Whether you’re residing with kind 1 or kind 2 diabetes, you possible take remedy that helps preserve you alive and functioning correctly. We regularly measure, depend, and remind ourselves to take our remedy and/or insulin very meticulously to make sure we’re taking the right remedy and proper doses.
But we’re human, and errors do happen. Sometimes these errors may be lethal.
Once, whereas mid-conversation, I managed to take 18 items of Fiasp as an alternative of my long-lasting insulin, Tresiba. This had occurred to me one time earlier than once I was first identified once I took 16 items of Humalog as an alternative of Lantus. My endocrinologist despatched me proper to the hospital as a result of on the time I used to be new, nervous, and unable to deal with it alone. This time, the second I launched the needle from my pores and skin my abdomen dropped to my ft.
Fiasp is even faster-acting than Humalog and I knew I had minutes to ingest an entire lot of carbs to counteract the massive quantity of insulin I had simply taken.
I managed to inhale over 200 grams of carbs in 20 minutes within the midst of a light panic assault. I used to be nauseous, jittery, and scared for what lay forward. The day wound up being a sequence of lows however I used to be fortunate I got here out of it unscathed. Had I not realized I took the improper insulin I may have simply handed out, had a seizure, or died. I used to be about to go for a stroll to a close-by buying heart. Had I not realized, my blood sugars would have plummeted and I may have been left for lifeless on the facet of the highway.
I acquired fortunate. We all have gotten fortunate. Some haven’t. Many of us, sadly, know individuals who have misplaced their lives as a consequence of a diabetes mistake.
I requested our pals within the diabetes on-line group what their largest and deadliest diabetes errors have been, and that is what they needed to say:
“I forgot a snack after breastfeeding and had my first hypoglycemic seizure. The first reading they could get was 27 [mg/dL].”
“I am a type 2 diabetic and sometimes get shaky and I know I need a snack. I grabbed a brownie as I left my house but I wasn’t feeling any better. I realized that I grabbed a low-carb brownie so it wasn’t going to help raise my blood sugar! I wound up having to stop for a soda.”
“I’ve mixed up my insulin before. 27 units of Humalog is much different than 27 units of Levemir!”
“In my last year before I quit drinking, there were 2 distinct times I can remember where I was so low and so drunk I couldn’t figure out how to get food to save my life. One time I had my friend help me. The other time I went back to sleep and miraculously woke up the next morning.”
“I took some expired test strips from someone in the diabetes online community. For days I kept reading really high and couldn’t understand why. Finally, I rage bolused and took a hefty correction dose. I started seeing spots and beads of sweat formulated all over my entire body. My reading was 28. Turns out those test strips were bad and I could have killed myself trying to save a couple of bucks.”
“I forgot to check my blood before I had breakfast and had a banana and shot up to 500!”
“I recently bolused for a snack twice. I was low in the middle of the night but the snack was larger than needed to fix so I did took a partial bolus and went back to sleep. I woke up and didn’t remember taking any insulin so I did it again. Rollecoasting ensued. I’ll mess up worse, I’ve only been at this for 2.5 years.”
“Bolused for 80 carbs instead of 8 before a workout without realizing it. Dexcom alerted and I quickly realized how much IOB I had. Apple juice and gels to the rescue.”
“I’m on Zyloprim for my gout and I fill my pill case once a week. I accidentally put Zolpidem in and was wondering why I kept waking up so damn tired!”
It is secure to say that managing our situation may be dangerous at instances. We are administering remedy and insulin, which may be extraordinarily harmful if the improper dose is given. We should stay diligent always to keep away from errors, all of the whereas realizing that we’re human and we do make errors. Have grace with your self.
