I have recently began dating someone with diabetes. I was wondering what types of things to expect if the blood sugar goes too high, or too low. For example, I have heard that if a diabetic has sugar go too high/low, they start to act drunk.

I know nothing about the disease and the internet connection SUCKS here at the beach so googling and loading lots of info webpages is not the best idea.

Any information would be helpful.

7/4/2006 9:56:33 PM

they get drafted by the bobcats

7/4/2006 9:58:18 PM

7/4/2006 9:59:15 PM

*sigh* How did I know this was going to happen.....

7/4/2006 10:00:21 PM

I think you should probably ask them.

7/4/2006 10:03:41 PM

His dad is in the hospital with complications from his diabetes....it's a sore subject at the moment....Also, I don't foresee someone who is diabetic admitting, "Yeah, hey, I have fits of rage when my sugar drops below...etc."


I want to know the dangers, the symptoms, the little things that happen or seem to be common with diabetic patients.

7/4/2006 10:07:18 PM

are you his doctor?

7/4/2006 10:09:27 PM

http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=418458

i coulda made that in lounge

doesnt mean it still wouldnt have happened

7/4/2006 10:11:22 PM

You can suck the diabetes out from his PENIS.

7/4/2006 10:16:04 PM

You guys really make my head hurt sometimes.

7/4/2006 10:16:22 PM

thats your problem, not mine

7/4/2006 10:18:09 PM

haha josh. You're my favorite.

7/4/2006 10:18:51 PM

i like making your head hurt

7/4/2006 10:20:10 PM

the captain of the high school soccer team when i was a junior didn't take care of his diabetes and they chopped both of his feet off a few years back

so make sure he checks his blood sugar and checks it often. there's no reason not to. and call liberty. they can help him live a better life.

7/4/2006 10:38:27 PM

My brother has Type I diabetes. As far as blood sugar being too high, the health risks from having high blood sugars aren't so much immediate as they are long term. Having chronic high blood sugars can eventually lead to problems such as losing feeling/blood flow to your extremities and having to get amputation like someone said ^. Low blood sugars (>30 mg/L i think) can be dangerous. When my brother would have low blood sugars, he would act kind of drunk like you said...the person gets kind of spaced out and gets an attitude when you ask them if they are OK and stuff like that. My brother would say weird stuff and kind of wander around aimlessly when he was low.

As far as what to do when a diabetic has low blood sugars, sit or lay the person down so that physical activity is minimized. Keep a calm voice and don't panic because it might upset them. Feed them something high in quick acting sugars, we always used fruit juices. If blood sugars get too low, the person can go into seizures. A syringe shot of glucagon into the leg/ass is used when a diabetic goes into seizures, and it acts by almost immediately increasing blood sugar levels.

I know this all sounds scary, but I just wanted to lay the facts out for you. The truth is a diabetic who properly manages the disease can live an almost normal life (other than insulin shots and what have you). If you really care about this person help make sure he takes care of himself and his diabetes and all of the above scary shit doesn't have to happen.

Sorry for the WORDS...

[Edited on July 4, 2006 at 11:14 PM. Reason : also, smoking/drinking for a diabetic is very inadvisable]

7/4/2006 11:11:34 PM

Thank you so much...

Quote :

"the person gets kind of spaced out and gets an attitude when you ask them if they are OK and stuff like that. My brother would say weird stuff and kind of wander around aimlessly when he was low. "

This happened the other night. I didn't want to get all into it but the other night, he was stopping to get some food and I met up with him in the parking lot. He was stumbling around and sweating profusely. He was making sense but seemed to be going in 5 different directions at once. I asked if he was drunk and he gave me this "Are you joking?" look. He said he would call me later and then didn't. I was just wondering if his diabetes allowed any room for excuse for these actions.

Quote :

"Reason : also, smoking/drinking for a diabetic is very inadvisable"

And he does both.

[Edited on July 4, 2006 at 11:20 PM. Reason : eek.]

7/4/2006 11:20:04 PM

^ what this person says is a good start.
he should keep a glucometer handy so he can check his sugar.


if he starts to have "fruity breath" and a high glucose take him to the ER he could be in ketoacidosis

in the meantime, wait till you get home and then google your heart out


the only clinical experience i have had with a person in DKA, was that he was an asshole. but i am sure that was his personality

[Edited on July 4, 2006 at 11:23 PM. Reason : .]

