09/24/02: Hypoglycemia
 

I got a new toy today: a blood glucose meter. I'm not diabetic, but I am hypoglycemic. If I don't eat at <i>least</i> every 4 hours, I get tired, weak, shakey, confused, and very irritable. All I have to do to fix it is eat. Food is my medicine. About 5-10 minutes after I eat, I get a warm tingling sensation somewhere in the top of my body, which then rushes down my spine in a great surge of energy, Then, I feel <i>great</i>, as if i've snorted cocaine or meth. It's really weird to feel high just from having eaten. I've never been tested by a doctor, but my symptoms are so obvious that i've self-diagnosed myself.

So, i've seen these little gadgets in Wal-Mart that monitor your blood glucose level. It's supposed to be for diabetics, but I figured I could use it, too. They give you this little pen-looking thing to prick your finger. You cock it, and press the button, and this little needle shoots out of it and pricks your finger. Then, you put a 'test strip' into the device, and sqeeze a drop of your blood onto this little square on the strip. Your blood then reacts with a chemical in the strip, causing a chemical reaction that gives off tiny bits of electricity. The device then reads those electrical signals and figures out how much glucose you have in your blood. Then, your blood glucose level is displayed on a little screen. How cool is that?? The device was around $8, and the box of test strips was $20.


http://comp.uark.edu/~dmorton/images...cose_meter.jpg


When I first tested myself, I was 80. Normal is supposed to be between 80-120, but each person is different. My wife scored a 134. After i'd been playing with this for about 30 minutes, I started feeling queasy, and I knew that if I didn't eat, within an hour i'd be freaking out. I tested myself again, and I had dropped to 74. I had dinner, and tested myself again: 82. I hope it got higher than that eventually. I think I tested myself too soon after eating.

Today, I tested a 92 before dinner, and a 109 afterwards. I had been snacking on doritos before, and I guess those really helped a lot. Yesterday i'd been at work and hadn't had a chance to eat anything.

Seeing how fast I dropped within a 30 minute period (from 80 to 74) tells me that I sometimes get a lot lower.. probably in the 50-60 range. I think it's really neat to be able to quantify it like this. I was doing okay before just going by how I felt, but this really appeals to my scientific nature.



Also, my wife bought me this killer leather chair tonight. Isn't it cool?? Much better than my old one, which was around 10 years old, not leather, and falling apart.

http://comp.uark.edu/~dmorton/images/misc/new_chair.jpg

It was made in China, lovingly, by 12 year old amputee Chinese kids. I'm always glad to contribute to a worthy cause, whether it be killing cows or helping support kids. Won't someone think of the children?

That explains a few posts. ;)

Aye, confusion and tendency to extreme irritability do not lend themselves well to intelligible posts.

set cookies ... and milk. :)

I had a friend in college who had reactive hypoglycemia. (As I recall, the reactive part meant he shouldn't have stuff like candy.) The interesting bit is that since the university required dorm residents to buy the meal plan, they were obligated to meet any medically necessary diet requirements of the students. They dealt with my friend by allowing him to stop by & pick up food whenever he felt like it, including raw ingredients for later cooking back in the room. (He never took advantage of it to get a little extra and fix dinner for his friends. Nope, never. Not once.)

Yay for the chair. Personally, I can't do leather, because I have a tendency to sit at computers for stupidly large amounts of time, and that leads to moisture build-up with leather, and that leads to <i>discomfort</i>. But if it works for you, then that's good. I think one should have a comfortable computer chair if they're spending any amount of time there. Comfortable, and one that forces correct posture.

I have an Aeron and I think it's pretty great. It's solved the "sitting at a computer for hours and hours and then getting up and having a sweaty ass" problem, and it's comfortable to boot. You can see it here: http://www.metastudios.com/images/temp-setup.jpg

Anyway... yay for blood glucose testing kits too. I might have to pick one up just to play with and see how I'm doing. :)

That's a great idea. :) They let me eat at work when we're not busy, though we're not supposed to eat unless we mess up a pizza. I feel really guilty about exploiting it, though. I feel like i'm playing the victim, and I'd like to think that I can "take care of it myself", even though unless I eat, I really can't. I try to just eat before I get there.

Now if only you can figure out how to use the tungsten white-balance feature on your camera, you'll be all set!

My lifepartner has some of the same bloodsugar metabolism issues, although after a long period spent on a severe low-carbohydrate diet, things were a lot better for her, even after leaving the diet.

