I started to notice feeling the lows when I was a freshman in high school. My mom was recently dx as T2, so we thought it would be good to test when I didn't feel "right" - low 60's-70's. What we did was just go off of how I felt and I knew when I was playing softball that I needed to snack on something around the 5th inning or so.
Going through high school and college being an athlete was tough. The coaches didn't understand after trying to "educate" them on hypoglycemia - didn't help. Fortunately the trainers were a little more aware and could start seeing when I was starting to get low - either through my speech or I wasn't playing up to par. Which makes it tough for coaches because you might be having a "bad game"(as most athletes go through) = "your blood sugar isn't good"... so they don't play you. lame. oh well, God knows.
Fast-forward. I got married right after college and still had my lows but not as much because I was no longer playing softball and fast-forward another year and a half - Prego! I noticed that I wasn't getting my lows and I was *stoaked*! I asked my doctor if I could be tested (glucose resistance test) around my 14th week into the pregnancy just to make sure nothing was wrong with my blood sugars. I have an extensive family history of T1 and T2. Sure enough - tests come back and my doctor asks "are you sure you fasted." "yeah, why?" "Cause you tested in the 350's" NO BUENO. Long story short...went on a stringent diet and insulin dosage for the rest of my pregnancy.
My son was born (healthy weigth and no complications) and according to gestational diabetes - it's suppose to go away. Not for me - and didn't find out for a few months afterwards (officially). However, since I wasn't limited to eating certain foods after having my baby, all i wanted at a Pizooki. So I asked my friends to bring, as a gift to the hospital, a Pizooki (BJ'S FAMOUS PIZOOKIE® - A freshly baked, hot out of the oven, rich and delicious cookie topped with 2 scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and served in its own deep dish.) I love ice cream - and being basically deprived of ice cream throughout the rest of the 30 weeks, it was a slice of heaven. I survived by Carb Smart Vanilla Ice Cream with a tablespoon of peanut butter (it equaled my night snack as 1/2 cup milk and a protein ;-))
A few months after delivery and telling the doctor that the oral meds aren't touching my blood sugars, we went to insulin again. Diagnosed April 8, 2008, at 25 as a type 1 diabetic. So learning to keep my blood sugars in control and taking care of our newborn (1st child) was *very* tough. I would often time over compensate when I would get lows (in fear of passing out or falling from dropping low and then they would skyrocket). Cause a newborn can't call 911. But alas I know that God is in control of my life and He's not going to give me more than I can handle (1 Cor. 10:13). So, now I am carb countin', finger pokin', insulin givin', irish-italian, softball lovin', T1 girl. :-)
Wishing you all the best in your on-going and tough but manageable road ahead. Praying for a cure, but until then keep on top of those A1C's. :-) Thanks for listening. :-)
Take Care,
Lindsey
-- So I am super new to all the technical terms and hoping to learn more and more from people I meet with T1.