7/4/2006 11:21:20 PM

i worked with a diabetic who for lunch would eat an entire meatlover's pizza.... covered in mayonaise.

sometimes he had trouble seeing, go fig.

7/4/2006 11:30:05 PM

Quote :

"if he starts to have "fruity breath" and a high glucose take him to the ER he could be in ketoacidosis "

Forgot about that, it was never a problem with my brother though.

7/4/2006 11:34:49 PM

PART 1:


You should ask them what's up.

I'm a Type I diabetic with an insulin pump, but you should figure out whether your date is type 1 or type 2.

I'll just start ranting about some things that you might notice/that might affect you regarding the disease, along with some fun basic info that'll keep you from having to ask too many of the basic questions.

Type 1: A type 1 diabetic has become the victim of an auto-immune response in their body. That is, their immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells inside their pancreas, causing them to have deficient insulin production. As a result, they need supplemental insulin in the form of shots or (in my case) from an insulin pump.

With shots, a Type 1 diabetic might give themselves three a day, all the way up to seven a day depending on their desired level of blood sugar control, their diet plan, and their daily routine. Typically they'll give themselves a shot in the morning and at night around mealtimes with two types of insulin (one to supply the minimum amount of insulin required to live, the other to compensate for the carbohydrates in the food they eat). At lunch they may also give themselves an additional shot to compensate for the carbs in that meal.

They may give themselves shots using a regular insulin syringe (google BD insulin syringe if you want a picture) or using a specialized device called an insulin pen. An insulin pen looks like a long cylindrical device, typically, with a removable cap and a numbered rotating dial at one end. Inside the pen is an insulin cartridge with a threaded tip and visible orange plunger (the plunger is pushed forward to inject insulin). A disposable needle is attached to the pen's threaded tip, then the dial is rotated to a desired number and the end is pushed upon to inject the insulin (obviously you have to jab yourself in the leg/arm/stomach before you inject the insulin). Another handy bit of info: The numbers you see on insulin syringes or insulin pens will tend to be in 1/100ths of a milliliter. They're referred to as units, and this only applies to U-100 insulin (that's the most common type so I'm told, don't worry about any more details as I'm only going to confuse you more if I keep ranting).

Moving on from shots, your type 1 diabetic might have an insulin pump! If so, they're a very lucky individual indeed. An insulin pump is a very highly specialized medical device available only to those with good insurance. They can cost from $2000-6000 depending on what type you get and what features you want, and for the most part they have been proprietary designs, although new designs tend to incorporate industry-standard features such as AAA batteries for power, luer-lock infusion sites, and water-proof designs. Their basic design consists of a small motor that operates a plunger inside of an insulin cartridge. This plunger pushes on the cartridge and injects insulin like in a standard syringe would inject fluid. The cartridge will be attached to a plastic tube that leads to a catheter on the body that is referred to as an infusion site. It tends to be the case that the tube can be detached and a cap applied to the infusion site on the body to allow for showering and vigorous physical activity. New infusion site designs tend to involve plastic and cloth designs that allow for movement and comfort. You'd never know it was there unless you bang into the thing. Another important thing about infusion sites is that they have to be changed on a regular schedule. Every 2-3 days depending on the individual. This is so that the area around the infusion site doesn't "acclimate" to the presence of insulin, reducing its effectiveness and/or increasing the risk of infection. Once removed the infusion site area should be cleaned with alcohol and any sharps, wipes, or contaminated materials should be disposed of properly in a safe container.