One important issue to keep in mind is the distinction between simple and complex carbs; sugar will burn off quickly yielding a spike, followed by a secondary crash while starches have a slower burn and will stick with you longer.

Speaking of burn rate, didn't fuckedcompany have an "Aeron chair index"? It was based on the theory that the more Aeron chairs a dotcom had, the more quickly it would burn though it's VC money...

Then the market is flooded with them, the price drops and it's time to buy! I sure do love dot-com burnouts. :)

A lot of people look down at the Aeron. "Must be one of those uppity bastards, has an Aeron." Well, mine was free and worth every penny. My back doesn't hurt after sitting in it for hours, it's comfortable and adjustable to just about any body shape/size. I highly recommend them. They're not all hype.

http://comp.uark.edu/~dmorton/images...ew_chair_b.jpg

Hmm... I think I can discern a tiny difference...


I do try to look for complex carbs. The only problem is that I am a very picky eater. It's really hard for me to find something that's good for me and tastes good, too. I have started eating potatos occasionally. I haven't come across much else, though.

EDIT -- fixed vertical lines.

Argh! I don't know where those vertical lines came from. Maybe feh corrupted it when I rotated and saved it. Anyway, you get the idea. I like a chair that completely envelopes you. Sort of like a lightweight recliner. I should be able to sleep in my chair comfortably.

"Free" is a pricepoint that's hard to argue with.

Workstation ergonomics are extremely important, and the more you use a workstation the more important they are. I'm sure an Aeron must be a very nice chair. Were someone to offer me one free I'd thank them very kindly and take the chair before they could change their minds

Okay...hold the presses here.

You've not been checked out by a doctor, juju?

*slaps Juju 30 or 40 times*

Being well-read on it is one thing, but you really SHOULD get checked out by a doctor. They have a health clinic on campus that's dirt cheap, right?

LOL. You're right, of course. I haven't had health insurance until a couple weeks ago, though, and I just didn't want to pay for it all myself. So that's really why I never went. I'm pretty sure they don't have a health clinic on campus.

I guess I should go. I know what they're going to do, though. They're going to starve me for a very long time, then give me this orangy-drink, and then see how my blood sugar level changes. I hate crashing, so i've kind of been putting it off a little. It not only slams my body while my blood sugar is low, but after it's risen again, I still feel tired from having undergone such shock.

You're right, though. I'll make an appointment. I'll feel like a fool if they tell me I don't have it, though. I'm pretty sure they won't, though. If I don't have it, there's sure as hell something wrong with me.

On the plus side, perhaps my new insurance will cover the $20 test strips?

I don't think they'll starve you for a long time. You'll be asked to show up one morning without having eaten after dinner the evening before, and without having had breakfast.

I suspect your insuance will cover test strips if you can get a doc to prescribe them for you.

Syc is right...it hadn't ocurred to me you weren't under care for this. Metabolic disease is no joke; my lifeparter I mentioned earlier was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis many years ago. She's been on synthetic thyroid ever since.

At the time, the doc told her "I'm glad we caught this now, if it had gone on a few months more, I might only have been able to keep you somewhat comfortable until you died."

It's not like there's a cure for it. The only thing you can really do is make sure you eat every 4 hours and change your diet.

The only thing I would get out of going to the doctor would be confirmation of my suspicions, and relief that it's not something more serious. Those are still good enough reasons to go. But I don't really feel like i'm in any serious trouble, since I think I understand what's going on.

Well, like I said, Gwen's had enormous improvement in her sugar swings after she went on that diet for a while--she's been off it for over a year now, but is still vastly improved from hw brittle she used to be. .

While there isn't a cure, things definately can be improved. And it's not a bad idea to rule out anything else being a problem. Even thogh it is admittedly a PITA to do so.

http://comp.uark.edu/~dmorton/images...ose_meter2.jpg

Man, I felt like shit today.

diabetic
 

now, i'm a diabetic and my sugar goes high if i'm not careful...the other day i just couldn't stay awake, and when my mind cleared enough to test, it was 282. (aaah!)

you may be able to go to a campus clinic or the local diabetes association for strips. also, if you call accu check & tell them you have blood sugar issues, you may be able to get a free something... they gave me a free meter.

you can get prescriptions for strips....... they're the most expensive part of diabetes -- besides the operations to get body parts removed -- not that i've had those yet.

i don't know if this matters, or if they do it for hypoglycemics, but in ohio, if you're a diagnosed diabetic, they make you take an "okay to drive" permission slip to the department of motor vehicles in order to get your license. i guess something about driving around in a sugar coma doesn't appeal to the little auto kings. i guess since being overcome with high or low sugar is so much like being drunk.

