One thing I have learned after living with Type 1 diabetes for so many years is that low blood sugars have absolutely terrible timing.
They do not wait until you are sitting comfortably at home with juice nearby. They can happen while you are at work, walking through Walt Disney World, exploring a museum, traveling, eating out, or apparently while you are spending an afternoon looking at fish at the aquarium.
Some lows are easy to catch and treat. Some are annoying. Some turn into funny memories.
And every once in a while, one gets scary.
Over the years, I have treated low blood sugars in more places than I could probably count, but a few recent ones definitely stand out.
A Simple Aquarium Trip That Turned Into a Blood Sugar of 39
A couple of weekends ago, Steven and I were spending the day at the aquarium when my blood sugar started dropping.
My Dexcom G7 showed that I was around 70 and trending low.
I actually had fruit snacks with me, so I had something available to treat it right away.
But I hesitated.
One thing I constantly think about when treating a low is trying not to overtreat it and end up with a rebound high afterward. Since we were at the aquarium, I decided to get Dippin’ Dots instead.
In my mind, it seemed like a good option. I knew I needed carbs, but I did not really want to get a regular Coke, drink only part of it, and then worry that I had taken in too much sugar.
So I ate the Dippin’ Dots and waited.
About 15 minutes later, I manually checked my blood sugar.
39.
My blood sugar had gone from around 70 to 39 in roughly 20 minutes.
That was the lowest I had been in public in a long time.
At that point, the concern went from, “Okay, I am going low,” to, “We need to get this back up.”
Steven immediately went to get me a regular Coke.
Even though he was only gone for a minute or so, neither one of us particularly liked that minute.
When I was 14 years old, I passed out from a severe low when my blood sugar dropped into the 30s. That happened a long time ago, but it is one of those memories that never completely leaves you.
So sitting there with a blood sugar of 39 while Steven walked away to find a Coke definitely brought some of that fear back for both of us.
Thankfully, he was back quickly.
I drank the Coke, and instead of trying to rush through the rest of the aquarium, we found a place to sit in front of the huge fish tank.
For the next 20 minutes or so, we just sat there and watched the fish while we waited for my blood sugar to respond.
Honestly, if you have to sit somewhere and wait for your blood sugar to come back up, watching a giant aquarium full of fish is not the worst place to do it.
Eventually, my Dexcom started showing that my blood sugar was trending back upward. Once we both felt comfortable that I was headed in the right direction, we got up and continued exploring the aquarium.
But apparently diabetes was not finished with me for the day.
A few hours later, we went to California Dreaming for lunch.
While we were there, I started getting that familiar feeling that my blood sugar might be dropping again.
I manually checked.
68.
Another low.
This time, I had a regular Coke with my California Dreaming Salad and treated the low while we ate lunch.
Thankfully, this one was not nearly as dramatic as the 39 at the aquarium, but having two lows within a matter of hours was definitely a reminder of just how unpredictable Type 1 diabetes can be.
Looking back at that aquarium low, it also reminded me of something important.
Sometimes, I can become so focused on avoiding a rebound high that I hesitate when I probably need to treat more aggressively. I had fruit snacks with me, but I was worried about sending my blood sugar too high afterward.
That day was a good reminder that getting a low blood sugar back to a safe level comes first. I can deal with a high later.
A Low at the Charleston Museum
Not every low becomes as dramatic as the aquarium.
On August 8th, Steven and I decided to do something a little different and visit the Charleston Museum.
Neither one of us had ever been before, even though we had driven past it plenty of times. That day, we decided to finally go inside, explore, and try something new together.
After checking in, we made our way upstairs and stopped to look at the huge whale skeleton. From there, we started walking through the different galleries, looking at all of the artifacts and exhibits throughout the museum.
Not too long into our visit, I started feeling like my blood sugar was dropping.
My Dexcom said I was around 80.
But something did not feel right.
So I pulled out my meter and manually checked.
60.
Thankfully, this time I was prepared with exactly what I needed. I had a juice and two packs of fruit snacks with me.
