It actually happened.
I was in the doctor's office for a second TB Skin test . . . nothing much, just an "in and out" appointment. The only exciting part of this visit was that I got to have Hannah along with me!
I've had a cold for a while. The reason I say this is because it makes me feel low. Whenever I have felt low, I would test my blood sugar and it ended up being high. The only problem with this, is that I have begun to ignore that "low sensation".
After my nurse finished the TB test, we began chatting and getting our stuff together to leave.
That's when it hit me
When I go really low, I feel this nauseating feeling deep inside of me. A feeling that if I don't get sugar . . . things are going to get really bad.
I turned to Hannah and told her I needed to test. Only problem was, we had both left our testers in my car. I had tested before going in and my number was 130. I didn't think I could possibly have any problems.
From this point, I went down fast.
I remember I began shaking. Everything was blurring and I began to panic.
The nurse hit the panic button and then . . . I don't remember much of anything - mainly because I passed out.
As the story is told to me:
Hannah and the nurse were able to pry my mouth open and begin feeding a glucose powder down my throat. Medical staff rapidly arrived and began filling the room.
A few minutes later I regained consciousness. I felt miserable. I was hot, sweaty, and very nauseous. I woke up to glucose gel and powder still being fed into my mouth. Though I didn't want to, I forced myself to swallow. I knew that if I didn't, I would only get worse.
After I reentered the world, the medical staff was able to acquire a tester.
130
(Though I really wish I knew my number when I passed out, that will be a fact I will never really know.)
They helped me into a stretcher and took me to the ER for stabilization.
Upon my arrival, they began monitoring me and running tests. The EKG came back great, and all of my vitals stabilized. I retested my blood sugar and I was 145. Not bad considering the large amount of sugar I took in!
Thankfully, I'm better now.
I'm at home, still trying to recover mentally from the trauma of the whole scenario. I feel like it was all a dream.
And to be perfectly honest, I'm scared . . . I can't help it - it's just a reality I have to "reface" now. Because I have finally had a major low, I feel very paranoid that I am going to bottom out again.
It's a fact that any Type One will face in these unnerving situations.
Yet I'm learning I have to look at the other side.
I have a lot to thank God for!
For one, I am alive! Second, I could have been driving. Had I passed out while driving, things could have been much worse. Third, what better place to have it happen then at a hospital! And lastly, though this was a terrible experience- it really ended well!
I know I'll be okay, I just have to catch my breath, calm down, and re-think my Type One.