My hubby had just come home from a business trip and we were enjoying a quiet evening watching TV, a fascinating show on the Smithsonian channel. We were chatting and laughing together – overall, a pretty normal night.
Breathe, swallow, blink … in that micro-moment my perspective of our lives change.
Will we ever visit Sedona, tour the Italian coast, or enjoy our gaggle of grand-children dreamed of and yet to be born?
There’s no droopy eye, frozen face symptomatic of a stroke, his eyes sometimes follow, sometimes close but most frightening, he cannot speak. His hands twitch and flail but he is immobile. Sweat beads and trickles down his face pooling in the swirls of hair on his chest and I stare at it, touch it because it makes no sense and I don’t know what to do.
My world is a collision of extremes; I’m panicked and frozen, but in action too. It seems I’m moving, talking, caressing his arms, face, chest, until the ambulance arrives. I feared my husband had a stroke. Welcome to my 15 minutes of hell that scorch my heart.
They pump sugar into his body and he slowly rises from his Diabetic coma.
Thank heavens we avoided a stroke, or worse, the final stroke – death.
Nausea. Fear. Uncertainty. Gratitude. My emotions today, the day after, are turbulent. The trees seem more vibrant, their green almost painful to my eyes, my morning coffee is stronger and my senses are hyper almost as though they scream for more, or less, I’m not sure.
And I pause and think of the comma … I feel the comma will become very significant now — comma for pause, comma for breath, comma for reflection, comma for a new perspective of life.
Yes, and now what’s possible?
Yes, and now what’s important?
Yes, and now …
I share what I’ve learned about the reality and symptoms of a Diabetic in crisis and hope this arms us well because life is too sweet to end too soon.
The highs & lows of sugar and Diabetes:
It’s an equal opportunity disease because it doesn’t discriminate. It affects young, old and those in between, touching all genders and races as well.
Irreversible brain damage or death is possible if the coma is not treated.
An overabundance of sugar (Hyperglycemia) is as dangerous and low levels (Hypoglycemia) of sugar and the Mayo Clinic lists these signs you must be aware of for high blood sugar symptoms:
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Stomach pain
- Fruity breath odor
- A very dry mouth
- A rapid heartbeat
And here’s the symptoms for low blood sugar:
- Shakiness or nervousness
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Sweating
- Hunger
- Nausea
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Difficulty speaking
- Confusion
The full article and more helpful information can be found here.
Can you tell which my husband suffered from? Yes, it was low blood sugar.
What’s next? For us, it’s being more diligent and ensuring hubby is wearing his Medical bracelet in case he’s away or I’m not around.
What’s next for you?
If you live with or love one who has Diabetes, know the symptoms and get emergency help – fast!
One-third of the population is Diabetic and doesn’t know it, yet it’s a controllable disease when caught early. In case you’re peeing more, eating more and drinking more, here’s a link to the Diabetes Library’s article on the early symptoms of type 2 Diabetes .
Final words from my hubby
“I feel so stupid! I risked my life and the happiness of my wife and family! … It could ‘a been my BIG PAUSE!”
Take good care of yourself and those you love. Christine
An excerpt from Life Notes: Poignant moments, shaggy-dog stories and celebrations from my world to yours