DH is type 1, has been since childhood (is in his 30s now). Approx. once a year he'll have a bad hypo during the night where I'll wake up covered in his sweat and he's unresponsive and I have to try to get him to swallow some syrup. After that he's usually right as rain, only once have I needed to call an ambulance (which he hates) - last christmas. Since christmas though the hypos have got more frequent and become monthly, always at night.
However, this morning after a bowl of porridge with a spoonful of sugar and his insulin, he started showing signs of becoming low. What concerned me was the speed with which he detoriated - MUCH faster than usual. One minute he was being a bit slow in the living room, the next attempting to put his shoes on, very badly. I was outside the door waiting for him with our toddling 15mo in my arms. When I saw this with the shoes and him start to fumble I thought it would be better he went and sat on our bed - the bedroom is right next to the door - while I got him some syrup, as our step is under construction and if you fall you'd drop a few feet onto stone.
Anyway, he wasn't listening to me so I went and started pushing him towards the bedroom asking him please to go sit on the bed, and he started sort of, convulsing, which I've never seen before. I knew he;d fall, but with the baby in my arms near the open door I had t make a decision about what to do and as he was fighting me I decided it had to be to put the baby safely in her playpen and just let him fall :(
I didn't see exactly what happened but he fell against the wall and seemed to struggle and fell against a tin of paint in the hallway and I immediately rang 999 and explained that he seemed to be out cold - I couldn't even see him breathing and briefly thought he was dead! While the ambulance was on it's way I managed to get half a spoonful of syrup into him and VERY quickly he was back talking to me - trying to get out the door, saying he was fine and don't be silly, you haven't rung an ambulance! By the time they arrived he was sat on the bed and responding fairly normally.
But this was all far too quick and easy, usually when he's THAT low it's a spoonful of syrup and maybe 2 granola bars and at least half an hour before he's back talking to you.
The ambulance crew just said he'd got low. They completely brushed off my concerns about how most of it didn't fit his usual reaction. I checked this with his brother and he said it didn't at all fit either, you usually get a lot more warning and he doesn't come round so quick, no convulsing/twitching either. He himself HATES any kind of medical intervention so of course denies any of it was a problem - just low - even though he's been mincing around as though he's sick/in pain all day :( I have felt quite traumatised by the whole thing though - he doesn't remember any of it, but I thought he'd died there and then!!
Just wanted to ask (and thanks for sticking with me this long) CAN this happen? Totally unusual symptoms for a usual occurrence (hypo) or is there some problem here which is worsening which should be addressed? He is good taking his insulin and regularly has checkups at hospital, obviously nothing flagged up at the last one a few weeks ago but he may fob the doctor of just to get out quicker and avoid further testing!
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Any Diabetes Experts About?
9 replies
hahathatsme · 30/06/2013 22:20
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