So often the thoughts of “oh, it will never happen to me” pass through my head. But I am realizing that “just in case” I should pass out I should let my family and friends know what to do in an emergency situation.

Before anything severe happens, I will usually show signs that something is wrong and I may not notice it myself. If I ever act lost and confused (more than usual haha), or drunk when I have not consumed alcohol, or just a little alcohol, ask me what my blood sugar levels are. I may not have checked them recently and I may be experiencing a high or a low. I get very disoriented and lose my memory when I am not in the normal range and it is very easy to forget to check my levels.

It is VERY VERY important that I keep my blood glucose levels in a safe range, otherwise I risk going into a diabetic coma. This IS very very scary.

If I am low (below 70 mg/dl), make sure I IMMEDIATELY get some sugar or carbs in my system. I usually carry some candy, hot tamales are my favorite, in my purse. But if you can’t find them, or I am to resistive to sit and chew candy, give me some soda (non-diet of course) or some juice. About a half of a can of soda can do the trick to get my levels back into a safe zone. If I refuse, call the paramedics. They carry glucose in the ambulances in which they can give me in shot form. Or, you could just threaten me about calling the paramedics and I will probably drink the soda/juie as quick as I can!

If I am high (above 250 mg/dl), make sure I take some insulin, Humalog. For every 25 mg/dl I am over 150 mg/dl, I need one (1) unit of insulin. For example if my meter reads 322, take 322-150 = 172. I am 172 over where I should be. Now divide that number by 25 = 6. This means I need 6 units of insulin to get me back into the safe zone.
For the math people:
(meter reading-150)/25= # of units of insulin I need.
The math is kind of confusing, even for an engineer, but it is very important to give me the right amount. *Please note that every diabetic is different. These are my numbers which probably are not the same for another diabetic.*

After 15 minutes, have me check my blood sugar levels again. It should start moving towards the safe zone of 80-240 mg/dl. I probably won’t reach the safe zone in 15 minutes, but at least I should be showing signs of improvement. If I was low and I keep going lower, give me more soda/juice and keep retesting every 15 minutes. By then I should start feeling better, but please stay with me until I am feeling and acting normal again.

Oh, and most importantly thank you in advance for helping me!