The Show Must Go On No Matter How Low Your BG Goes

The DDG recently jumped on the opportunity to record a live podcast at the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center’s Connect+Cure Gala. After months of planning, the day finally arrived. My four outfit choices were back from the cleaners, I had the perfect shoes and my checklist was complete. The average person (someone without diabetes) would be in good shape with the exception of performance jitters, but the T1D planner in me had a few other things to consider.

Ryan and I chatted the night before the event, double checking the details. As we wrapped up our rambling the conversation moved to handling a low BG during the podcast. We both agreed, the show must go on and were prepared to handle any diabetes mishap. 

It’s 4:15pm and we’re setting up, discussing the logistics and strategizing our plan of action. I run to locate the event planner and when I return Ryan is nowhere to be found. I notice him in the distance and assume he’s taking a moment to meditate. As he strolls up eating a Clif Bar, he says his blood sugar is 51 and his level of communication with the team might have been a little off. We need to regroup.

A wave of anxiety starts to come over me. My outfit is perfect, heels are buckled, lipstick on and my hair still has curls so what’s with the insecurity? I whip out my tester and my BG is 68. WTF! My day had been focused on a stable BG.

• I added extra fruit to my morning smoothie.
• I drank my body weight in water over the past 24 hours.
• I had a good night’s rest.
• I took extra time to meditate.
• I had a fairly carb heavy, hearty lunch.
• I had a snack while putting on my make up.

My BG normally skyrockets when I’m under stress so what’s with the low? Just another diabetes mystery…

The Show Must Go On! Ryan ate his Clif Bar and I downed about 10 ounces of cranberry juice from the bar. It looked like I was taking a shot of whiskey which was fitting for the Boots & Bling gala. We weren’t going to let this set us back and put our plan of action into place.

1. Tell the others what’s going on.
2. Consume carbs.
3. Take a moment to walk or collect your thoughts.
4. Remember – this will soon pass. Don’t Panic.

The event was a total success and no one but our crew knew about the lows. We joked later that if we sounded a little loopy, maybe they thought we were tipsy, or hell, maybe they were. At the end of the day, we interviewed our dream guests, sipped wine, made new friends, laughed about the lows and shared an evening with folks who care about finding a cure. Good Times.

No low BG will ever stop me from achieving whatever I set my mind to!