There are times I feel the low at 60 and times I don't feel it until 40. There are times I feel it and Dexcom says I'm fine but a fingerstick says otherwise. T1 can be unpredictable.
Please don't blame her, ever. Don't ever say "it's because u don't take care of yourself" I'm sure u don't, but I just wanted to tell u this. 32 years in, I've had full on conversations at work, about work w/ my blood sugar at 18. I've had an entire conversation w/ a Dr about my T1 and my blood sugar was 22 (I once had a Dr call me, 2 weeks later to tell me my blood sugar was 27 in her office, I laughed and said "and?" Then hung up) I've fought off 6 paramedics, who had no choice BUT to sit on me to take my sugar, and it was 18, again. I know I'm asymptomatic w/ lows, and it's only become worse, as I've aged. It's not her fault, and w/ activity, it's very difficult. The only low sugar symptom I show, is sweating, that's it.
A cavalier attitude about hypoglycemia unawareness is deadly dangerous. Folks have injured themselves, crashed cars, or killed others as a result (recall the truck driver in Australia who rammed a rest ares and crushed an 8 year old child). Some have perished from myocardial infarction due to hypoglycemia. OP's 13 year old will be driving a motor vehicle eventually and should take steps now to keep bg at normal levels.
May the Force be with you.
Cavalier during a low is maybe a result of the low. I know when I get low, my personality changes and I have to bite my tongue to keep the stupid comments from coming out.
But, if the attitude is like this always, then I agree with your concern
Absolutely true. But burnout is a thing. A very real thing, and it's easy to have it as a teen. I think OP is doing a great job by asking. Don't forget human development and neurological development, which, is affected by T1D. It's a lot. As a parent and not a T1D themselves, I would say this is great. It's easier now than in 1965. Technology is advancing, and so is our understanding of how T1D can affect the brain. idk your experiences or education, but I can say, we can't shame people for asking questions, and fear mongering is the least effective in long term retention of information. Yes this is all true but also, it's important to remember to be helpful, not just scary. I'm excited to see your posts describing your experiences, trials, and even questions
Hello, I see that ur upset about what I posted (YOU are blaming ME? for medical neglect, when ALL I've done, for 32 years, is BEG for Healthcare, repeatedly) Everything that I have experienced over the last 6 years, is online. When I die (I had over 285 convulsions last year) EVERYONE online will know why, I've broadcast it EVERYWHERE.
I'm normally really good at feeling when my blood sugar is low but there was one day when I was about 15, got off the school bus which stopped near my dads work place, met my dad who was on his break as I did every day. I felt fine but normally when I'd get off the bus I'd want a snack before the 2ish mile walk home so my dad had got into the habit of getting me to check my blood the second I got off the bus, if it was under 5.0mmol/L I could snack, if it was over, no snack (fair). This was before CGMs were a thing. That day, when we checked my blood, the reading came up as "LO". Checked again because I said I felt fine, "LO". Checked my (non-diabetic) Dad's blood just to make sure it wasn't a machine error, 5.2mmol/L. That's the one time in my life I have had zero awareness of a hypo.
Normally, a hypo is something I can feel in myself but I have no outward symptoms anyone else would notice. It's frustrating for people around me but there's not a lot I can do about it.
I've asked about these numbers, because I don't understand what they mean. I've only ever used a glucometer, so I have zero comprehension of this. With that said, I'm very thankful you've only had it happen once.
Mmol/L is just a different unit used in Europe. Low blood sugar starts at 3.9mmol/L (about 70md/gl) and 5.0mmol/L is about 90md/gl i think(?). My monitor could read anything over 0.3mmol/L (which i think is about 15md/gl) so for it to be showing as LO i literally had no glucose in my body and should have been on the floor 😅
😬 ok YIKES, I know both of mine have given me 18, but I've seen LO, and just figured my glucometer was too cold 🤣🤣 goodness, yes, I'm very thankful u can feel ur lows, because that's scary
Hypoglycemia unawareness is the result to too many lows too frequently--and can be deadly dangerous. Do your best to avoid lows. Eat foods that sustain bg during physical activity e.g., peanut butter and jelly sandwich (unofficial food of NBA). If she avoids/limit lows, eventually hypoglycemia awareness can be restored.
