low blood sugar – DiabetesDad

In each household there is the one person who completely understands the warning signs of a ‘low’ or a ‘high’ blood sugar other than the person who has diabetes (and sometimes, rarely as far as I’m aware, there are more than one). I surely hope there is at least one.

Make no mistake about it; in our household it’s Jill. It’s almost as if she has a sixth sense. I can see it but by time I notice it, Jill would already be treating it with whatever is needed. It has always been like that and it’s my understanding that it’s like that in many other households.

BUT………

Our kids will grow up and one day leave us.

What happens then? The thought of it makes me feel as if I am coming to an edge of a cliff. Hold on? Jump? Let go? What?

Now I am not referring to those who are leaving for school and THAT is an important issue but today I am referring to spouse, partner, and/or roommate. Will they know what to do? Will they know what to look for? Will we trust that they will know? Is it that we can’t stop it so we just have to accept it? And most important, to they know just how important their job is in all of this?

Quite frankly do we think anyone will be good enough to take care of our kids? I mean I get it when it comes to security, safety, financially, but this diabetes-you-better-take-care-of-my-kids-and you-better-know-what-the-heck-is-going-on is a realization I’m trying to come to grips with more and more as my two kids with diabetes grow older.

Probably more so with my oldest (who does not have diabetes) son now getting married, I have faced that I will go through this two more times. After the anxiety attack set in; and I think about when the time comes, I guess I must come to grips with the fact that Kaitlyn and Rob will know the person they choose to marry.

I’m not an easily trusting person when it comes to this point and I certainly will not speak for Jill, but how do we know? Do we need to know? I’m very interested to hear from those who have gone through this? I’m also interested in what you feel having kids with diabetes who will one day inform us that they are ‘moving out’? And finally do those who are now adults with T1 I ask, was this even a thought in your dating process? Please reply here as it is a subject I know could interest many.

Here comes that anxiety again. Let me know your thoughts, I need to take a walk.

I am a diabetes dad.

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“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking…….”

The tone in his voice sounded different from when these normal-type announcement comes from the cockpit. Up until this point we were on a non-stop from the UK to NYC’s Kennedy Airport on an uneventfully calm flight. This was about to change.

The Captain continued, “We need to know if there are any medical personnel aboard, if so, please hit your flight attendant bell.”

Ding. Ding. Ding, Ding. Well at least that was a good sign. Four people rushed forward. Much activity as we were asked to hold our seats. And after 15 minutes of activity the Captain returned.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain again; we know this is a nonstop flight but I have just requested for an emergency landing in Halifax Nova Scotia for a medical emergency.” An obvious heart attack. I was sure. We landed, EMS came aboard and the patient was removed.

As I left the plane when we landed in New York, the flight attendant noticed my Children with Diabetes shirt I was wearing; “If I knew that I might have called upon you.”

“Excuse me?”

Our medical emergency was someone with diabetes who left what she needed in case of an emergency ‘low’ (she was quoting the person who was traveling with the person needing aid) in her suit case.”

“You mean glucagon? You probably should have made an announcement; we have one with us that we gladly would have given the medical personnel.”

Now there is much wrong with this conversation in my eyes and at the top of the list is what was this woman thinking that she did not have everything she needed with her while traveling? I cannot answer that question and the woman dropped so low that she went into convulsions; hence the emergency landing.

So we learned, as we knew, that NO ONE who has diabetes should not have EVERYTHING they need when on a flight. You would think common sense….no?

The second is a suggestion we might want to use. When traveling with diabetes supplies, you might….notice the word; MIGHT, want to consider letting the flight attendant know that should a diabetes emergency occur while you are flying that you have many supplies with you for whatever the reason (you have diabetes or your child has diabetes).

This may never happen again, but when flying again with one of our kids (when we will have most of what is needed, as much as our kids will have as well…I know they are old enough to have it on their own….it’s a ‘parent thing’….parents know what I mean), I will absolutely make sure the flight attendant knows. I may not agree with ‘how or why’ this emergency happened but once at the emergency stage, it could have been really helpful to know that there was help just 10 rows back. That would be a good thing.

If we all did this every time we travel, perhaps one life might be saved, and then it would all be worth it….don’t you think?

I am a diabetesdad.

Tag: low blood sugar

A Fast Approaching Cliff……..Who Will Take Care of Them??????

Emergency at 43,000 Feet.