As to the basic pump functions, these pumps will infuse a tiny amount of insulin every minute, maybe .05-.10 units of insulin. This is called a basal rate. Type 1 diabetics have to have this as their pancreas produces no insulin after the "honeymoon period" of their disease. Your body will produce a fasting amount of insulin no matter what, as you absolutely HAVE TO HAVE a minimum daily amount of insulin to prevent your body from shutting down (and subsequent death). In addition to this basal rate there is an insulin bolus. A bolus is a one-time injection of insulin, typically spread out over a minute to minimize discomfort and pressure. A bolus is used to correct a high blood sugar or to compensate for consumed carbohydrates. New pumps have dynamic ways of injecting insulin, including extended boluses that spread out over time periods and combination boluses that can be spread out and delayed in order to facilitate different types of food being eaten or to facilitate an individual person's response to insulin (not everybody's body will respond to insulin in the same way). These devices can keep blood sugar records and even measure blood sugar as well if they have a blood glucose meter built in. My pump can keep records of 10,000 events in total, and it can calculate information such as 14-day average blood glucose numbers, average insulin delivery in a day (with a bit-by-bit breakdown of what's injected for food, correction, basal rates, etc). These new pumps can provide a whole host of statistics important to making decisions related to improving blood glucose control, adjusting meal times, meal amounts, etc. Pumps make a diabetic's quality of life better by making their lives easier, their blood sugars easier to control, and by reducing the number of holes they put in themselves.

Okay, that's it for pumps and shots and basic stuff with type 1 diabetics.

Type 2: Type 2 diabetics tend to have deficient insulin production, but their pancreas still produces some amount of insulin. If you see an individual who is very overweight, they more than likely will have or get Type 2 diabetes. However type 2 diabetics are not all fat, I've met many myself who have normal weights and who simply got the disease as an unfortunate result of their health/genetics. Type 2 diabetics will often times take pills that help their body in using the limited amount of insulin that they still produce. Their diets are often strictly controlled (on paper, at least) and require reduced amounts of carbohydrates, small meals, and healthy eating choices. Some type 2 diabetics also require supplemental insulin in the form of shots (see previous section on shots, it's the same deal). Type 2 diabetics are prone to becoming overweight, and tend to require strict exercise regimines. This helps their body use insulin and helps them lose or control their weight.

7/4/2006 11:55:13 PM

Part 2:

Blood glucose control and diabetes: In your body, your pancreas produces insulin to compensate for and to process glucose in your blood. A functioning pancreas will keep your blood sugars well under 140 mg/dl. When fasting, your blood sugar will be lower. After meals, your blood sugar will be higher. Diabetics almost always have blood sugars that are higher than their non-diabetic friends. This means a whole host of things for them, which I will go over in a minute. As far as control goes, it can only be achieved by regular monitoring. Diabetics monitor their blood glucose with blood glucose testing devices. These look like little tamagotchi type devices with two or three buttons and a small screen with a slot at the base. They're part of a kit which involves the testing device, a lancet (this is used to puncture the skin to procure blood), testing strips or testing strip drums, and control solution (used to determine if a lot of strips are defective or not). Basically a diabetic uses the lancet on their finger or arm, puts a strip into the tester (or if it uses a drum-feed system, they turn the pump on and it produces a single strip to test with so that it's hands-free), applies the tip of the strip to their blood, and waits for the result from the blood glucose tester (modern testers take 3-10 seconds for results). The strip is then discarded.

Once they have their blood sugar, they can determine to give themselves insulin to combat a high blood sugar, or perhaps to eat some simple sugar to boost a low blood sugar. Diabetics want to keep their blood glucose in a 100-150 range before meals (this would be good control). A low blood sugar will tend to be less than 80-90 and will have notable symptoms. High blood sugars will tend to be over 180-200 and will also have notable symptoms. I'll mention these later. Many diabetics in this country have bad blood glucose control. This is measured on an approximate 3 month average using an A1C blood glucose test. In this test, blood is withdrawn from the arm with a butterfly IV needle and the blood is tested to return a certain percentage. The average joe might have an A1C percentage of 4.5-5.5% (if memory serves). Doctors nowadays say diabetics should keep their A1C percentage under 7% to avoid complications, but new information shows that the percentage should be 6.5% or lower to avoid even more complications. MANY MANY MANY diabetics have A1C's over 7%. This is due to a lack of blood glucose control, which can be caused by ineffective/insufficient medical consultation, poor or unregulated diet, complete lack of exercise, and general lack of motivation on the part of the diabetic with respect to their blood glucose control (day-to-day diabetes control is a very difficult thing to put up with. It can cause even the most proactive minded individual to let their control get away from them from time to time). With my insulin pump, regular exercise (I don't do running or anything, I do walking, intensive yard work, and now I do field work at my present job in the daily heat), a reasonably consistant diet (I still get to eat milkshakes and cookies! I just eat it with reasonably balanced meals and never apart from meals), and regular glucose testing (five times a day usually) I have gotten my A1C glucose down to 6.0%. This is a rise from previous testing periods where it was 5.7% and 5.6% (3 and 6 months ago respectively). I'm trying to get it back down.

