-cells were being killed off by my immune system at that very moment...and I wonder that too, but it happened and I am certain that what I experienced was low blood sugar- although I actually really had no idea what was happening to me at the time.

We had just arrived at my auntie and uncle's house in Clacton after a drive that was about an hour and a bit. I felt funny but ignored it. As soon as I got out of the car I immediately felt weak and my legs were shaky- I had never ever felt like that before this moment so I was a little bit disturbed but to be honest I didn't think anything of it...I put it down to sitting in the car for a long time. I had the sense that I needed to eat and thank goodness it was lunchtime! I couldn't make any sense of the situation, all I knew was that I felt terrible and I needed food- and so I ate (loads!) and I felt better right after lunch. That confirms it even more that I experienced low blood sugar at that moment, but I didn't know.

What I didn't know was that this feeling would soon become something that I know and can make sense of, what I didn't know was that the horrible weakness and jelly legs would be a sensation that I would and will experience many more times in my life. I still remember being quizzed by the nurse at the hospital after I was diagnosed, I was going home that day and she asked me questions about the symptoms of low and high blood sugar...I found this so daunting because I wasn't exactly sure and couldn't really differentiate between the two just yet as I was still taking in my diagnosis of T1! Needless to say I didn't quite manage to answer the questions perfectly, but I soon became to know the signs and symptoms that my body gives me if my blood sugar is high or low.

I feel like I might aswell tell you about my lowest ever blood sugar- my lowest ever blood sugar was 1.9mmol, I know there are people who have had blood sugars lower than this but this was a particularly unsettling experience that I wish not to repeat. I didn't feel too horrible at first, I felt shaky and knew I had to check my blood sugar but I didn't think I was as low as I was. So I picked up my testing kit and went to sit on the sofa and I opened my testing kit and set up my finger pricker and put the test strip in my meter but I couldn't get any further than that...I tried to align the blood on my finger up with the test strip but I was shaking so much that this was an impossible task and I was beginning to experience tunnel vision and getting dots in my vision so I gave up and I called my parents in to test my blood sugar for me and I just laid on the sofa waiting for the reading to flash up on the screen. It was not a nice experience at all, and I remember literally eating so much for dinner in order to bring my levels up and make sure they stayed up.

Recently my body has been exhibiting a couple of new symptoms of low blood sugar such as experiencing a wave of nausea (really annoying symptom because I don't immediately realise that I'm low when a low presents itself in this way!) or it just doesn't give me a sign at all until they reach the 2's and then I start to feel light headed- also very annoying. I also tend to get a numb/tingly mouth, it's hard to describe it and it's very strange.

The experience of low blood sugar seems to be ever changing. New symptoms, new hypo treatment ideas...It's the blood sugar extreme that scares me the most, it makes me anxious and it's the most irritating because it always makes you stop whatever you're doing. But it comes along with the insulin that keeps me alive, and it's paired with the high blood sugar that tries to damage my organs, and it is all in all part of the "gift" that no beta-cells a.k.a T1 diabetes provided me with the day I was diagnosed.

I deal with it...and it introduced me to the "original" version of Lucozade...which by the way is not my cup of tea.

-Ellie