Wednesday, January 29, 2014

If I am Ever Kidnapped...

Sunday morning, I was down to 20 units in my insulin pump. Enough for breakfast and lunch but not enough for dinner.

Being the scrimper that I am, I told myself that I would change my pump right before I headed to my parents' house for dinner.

Then I got busy living my life and plum forgot.

Until they put out a plate of cheese and crackers and I reached down to bolus...and saw 8 units left.

Bah!!

I explained the situation and asked what was for dinner.

Lots of protein and veggies with a few carbs here and there. I did the math and thought "I think I can do it!".

I was going to be there for about 3 hours. My basal rate is just under 1 unit/hour which left me with 5 units for dinner. Not enough to eat what I wanted but enough to keep me, I hoped, from shooting up off the top of Dexter's graph.

I bolused every single one of those units and we headed to the dining room.

I filled up on pork chops and asparagus but still had a few bits of potato, the smallest piece of pie possible, no bread, no crackers and no ice cream.

I climbed to 9. Then 10. Then 11.

When I was down to less than one unit left, I headed home. As I pulled out of the driveway onto the snow-covered roads, I had a moment of horror. What if I drive off the road in the snowstorm? What if it takes five hours for help to arrive? What if anything at all happens on the 20-minute drive home?

I have no insulin left and Dexter was making it very clear that my blood sugar was now 12 and climbing.

Bah!

Nothing happened other than Lucky ran dry on the way home and began his incessant alarming to make sure I was well aware. I walked in to the house, headed straight for the butter compartment and pulled out a fresh vial of insulin. I was good as new in 5 minutes and my blood sugar was on its way down again within 15.

I always feel better when I'm topped up with a four-day supply of insulin on my belt. That way if I drive into a ditch, am kidnapped or stuck in an elevator for the weekend, I have a chance of surviving until help arrives.

Any other T1s out there who hope that, if they are ever kidnapped, it happens on the day when they are fully loaded with insulin? Anybody else do a quick check to make sure they have enough emergency carbs, water and insulin before they get in the elevator...just in case?

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