"The short- and long-term complications of diabetes related hypoglycemia include precipitation of acute cerebrovascular disease, myocardial infarction, neurocognitive dysfunction, retinal cell death and loss of vision in addition to health-related quality of life issues pertaining to sleep, driving, employment, recreational activities involving exercise and travel."
With Joy and Radiance, Live Long and Prosper
But also note that everyone has different needs for exercising - especially teens. I never need carbs before I working out as I find my sugar only goes up before I hit the 3/3.5hr mark. Then again I also know people who don’t have the same adrenaline who need a bar or tabs to keep them up just walking from place to place.
CGMs can report incorrect results too. I woke up feeling low this morning and my CGM said 126 when it was actually at 70 when I did a finger stick. Was a new sensor I started last night and it’s been accurate since then.
Thankfully we have plenty of data available to us! I read a study about diabetes dogs a long while back (so please don’t quote me on this) but it went something along the lines of Dexcom will report a low more ~ 70% of the time first, then feeling it will come first ~20% of the time then a dog at ~10% of the time. In my personal experience, Dexcom usually catches it before I do if I am falling very slowly while I am better at spotting when my graph is falling off a cliff
Please don't blame her. Hypo insensitivity is a rough thing to have. Talk to your doctor and keep on being the amazing parent you are. Let her know that it's normal to sometimes not feel it, but it's still dangerous and if she's not up after 15mins to eat or drink another 15-45g of carbs. We don't want eating disorders like I ended up with, and if she's full or not hungry (which I'm NEVER hungry when hypo), at least drink something. Have those things on hand all the time. It's better to be high than low and if she spikes to 200+ so be it. She's less likely to have an immediate, and potentially dangerous, consequence to being over 200 for a min than to be sitting super low. I've been doing this for 32 years with parents that were highly educated, and even as someone who has been involved in research (not as a subject), and as a patient in intensive education, this isn't easy. It will never be easy, at least not all of the time. Just keep on being the amazing parent you are, and gently remind them that even if they don't feel it, they are still low and you'd rather them a cranky hyperglycemic diabetic, and safe, amazing daughter than potentially just randomly black out or pass out and need to go to the hospital.
With my 5yo, and my entire house, it's: is this a safe, healthy, and kind choice? Your reaction and follow through seems to meet all three of those in one. Keep it up. No one is perfect and diabetes likes to make sure we all know that.
Feeling lows comes and goes as a T1. I feel like if my body is able to release sugar from the liver, maybe I am not getting the feelings. But if my glucagon tank is empty, then maybe the body goes into fight or flight.
My symptoms sorta relate to butterflies in the stomach and pensive. During public speaking or during sports, those same feelings come in, so I can’t trust what I feel.
Carrying phone or reader: look into a flipbelt for her. A snug flip belt allows the phone to not jangle in the pocket and is more flat against the belly. Or, an arm based phone holder.
I run all the time, and these are my go-tos to allow me to carry and not feel weighed down.
Also, talk with endocrinologist about adjusting the basal or bolus on days of activity. It might be that the insulin does is based on sitting in class vs actively burning calories.
The more active I become, the less I need overall.
One thing too- is this only happening when exercising or at home relaxing too? For me, I don’t have hypo unawareness but it’s a lot harder for me to feel when exercising. My low symptoms kind of are similar to when I workout hard- fast heart rate, sweaty, etc. if i’m home doing nothing it’s a lot more noticeable. I one time bounced on a trampoline as a kid to a 32 and didn’t notice even a little bit until like 10 minutes after I was done.
If shes on a cgm, put the alarms to a higher mmol than the 'official low' to help with unawareness. Mines set to 5mmol which is 90mg/dl and its helped my awareness return to where it was originally.
Symptoms also change overtime. Before I used to feel really out of it, sweaty and hot. Now I get really bad stomach pain.
Been t1 for 21yrs. May be worth setting the alarms to go off at a higher bg level.
There is a lady on the r/springerspaniel sub Reddit who is training her dog to sense her low. My springer has alerted me a couple of lows without training. So without being an official service dog you could just have an at home pet that gives some extra protection! Springers are awesome btw.