So we stopped.
I treated the low, found somewhere to sit, and gave my blood sugar time to come back up.
About 20 minutes later, I manually tested again. Once I knew I was back in a safer range and feeling better, we were able to get up and continue enjoying everything the museum had to offer.
It was not nearly as scary as the aquarium low, but it was another reminder of why I carry low blood sugar treatments everywhere we go.
Even on a simple afternoon outing close to home, diabetes can suddenly change the plans for a little while.
Thankfully, because I had my meter, juice, and fruit snacks with me, that low became a short pause in our day instead of something much more serious.
My Favorite Place to Treat a Low: Walt Disney World
If I had to choose a “favorite” place to have a low blood sugar, it would probably be Walt Disney World.
Obviously, I would rather not go low at all.
But if it is going to happen, Disney makes treating one a little more fun.
I always pack snacks with me when we go to the parks, but sometimes a low gives me an excuse to grab one of the many Disney treats around us.
There are Mickey-shaped snacks everywhere, and if we happen to be over near Aloha Isle, one of my favorite treats is a Dole Whip.
I am also not afraid to stop wherever we are and check my blood sugar.
We could be walking through the middle of a park, standing off to the side of a busy walkway, waiting for an attraction, or even already on the ride itself.
Yes, I have tested my blood sugar on Disney rides before.
One time, I started feeling low while Steven and I were riding Haunted Mansion.
So I pulled out my meter and tested my blood sugar right there in our Doom Buggy.
The best part? Our ride photo captured the moment.
Everyone else gets a Haunted Mansion ride photo, and mine happened to document a very real Type 1 diabetes moment: me checking my blood sugar while riding through the attraction.
It is one of those pictures that makes me laugh because it perfectly sums up what traveling with diabetes can look like sometimes.
Sitting on the Floor at Wilderness Lodge
On our Disney trip last December, Steven and I decided to do some resort hopping after spending the evening at Magic Kingdom.
We made our way over to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and had dinner at Roaring Fork before walking around and exploring the resort.
Somewhere along the way, my blood sugar started dropping.
I may have taken a little too much insulin for dinner, or it could have been a combination of the insulin and all of the walking we did afterward.
Either way, diabetes decided it was time for another break.
So I sat down on the ground and treated the low.
At this point, Steven and I have been through enough low blood sugars together that not every one of them becomes a serious or scary moment.
I was sitting there making jokes and laughing while we waited for my blood sugar to come back up, and Steven snapped a quick picture of me sitting on the floor.
It is definitely not the glamorous side of a Disney vacation.
But it is real.
Sometimes our Disney memories are fireworks, rides, character photos, and Mickey-shaped snacks.
And sometimes they are me sitting on the floor of a Disney resort waiting for my blood sugar to come back up while Steven takes pictures and I make jokes about the situation.
That is part of traveling with Type 1 diabetes too.
And Then There Are the Lows at Work
Of course, lows do not only happen when Steven and I are out exploring somewhere fun.
They happen at work too.
Those are probably some of the lows I dislike the most.
When I am at work, I want to be taking care of my patients. So when my blood sugar drops and I have to stop for 15 or 20 minutes to treat it, sit down, and wait for it to come back up, I hate feeling like diabetes is pulling me away from what I am there to do.
I would much rather be caring for my patients than sitting somewhere waiting for my blood sugar to come back up.
But I also know something equally important: I cannot safely take care of my patients if I am not taking care of myself first.
I have also had some interesting moments at work where my Dexcom and my meter did not seem to agree.
One time, my Dexcom was showing that I was 64, and I felt low. I manually tested and my meter said 108.
That number did not match how I felt at all. So instead of brushing it off, I retested about a minute later.
62.
That second number made a lot more sense with both how I felt and what my Dexcom was showing.
Moments like that are exactly why I pay attention to my symptoms and why I am willing to manually test more than once if something does not seem right.
That can be hard to accept in the moment, especially when I would much rather get right back to what I was doing.
But a low blood sugar is not something I can simply push through.