Complications of diabetes: The complications of diabetes are far reaching and devastating. With poor blood glucose control, individuals can develop nerve problems in their legs and arms that cause them severe pain, they can develop heart disease, and they can even require amputation of their limbs. They can develop kidney problems (including complete failure of the kidneys) which is caused by their kidneys being over-strained from processing sugar-rich blood all the time (excess sugar is a waste product discarded in the urine if not otherwise disposed of by insulin). Since sugar is discarded in the urine, diabetics also tend to be thirsty more than non-diabetics and have to urinate more often than non-diabetics. High blood sugar can also cause sight problems including glaucoma, and one of the warning signs of diabetes is blurred vision (the high sugar levels can cause the shape or the eye to change a bit, and high amounts of sugar will blur the vision anyway). Diabetics tend to have poor circulation in their extremities (it's really goddamned annoying sometimes when you just have to get up and do some arm and leg exercises and stretches to get the blood moving again), so while driving or flying they might require a break to walk around and get the sensation back. This is another reason to keep exercising. A strong heart reduces the problem of poor circulation. High and low blood sugars also have specific symptoms and side effects that I'll go over:

High-blood sugar side effects: These tend to show up most noticeably when blood glucose is over 200-280 mg/dl. Increased thirst, increased urination, increased perspiration without being hot, being tired, plus feeling uncomfortable, hot, or irritable. There may be nausea and sickness caused by ketosis (I'll go over this in the section after this, just wait up for it ), which can be cured with the application of a correction amount of insulin, juice, and some light exercise. VERY high blood sugars can cause blurred vision, unconsciousness, and even death. A sign that an individual has a high blood sugar when they are unconscious is a fruity smell in their breath. If you ever encounter ANY unconscious individual who has a fruity smell on their breath, it's caused by their blood turning to a more acidic PH level caused by a VERY high blood sugar (one over 500 mg/dl). If you ever encounter anyone in this sorry state, call the medical services immediately! Do not attempt to administer any sugar to the individual in question as that will obviously make it worse. If your date is confident in their blood glucose control and has insulin to give in shots, ask them if there's a certain amount you should give them in an emergency situation such as this in order to help them regain consciousness. This may be necessary if you are ever in a remote area where medical services are more than an hour away. Again, ask your date! I've been able to stay conscious and treat myself with a blood sugar of 468 before, and I've had blood sugars of 408 and 448 in the past 3 weeks that I was able to treat myself without other medical attention. I am saying this to let you know that their sugars may become very bad and they might still LOOK like they're OKAY. Look out for your date suddenly becoming delayed in response, red in the face, sweaty, and severely pissed off. If they look like this, ask them to check their blood sugar. Sometimes diabetics don't notice when some shit's going down and could use an outsider to keep an eye out on them. It happens to me sometimes and it's always something to keep an eye out for. Just don't be annoying about it and ask them every ten minutes.

Low-blood sugar side effects: These show up most noticeably when an individual's blood glucose levels are under 70-80 mg/dl. They will be shaky, confused, weak, hungry, dizzy, and so on (you should check webmd for more information on this btw). You can treat a low blood sugar with simple sugars or a glucagon shot (ask your date about their glucagon shot and how to use it). As far as simple sugars go, the diabetic can eat some skittles, fruit snacks, drink some juice or non-diet soda to treat the low blood sugar. If they're unconscious and no glucagon shot is available, grab yourself a tube of cake icing. Applying some cake icing to the gums in their mouth could increase their blood glucose enough to bring them out of unconsciousness, at which point they can consume more sugar (a little girl did this for her sister once, she saved her life). If you're concerned for them, keep some skittles in your pocket for them in case their blood sugars get low. Sometimes I run out, and I like it when people have candy in their pocket. They instantly become my best friend. If a diabetic's blood sugar drops under 40 mg/dl, they are dangerously at risk for falling into a coma. I've had a 34 mg/dl blood sugar before and been conscious, but I figure it was only just. Keep an eye out for the warning signs and make sure your diabetic takes care of themself before they go into a coma! If they do go into a coma, you generally need to do something fast. Their body will shut down if it doesn't have sugar to operate off of. Keep some cake icing on you just in case, and make sure you know how to use a glucagon shot in case the time comes. Waiting for the EMS may not be acceptable, and you should get your date's personal opinion on this just in case.