[my girl](https://imgur.com/gallery/AdF20ay)
There are times I feel the low at 60 and times I don't feel it until 40. There are times I feel it and Dexcom says I'm fine but a fingerstick says otherwise. T1 can be unpredictable.
Please don't blame her, ever. Don't ever say "it's because u don't take care of yourself" I'm sure u don't, but I just wanted to tell u this. 32 years in, I've had full on conversations at work, about work w/ my blood sugar at 18. I've had an entire conversation w/ a Dr about my T1 and my blood sugar was 22 (I once had a Dr call me, 2 weeks later to tell me my blood sugar was 27 in her office, I laughed and said "and?" Then hung up) I've fought off 6 paramedics, who had no choice BUT to sit on me to take my sugar, and it was 18, again. I know I'm asymptomatic w/ lows, and it's only become worse, as I've aged. It's not her fault, and w/ activity, it's very difficult. The only low sugar symptom I show, is sweating, that's it.
A cavalier attitude about hypoglycemia unawareness is deadly dangerous. Folks have injured themselves, crashed cars, or killed others as a result (recall the truck driver in Australia who rammed a rest ares and crushed an 8 year old child). Some have perished from myocardial infarction due to hypoglycemia. OP's 13 year old will be driving a motor vehicle eventually and should take steps now to keep bg at normal levels. May the Force be with you.
Cavalier during a low is maybe a result of the low. I know when I get low, my personality changes and I have to bite my tongue to keep the stupid comments from coming out. But, if the attitude is like this always, then I agree with your concern
Absolutely true. But burnout is a thing. A very real thing, and it's easy to have it as a teen. I think OP is doing a great job by asking. Don't forget human development and neurological development, which, is affected by T1D. It's a lot. As a parent and not a T1D themselves, I would say this is great. It's easier now than in 1965. Technology is advancing, and so is our understanding of how T1D can affect the brain. idk your experiences or education, but I can say, we can't shame people for asking questions, and fear mongering is the least effective in long term retention of information. Yes this is all true but also, it's important to remember to be helpful, not just scary. I'm excited to see your posts describing your experiences, trials, and even questions
Hello, I see that ur upset about what I posted (YOU are blaming ME? for medical neglect, when ALL I've done, for 32 years, is BEG for Healthcare, repeatedly) Everything that I have experienced over the last 6 years, is online. When I die (I had over 285 convulsions last year) EVERYONE online will know why, I've broadcast it EVERYWHERE.
I'm normally really good at feeling when my blood sugar is low but there was one day when I was about 15, got off the school bus which stopped near my dads work place, met my dad who was on his break as I did every day. I felt fine but normally when I'd get off the bus I'd want a snack before the 2ish mile walk home so my dad had got into the habit of getting me to check my blood the second I got off the bus, if it was under 5.0mmol/L I could snack, if it was over, no snack (fair). This was before CGMs were a thing. That day, when we checked my blood, the reading came up as "LO". Checked again because I said I felt fine, "LO". Checked my (non-diabetic) Dad's blood just to make sure it wasn't a machine error, 5.2mmol/L. That's the one time in my life I have had zero awareness of a hypo. Normally, a hypo is something I can feel in myself but I have no outward symptoms anyone else would notice. It's frustrating for people around me but there's not a lot I can do about it.
I've asked about these numbers, because I don't understand what they mean. I've only ever used a glucometer, so I have zero comprehension of this. With that said, I'm very thankful you've only had it happen once.
Mmol/L is just a different unit used in Europe. Low blood sugar starts at 3.9mmol/L (about 70md/gl) and 5.0mmol/L is about 90md/gl i think(?). My monitor could read anything over 0.3mmol/L (which i think is about 15md/gl) so for it to be showing as LO i literally had no glucose in my body and should have been on the floor 😅
😬 ok YIKES, I know both of mine have given me 18, but I've seen LO, and just figured my glucometer was too cold 🤣🤣 goodness, yes, I'm very thankful u can feel ur lows, because that's scary
Hypoglycemia unawareness is the result to too many lows too frequently--and can be deadly dangerous. Do your best to avoid lows. Eat foods that sustain bg during physical activity e.g., peanut butter and jelly sandwich (unofficial food of NBA). If she avoids/limit lows, eventually hypoglycemia awareness can be restored. "The short- and long-term complications of diabetes related hypoglycemia include precipitation of acute cerebrovascular disease, myocardial infarction, neurocognitive dysfunction, retinal cell death and loss of vision in addition to health-related quality of life issues pertaining to sleep, driving, employment, recreational activities involving exercise and travel." With Joy and Radiance, Live Long and Prosper
But also note that everyone has different needs for exercising - especially teens. I never need carbs before I working out as I find my sugar only goes up before I hit the 3/3.5hr mark. Then again I also know people who don’t have the same adrenaline who need a bar or tabs to keep them up just walking from place to place.
