I’m Okay. You’re Okay.
Please repeat that title out loud. I’m okay. You’re okay.
I’m starting to get very exasperated with people peeking at my meter when I test my blood sugar then freaking out. (It’s even better are when dining companions arch an eyebrow and go, “Well?” as if they’re entitled to know what my blood sugar is.)
If you’re one of the people who I will actually share my number with, then I need you to stay. calm. Whatever number appears. If it’s high, don’t freak out. If it’s low, don’t freak out. I rarely freak out about my numbers, whether good or bad. Keep calm and carry on folks.
When I’m low
I can be fully functional and completely unaware of a 40 something low blood sugar. But the moment that 40 pops onto my screen, onlookers will freak out. I know that 40 something is not good, but don’t stress me out. Let me drink my juice or chomp my glucose tabs. By all means, keep an eye on me if you know that I’m low, but don’t be all dial-happy and ready to call the paramedics. I have been as low as 33 and been perfectly able to walk and unwrap a straw.
When I’m super low
I’ve also been 68 and incapable of opening a bottle because I’m shaking too badly. I can’t always function when low, but I’ve been able to manage in the past. Like you would do with anyone struggling with something, offer to help. Help me stick a straw in my juice box if I need, but do it with a level head.
When I’m high
High blood sugar happens. Whether it’s a bad site, mystery carbs or that fact that I have a non-functional pancreas, I will occasionally have high blood sugar and I will take insulin to correct it. The high numbers are my deal and hearing someone say, “Wow that’s high!” to me isn’t helpful. I can guarantee that I have more stock in that number than you do, seeing as how I’m the one facing complications if I’m regularly up there.
When I’m great
Good numbers are good. But they’re also the normal that I strive for and achieve on a fairly regular basis. I don’t need a superficial, “Hey that’s good” when I clock in at 100 before I’m about to eat.
I’m a person, I’m more than my numbers and I’m more than my diabetes. I like to be encouraged and helped when I ask for it. I was trained to stay calm in many scenarios and address the problem. I try to treat my diabetes with the same approach so I need those around me to keep a level head as well.
I’ve shared this etiquette page from Accu-chek before, it’s something that I would appreciate my close friends and family reading.
If I’m okay. You’re okay.
Okay?
(Images in this post were generated using http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/)
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Posted on June 21, 2012, in Commentary, Type 1 Diabetes and tagged Conversation, Diabetes, Family, health, Life online, Rachel, Type 1 Diabetes. Bookmark the permalink. 18 Comments.
probablyrachel 
Good post Rachel. I wish all non-D people could read it and absorb the message.
Great post. My 9.5 year old daughter won’t let anyone see her numbers until she’s absorbed them. And teaching everyone else how to not react to a low or high is a real pain in the rump.
I totally understand! It’s super stressful if people react to my numbers before I’ve absorbed them.
YES. YES YES and YES again. Those meter peekers!! Awesome post.
Great post! I’ve learned today that there’s more than just the meter-peekers though. Over a five-minute stretch this afternoon, my pump/CGM kept beeping at me and I kept pulling it out to check it. My boss was sitting across from me asked if everything was OK, and I told him it was (I was actually 52, but we were just about to eat lunch and I didn’t want to make a big scene).
My boss is really good about working with my diabetes, but every time my Dexcom vibrates, she asks, “Are you ok? Do you need to do something?” It’s nice to know we’re cared about at work!
I admit it. I’m a meter peaker, but getting better. My new hubby had been having a ton of lows, many of them to the psychosis point, and he was completely unaware that they’d drop. I’m sure as time goes on I’ll learn to trust the new insulin, and once we get the Dexcom it will be a ton better. My husband was type 1 the whole time we started dating, but just started having the scary lows the week before our wedding, so it’s taken adjustments on getting used to how his body works and learning how to react.
Hi Betty! Thanks for reading. One thing that I think I’ll need to follow up on is that my husband has 100% access to my numbers because he’s my caretaker when I’m impaired by a low or something else (like anesthesia). I hope that the Dexcom helps catch his lows, it’s been helpful to me to have it!
I’m definitely looking forward to the Dexcom. We were at walmart and I could tell his blood sugar was getting low but didn’t have the meter to check it. Turns out I had divided the numbers wrong for the Carbs we were eating for dinner and he took about 10 more units than he should have.
Thank you so much for posting this – I am more than just my number! 😉
Oh I love this!!!! I want to send a link to this post to everyone I know!! 🙂
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