7/4/2006 11:57:20 PM

In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a bit of an information advocate for diabetes.

Part 3:

Diabetics and their diet: Your date may have a specialized diet that they need to adhere to as part of their diabetes. Me? I eat what I want when I want, and this doesn't always have the most beautiful results. Ask your date what they can eat and what they can't eat with their diabetes and try to plan dates around restaurants and cafes that offer food that will fit their diet and their tastes.

Alcohol and diabetics: Alcohol + Diabetics = Bad bad shit. Alcohol is turned into glucose after it is processed by the body. For diabetics, this means that their blood glucose goes up well after they drink alcohol. It's not always predictable how much it will go up, nor is it advised that a diabetic participate in moderate to heavy drinking. Don't push alcohol on your date. A diabetic who becomes drunk and begins vomiting is at rather bad risk for coma and/or death. If your diabetic friend ever starts vomiting after drinking, call the EMS. I'll go into vomiting in just a minute. Any diabetic who wants to drink should ask their endocrinologist/primary care doctor/diabetes educator before doing so, and they should always always ALWAYS drink in small amounts to avoid complications.

Vomiting and diabetics: There's a lot of complications associated with diabetes and vomiting. If a diabetic gives themselves insulin to compensate for a meal they've eaten, then they throw up after eating, they are VERY MUCH at risk for a comatose-level blood sugar. If this is ever the case, the diabetic should likely receive a glucagon shot immediately and test their blood sugar at 15-30 minute intervals to make sure that they are not in danger. On an empty stomach, or without insulin in the body, a diabetic who vomits will experience in increase in blood sugar levels. They will also be dangerously dehydrated which will cause them all sorts of problems (since again they're more dehydrated all the time due to their blood sugars being higher than yours). Some things to keep on hand to counter nausea and further vomiting are: Pepto Bismol and Emetrol. Pepto bismol is magic stuff. Unfortunately, I speak from experience. I used it the other night and it cured any after-effect nausrea when I was sick to my stomach. This allowed me to go to bed after I treated my blood sugar and drank 1.5 bottles of water (again, rehydration is important!!!). Emetrol is used for repeat-nausea caused by a stomach flu and the like (it's good stuff). You want to try to use before you go to the hospital if you're a diabetic. Me? I didn't have this stuff the past 2 times last year when I got a stomach flu. This meant 2 ER visits that lasted 4-6 hours in the lobby and 4-8 hours in the ER itself! This was terrible on my body and left me out of action for a week both times. A small <$20 bottle of emetrol could prevent a $1500 ER visit and allow you time to go do your primary care doctor and receive prescription medication (usually in the form of an anti-nausea suppository) to counter-act the nausea part of the flu. I think that sums up this disgusting subject.

Insulin, Prescriptions, and travelling: If you want to take your date out camping some time in the future or on a trip or something, you need to plan ahead. Make sure that there's plenty of ice available in the cooler you'll be taking with you to keep any insulin cool during the trip. Insulin is a protein you should know. Proteins break down in heat, and it's important to keep insulin cool! Hot insulin is essentially useless, kind of like bad eggs (and once it's hot it's pretty much gone, unless you know a way to un-cook eggs). You'll need to plan to keep extra supplies with you to be ready for any emergency, including any medical supplies that your date will need (extra needles, spare bottles of insulin, extra glucagon shots). If you're travelling and staying in a hotel, things are much easier, but you'll probably want to get the prescriptions kept on file at the pharmacy of your choice near where you're staying. Make sure the hotel you stay in has a minifridge as well. This way you can just put the insulin or spare insulin in the fridge (insulin can keep for years in a fridge). Keep in mind that you'll want to keep spare batteries along for any insulin pump, blood glucose tester, etc. Ask your date what sort of stuff they'd need to replace should anything go bad. Always make sure you know where any hospitals are in the area you're travelling in case you fall into a bad spot. Diabetic supplies also tend to be fragile. If you're going camping and throwing crap around, keeping the supplies in a soft backpack may be a bad idea. You might want to bring a hard container to keep insulin bottles and needles in. This way there's no concern of being completely screwed because all your syringes have bent needles.