Hmm... how do they know whether or not you're a diagnosed diabetic? They just ask you, then throw you in jail if they find out you lied about it?

Well, I would suspect that if you slipped into a sugar attack, caused an accident that killed someone, and you had not noted your condition with the motor vehicle folks, you could be charged with something like negligent homicide, rather than it just being chalked up to an accident.

Juju, have you been to the doctor yet? Do I need to make an unscheduled trip to Fayetteville for an ass-whipping?

Oooh! Even better! You're in Directory Assistance! ;)

Uhmm.... well, okay, no not exactly. :} But I will soon! I have a very busy schedule, you see. I work a whole 3 days this week!

Just do it juju. A friend of mine totaled his car two weeks ago after dropping his kid off at school. Diabetes is not something to screw around with.

hypoglycemiers anonymous
 

Juju, I am also self-diagnosed hypoglycemia and have yet to find a decent remedy to the problem besides dropping sugar completely. Although, I admire your scientific approach to the matter. I couldn't do it, myself. I am horrified of needles, not to mention the fact that pulling blood from my veins is almost as easy as pulling feathers out of a pillow without cutting a hole. I would make a lousy heroin addict.

It was a while until I realized that this "feeling" I got was actually called something and didn't affect everyone the way it affects me. The biggest problem with it that I can think of is trying to convince people who don't know anything about that "feeling" what it is like and that I am really not grumpy...just...need...sugar!

Anyway, I have been wandering here for several months and decided to finally post, so hello. :)

~Case

Re: hypoglycemiers anonymous
 

My lifepartner is being worked up for coronary artery disease...she's had what were apparently some ischemic attacks already.

As a reaction to a past trauma, she's utterly petrified of anything that violates her body space, especially needles. . She's currently seeing a hypnotherapist to get past the needlephobia enough so she can have an angiogram and angioplasty.

Worth considering. It's covered by her insurance.

Discomfort leads to anger, anger leads to hate. Hate leads to the dark side....
sorry.

Gotta agree with dave though, leather chairs get on my nerves for that reason. Got a hard backed chair now, wooden, keeps my posture half decent anyway.

Re: hypoglycemiers anonymous
 

Wow, cool! I never expected to garner someone's first post. :) Welcome to the Cellar!

The needle doesn't really hurt that much. At least, I don't think so. Of course, I convinced my wife of this so I could test her blood sugar level, and she shortly thereafter accused me of tricking her. Her immediate words were, "That hurt like shit!! You lied to me!!!". Heh heh. I didn't really lie, I just didn't think it hurt too bad. It's more like a good pinch. It's not a giant needle that draws blood. All it does it puncture your skin. Most times I had to squeeze on my finger before even one drop of blood would come out.

I find that I don't really need to do this test, though. I know myself well enough now that I realize when i'm losing energy and I eat something. It is a fun toy, though.

Also, I don't think I could ever get off sugar. It's the most reliable short-term way of fending off an attack. I quit drinking soda because of the caffeine, and that seems to have stabalized me quite a bit.

I know what you mean about telling other people about it. I kinda prefer not to, because generally they don't understand, and i'd just as soon not be pitied. But on the other hand, I find that I often have to tell people, because there's no other way to explain to someone why you <i>must eat now</i>. I mean, what the hell is the matter with you? Can't you just wait 10 more minutes? NO DAMMIT!! Get out of my way! I HATE YOU! Heh..and then I just to explain my outburst an hour later.

I don't mind the moisture build up. I kinda like the feeling when you get stuck to the chair and have to pull yourself off of it. It feels neat!

.....you sick freak :P
Gah i can't stand that. Stuck ina chair for a few hours on a typical summer day here (35-40c) for a few hours and you need a spatula to disconnect yourself. Needles aren't that bad, even after the first time i went to asia and it looked like i was a herion addict it wasn't that bad and hell i've had my tongue pierced so i think i'm qualified to say even 'painful' needles aren't that bad.

Well, thank you for the welcome. I have been watching this community grow for quite a while now and was hoping for an opportunity to "chime in." Juju's place is certainly one of my favorites so far, along with Iotd and the Entertainment section.

~Case