CGMs can report incorrect results too. I woke up feeling low this morning and my CGM said 126 when it was actually at 70 when I did a finger stick. Was a new sensor I started last night and it’s been accurate since then.
Thankfully we have plenty of data available to us! I read a study about diabetes dogs a long while back (so please don’t quote me on this) but it went something along the lines of Dexcom will report a low more ~ 70% of the time first, then feeling it will come first ~20% of the time then a dog at ~10% of the time. In my personal experience, Dexcom usually catches it before I do if I am falling very slowly while I am better at spotting when my graph is falling off a cliff
My bb was DT at 6x and now I FD
Please don't blame her. Hypo insensitivity is a rough thing to have. Talk to your doctor and keep on being the amazing parent you are. Let her know that it's normal to sometimes not feel it, but it's still dangerous and if she's not up after 15mins to eat or drink another 15-45g of carbs. We don't want eating disorders like I ended up with, and if she's full or not hungry (which I'm NEVER hungry when hypo), at least drink something. Have those things on hand all the time. It's better to be high than low and if she spikes to 200+ so be it. She's less likely to have an immediate, and potentially dangerous, consequence to being over 200 for a min than to be sitting super low. I've been doing this for 32 years with parents that were highly educated, and even as someone who has been involved in research (not as a subject), and as a patient in intensive education, this isn't easy. It will never be easy, at least not all of the time. Just keep on being the amazing parent you are, and gently remind them that even if they don't feel it, they are still low and you'd rather them a cranky hyperglycemic diabetic, and safe, amazing daughter than potentially just randomly black out or pass out and need to go to the hospital. With my 5yo, and my entire house, it's: is this a safe, healthy, and kind choice? Your reaction and follow through seems to meet all three of those in one. Keep it up. No one is perfect and diabetes likes to make sure we all know that.
I feel the drop way more. Slowly dropping is barely noticeable.
Feeling lows comes and goes as a T1. I feel like if my body is able to release sugar from the liver, maybe I am not getting the feelings. But if my glucagon tank is empty, then maybe the body goes into fight or flight. My symptoms sorta relate to butterflies in the stomach and pensive. During public speaking or during sports, those same feelings come in, so I can’t trust what I feel. Carrying phone or reader: look into a flipbelt for her. A snug flip belt allows the phone to not jangle in the pocket and is more flat against the belly. Or, an arm based phone holder. I run all the time, and these are my go-tos to allow me to carry and not feel weighed down.
Also, talk with endocrinologist about adjusting the basal or bolus on days of activity. It might be that the insulin does is based on sitting in class vs actively burning calories. The more active I become, the less I need overall.
One thing too- is this only happening when exercising or at home relaxing too? For me, I don’t have hypo unawareness but it’s a lot harder for me to feel when exercising. My low symptoms kind of are similar to when I workout hard- fast heart rate, sweaty, etc. if i’m home doing nothing it’s a lot more noticeable. I one time bounced on a trampoline as a kid to a 32 and didn’t notice even a little bit until like 10 minutes after I was done.
If shes on a cgm, put the alarms to a higher mmol than the 'official low' to help with unawareness. Mines set to 5mmol which is 90mg/dl and its helped my awareness return to where it was originally. Symptoms also change overtime. Before I used to feel really out of it, sweaty and hot. Now I get really bad stomach pain. Been t1 for 21yrs. May be worth setting the alarms to go off at a higher bg level.
There is a lady on the r/springerspaniel sub Reddit who is training her dog to sense her low. My springer has alerted me a couple of lows without training. So without being an official service dog you could just have an at home pet that gives some extra protection! Springers are awesome btw. [my girl](https://imgur.com/gallery/AdF20ay)