The most important thing you can do to help out a diabetic: The best thing you can do for your date if you want to become a part of helping them out with their diabetes is to ask them how you can help! Just sit down and ask them what their routine is, what you should expect, and how you can help in case of an emergency. Ask them what sort of simple sugar they like so you can know what to keep in the glove box of your car (handy in an emergency!). Ask them what, if anything, of the stuff I've mentioned here applies to them! Every diabetic is different. We'll each have our own routine, our own diet, our own way of doing things. As such, it's always great to ask if you want to help and know what's up.




OKAY, I think this essay should fall into the "Any information would be helpful" category. Please let me know via PM or reply if there's any specific questions you have or if you'd like me to elaborate on anything. I have no problem with being open about my diabetes. I figure that the more people who know about the disease and its signs/treatment, the better a shot I have at a stranger saving my ass if I collapse in public one day.

Good luck on your new relationship!

7/4/2006 11:58:14 PM

^my brother has an insulin pump as well, it gave him so much more freedom. w00t technology

7/5/2006 12:21:23 AM

He is type 1 without a pump. He had a pump when he was little but not anymore. He gives shots in his arm. His dad had an insulin pump and it pumped too much/too little(?) and he fell face first on the ground and has frontal lobe damage...who knows what is going on with all that.

Thanks for all the info...give me a few to read through it all

7/5/2006 12:28:23 AM

mindstorm, you forgot sick day diabetes care

oral steroid use too

should have hired you to do our diabetes presentation in nursing school

^ oooh neuro case...........thats gonna be my specialty for the next year or so

frontal lobe -- the part of the brain that is responsible for personality. They are interesting patients.

[Edited on July 5, 2006 at 1:47 AM. Reason : interesting in that they like to throw punches and kick you]

7/5/2006 1:46:05 AM

you sure do date winners.

7/5/2006 2:28:32 AM

Anyone who's not a moron or ridiculously irresponsible should have no problem managing Type I without much trouble. Occasionally, though, the body does whatever the fuck it wants, and they'll start acting a little sluggish or panicky (though neither is linked specifically to being high/low). In that situation, the best thing you can do is be calm and supportive and make sure they get what they need, be it insulin or sugar. It's very unlikely that he'll end up unconcious and you'll have to stab him with a shot of glucagon, but be prepared to do it if it ever happens.

7/5/2006 3:26:28 AM

type I is definitely a bit more sensitive to what you eat, how much you eat, if you take care of yourself and your meds. if you've already noticed that your bf has a tendency to let his blood sugars drop low, it might be handy to get something like this:



i have type II diabetes, and i have a family member that has type I. he was over here the other night, and his sugar crashed. it was amazing how quickly orange juice works to get it back up. we walked into the kitchen, I poured him some juice, he was talking to my mom, and I headed back into the other room where we were playing. he walked back in maybe 2 minutes later, and was already feeling a LOT better. so OJ is always good to have for low blood sugar. or, a small coke is another option. (think small like the glass bottle cokes). my doc says to drink one of those, wait 15 min, and check the sugar.

high blood sugar can make a person look like they're drunk. a real sugar high is about as good as any drunken night i've had. if your bf keeps his glucometer with him at all times, the situation helps itself a lot, and eating right is important. i would just say that if he's ever acting out of the ordinary, check the sugar. also, if he's sick, or something different from normal, get him to check it too, b/c it tends to be affected when the body is off-kilter.

i didn't notice if you mentioned it or not, but does your bf seem to take care of his diabetes well? the father being in the hospital can either be a bad sign, that he's adopted his father's ways, or a good one. seeing a family member in the hospital b/c he didn't take care of himself and has diabetes too.