So I treat it, give myself those few minutes, make sure my blood sugar is moving in the right direction, and then get back to caring for my patients once I know I am safe to do so.
It is one of those reminders that taking care of myself is also part of being able to take care of other people.
Diabetes Does Not Care What You Had Planned
That is probably the biggest lesson behind all of these stories.
Diabetes does not care what you had planned.
It does not care if you just paid to get into a museum.
It does not care if you are riding Haunted Mansion.
It does not care if you are in the middle of your workday.
It does not care if you are exploring an aquarium or walking around a Disney resort after dinner.
When your blood sugar starts dropping, everything else becomes secondary for a little while.
Everyone around you might still be walking, talking, eating, working, riding rides, or looking at fish.
But when you are low, your world gets a little smaller.
The plans can wait.
The attraction can wait.
The rest of the museum can wait.
Work may have to wait.
First, I have to get my blood sugar back to a safe level.
And I have learned that I would much rather stop for 15 or 20 minutes, sit down, treat the low, and know that I am okay than try to push through it just because I do not want diabetes interrupting the moment.
The museum will still be there.
Disney will still be there.
The fish will still be swimming around that giant tank.
And my patients deserve for me to come back to them when I am able to safely give them the care they need.
Why I Carry Low Treatments Everywhere
Experiences like these are exactly why I am rarely without something to treat a low blood sugar.
I carry low treatments in my everyday bags, my work bag, my Disney park bag, and when we are traveling.
Sometimes they stay there untouched all day.
But then there are days when I am extremely thankful I packed them.
I also still carry a blood glucose meter with me even though I wear a Dexcom G7.
CGMs are incredibly helpful, and I rely on mine every single day, but I have also had times when the number on my Dexcom did not match what my blood sugar actually was when I checked with my meter.
The Charleston Museum was a perfect example. My Dexcom said I was around 80, but I felt low. When I manually tested, I was actually 60.
That is why, if I feel different from what my sensor is showing me, I do not ignore how I feel. I manually check.
I have had other situations where my Dexcom was showing one blood sugar while my meter gave me a very different number. Sensors measure glucose differently than a traditional blood glucose meter, and sometimes there can be a delay between what is happening in my blood and what is showing on my CGM.
For me, carrying a meter is an important backup. It gives me another way to check what is happening, especially when I am dropping quickly, my symptoms do not match my Dexcom, or something about the reading just does not seem right.
Technology has made managing Type 1 diabetes so much easier in many ways, but I still trust how my body feels.
The aquarium was another reminder that even when I think I know how my blood sugar is going to respond, diabetes can surprise me.
A 70 can become a 39 faster than I expect.
A normal afternoon can suddenly require a 20-minute break.
And something as simple as a Coke, a juice, a pack of fruit snacks, or the glucose meter tucked into my bag can become one of the most important things I packed that day.
Because Apparently Diabetes Wanted to Prove My Point
And because Type 1 diabetes apparently wanted to help me prove the point of this entire blog post, my blood sugar started going low while I was sitting here writing it.
You really cannot make this stuff up.
Apparently, low blood sugars truly do not care where you are — even if you are literally writing a blog post about low blood sugars.
Harriet’s Diabetes Travel Notes
Low blood sugars can happen anywhere, which is why I always try to be prepared before leaving home.
I carry fast-acting carbohydrates, a blood glucose meter, and the diabetes supplies I may need throughout the day. I also stop and manually test whenever my symptoms do not match what I am seeing on my CGM or when I want confirmation of a significant low.
Most importantly, I have learned not to be embarrassed about stopping wherever I am to take care of myself.
If that means sitting on the floor at Disney, stopping in the middle of a museum, testing my blood sugar on Haunted Mansion, taking 15 or 20 minutes away from work, or spending time sitting in front of a giant fish tank with Steven while I wait for my blood sugar to come back up, then that is what I have to do.
Because the adventure can continue once I am safe.
I can get back to my patients once I am safe.
And if treating a low at Disney happens to involve a Dole Whip, I am definitely not going to complain.