7/5/2006 7:55:02 AM

my wife (punchmonk) is type 1. you should definitely talk to this guy about it. he needs to tell you how it affects him cus everybody reacts a little differently. ask him what HE does when he's high/low, so that you can help him with it. ask him if he has trouble knowing when he is high/low. Some people don't realize it right away. OJ is def a big help for us. and a peanut butter sandwich.

7/5/2006 8:36:16 AM

Well, first thing. He's not my boyfriend as of yet. We have been hanging out for about a month and I didn't even know he was diabetic until about a week ago. Now, with that said, I am unsure how he cares for his disease.

Now that I know all of the above, I would lean to say he doesn't do a great job. I know he has a glucometer but I don't see him check it often. He goes off how he "feels"...so like, one night, his sugar was low and he could "feel it" so he drank a whole mountain dew...and then 20 minutes later, another whole soda. Then his sugar was high.

He gives himself shots before each meal and from what I can tell, doesn't drink regularly. BUT, like I said, when he does drink, he drinks a lot. I am not his girlfriend, which is why I have been cautious to delve into his disease and his family because right now we are casually dating and I am just trying to take things slowly but we have plans for dinner tonight and I plan on asking him a little about it then.

I do want to learn more so I can understand how diabetes affects someone so thanks again for all the information!

7/5/2006 9:56:28 AM

I am a borderline diabetic

simply because grandparents on both sides and the rest of my aunts and uncles have it or are borderline themselves

it sucks

7/5/2006 10:12:36 AM

don't get involved with him

7/5/2006 12:24:15 PM

Everyone on my dad's side of the family is diabetic. My grandfather died because he stepped on a thumbtack and had diabetic neuropathy, I think.

7/5/2006 1:52:33 PM

I'm also borderline but very close to crossing the line to becoming a Type II Diabetic.



For me, if my sugar drops, I usually have a packet of those cheese and peanut butter crackers to help boost my sugar level.

I also make sure I eat within 30 minutes of getting up in the morning, otherwise I'll have problems.

Just keep a close watch on the person, but don't treat them any differently than an ordinary person. Diabetics are people too, just with a little added challenge.

7/5/2006 1:59:16 PM

Quote :

"Now that I know all of the above, I would lean to say he doesn't do a great job. I know he has a glucometer but I don't see him check it often. He goes off how he "feels"...so like, one night, his sugar was low and he could "feel it" so he drank a whole mountain dew...and then 20 minutes later, another whole soda. Then his sugar was high."

Two sodas? Well damn, that would do it. I limit myself to one unless I'm sick and have major complications that cause my blood sugar to crash with ~13 units of insulin onboard. One full soda should be enough to deal with a bad low, but again I don't know everything about what happened or what his health status is.

Quote :

"don't get involved with him"

Haha, because he's diabetic? Awfully unkind thing to say.

7/5/2006 7:34:47 PM

^agreed. diabetics aren't scum of the earth, i promise.

now, for the 2 sodas thing...i do understand the feeling of having low blood sugar. but 2 sodas, ESP for a Type I diabetic, is pretty dangerous. also, i know it depends on the person, but i've had experiences where i've felt the same 'feeling' for high and low sugar. it depends on the kind of symptoms you get, but i know personally that i've felt similarly when i've had too low and too high sugars. i particularly remember one day i took my insulin (i'm type II but in january, i had some issues and the doc put me on insulin for safety, pretty much. so yes, i know how ignoring/not taking care of yourself can mess you up). anyway, i took my insulin, and decided i'd be okay to get over to hillsborough st for lunch. i caught the bus and by the time i got off the bus i was SO dizzy. i had planned on going somewhere across hillsborough, but literally had to go to the closest place from that bus stop, just to get a soda and sit down.

but i've also had that dizzy feeling from high sugars. basically, it depends on the person. but he sounds like how i used to treat my diabetes. "Yeah, yeah, I check my sugar. Sure. And I usually get my meds, blah blah, alcohol is okay, etc." I still do drink, something I need to stop, but if you're not atleast somewhat dedicated to taking care of the diabetes, it'll mess your body up.

7/5/2006 8:19:36 PM

Quote :

"don't get involved with him"

i would guess that if he doesnt care about himself then he would treat a SO just as bad

[Edited on July 5, 2006 at 8:20 PM. Reason : quote]

7/5/2006 8:19:36 PM

^ That's really not the case. It does depend on the individual, but honestly if he doesn't take care of his diabetes it's probably got little to do with how he'd treat his girlfriend, father, brother, etc.

I honestly just don't have the patience to take perfect care of myself all the time. Sometimes I'll have a bad week where my sugars aren't perfect because the strain of thinking in carbohydrates and making hundreds of calculations of blood sugar adjustments and predicted blood sugar numbers and all that damn stuff just burns you out and leaves you needing some sort of a week off. Obviously you can't TAKE a week off with diabetes, so you have some bad spots like that.

To the average person it might look like he takes poor care of himself, but more than likely he's just having a rough week or two and could use a vacation.

Again, don't discount him just because he's diabetic or he occasionally has some problems.

7/5/2006 8:41:46 PM

I think not getting involved is sane advice.

She's MOST DEFINITELY not gonna find her husband in this young lad...so why waste time fucking a diabetic?

7/5/2006 9:40:40 PM

Well, I just got back from the beach. The diabetic...I don't know what to think. He is difficult to read, to keep up with....

I was trying to figure out if it was his disease or his personality or his level of maturity. I'm thinking it is the latter two.. I am jaded with this shit right now but atleast I know a little bit more about him but for now, he is on the back burner.

7/6/2006 11:40:17 AM

wow

7/6/2006 11:46:16 AM

so how did this turn out

i'm guessing like the rest of them

8/31/2006 6:12:32 PM

Also- blood sugar often changes after exercise. My boyfriend is Type I and he is very active; he surfs and we go hiking a lot. His blood sugar often gets low when he is out in the water for a while, so he carries these awesome liquid packets with him in his pocket. Health food stores and REI and places like that have these packets that can quickly raise your blood sugar....you just bite off the top and drink them. I know powergel is one brand, but there are some called Honey Stingers that don't taste like shit and are very convenient.

I've also found that those honey straws you can buy at those stores like cracker barrel and mast general are perfect for keeping handy in the car.

I tend to take lots of honey packets from coffee shops & fast food places as well.....another easy fix to low sugar that won't ever go bad.

8/31/2006 6:43:47 PM

i had no idea how complicated diabetes was

the only person i've ever known with it was my grandpa and he didn't develop it until around the time he died

i also didnt know it was so common among young people-- is it mostly genetic?

who would have though tww would have TAUGHT me something

8/31/2006 7:19:29 PM

I am completely healthy as far as I know. *knocks on wood*

[Edited on August 31, 2006 at 7:50 PM. Reason : shameless plug]

8/31/2006 7:48:29 PM

why dont you just ask him, i bet he knows

8/31/2006 7:49:26 PM

did you hear about the new inhalation powder Rx used to treat diabetes?

http://www.exubera.com/content/con_index.jsp?setShowOn=../content/con_index.jsp&setShowHighlightOn=../content/con_index.jsp

8/31/2006 8:03:33 PM

you are such a douchebag

8/31/2006 8:30:42 PM

I've known three guys who found out on or right next to their 20th, 22nd, and 23rd birthdays. All three had no family history whatsoever and all were very healthy (i.e. not overweight).

A doctor suggested to my boyfriend that sometimes if your body is sick with something like mono or strep it can actually get so sick that it triggers diabetes to occur. My boyfriend had been really thirsty and tired and he finally went to the doctors....they told him he had mono AND diabetes.

One of the other guys I know had a similar thing happen...he had some throat sickness for a little while and he went to the doctors and they told him he also had diabetes.

**IN NO WAY am I saying that mono causes diabetes....I am saying that if your body already "carries the gene" or has diabetes, it might not show up until later on in life or if you get seriously ill.

[Edited on August 31, 2006 at 9:54 PM. Reason : ps]

8/31/2006 9:47:03 PM

one of my coworkers husband's sister died of it recently....they wanted to cut her foot off, but she just wanted them to cut the sore out....she had been in and out of the hospital for awhile...she died last week from it.

8/31/2006 10:15:59 PM