As a mom of a child with Type 1 diabetes I wish I had an answer for every out of range number that I see on my son’s meter. It makes it even harder to swallow when an outsider wants an explanation for an out of range number too.
You would be surprised.
As we don’t hide when we test my son’s sugar, there are many times when people around can read the meter. While this seems like the rudest thing to me, reading my son’s meter over his shoulder, then the question hits. “Why is his number so high?” or “What did he eat?” and then I realize reading his meter only seems like the rudest thing, it is the questions that follows that is.
Out of range numbers, both high and low, are common with Type 1 diabetes. They happen for many reasons, almost too many to list. High number come from stress, too little insulin from either human error or pump failure, high fat foods, growth spurt, hormones, and the tides. Seriously, it’s not the tides, but sometimes it feels like it.
Eating certain foods do not necessarily make a person with Type 1 diabetes sugar sky rocket. For instance, you would think that a bagel with over 80 carbs would make a person’s sugar sky high, and for some it may, but for my son we just give insulin and he stays in range. Food is not the enemy, type 1 diabetes is.
Food is not the enemy. Type 1 diabetes is.
Type 1 diabetes plays a game with my son’s sugars and I am not made aware of the rules. You would think the ‘bad’ foods like ice cream and chocolate should be forbidden to ensure even blood glucose levels. Not so. My son can eat ice cream and chocolate with no problem. In fact, my son requires less insulin for these foods that others.
Pretzels on the other hand are not so kind to my son’s blood sugars. How many times have you in your own life picked up a quick bag of pretzels over a bag of chips for a fast snack? Pretzels just seem like the better choice. Not so for my son. Pretzels would cause high sugars for hours on end.
High and low blood sugars happen. Sometimes they happen with a reason and sometimes your guess is a good or bad as mine. Not food, not hormones, not stress, not the weather can take all the blame for high or low sugars. Type 1 diabetes is the only one to blame. Always.
My answer to the question “Why is that number so high?” is always the same, I say, “He has type 1 diabetes.” And for me that says it all.
People ask it all the time. Or they ask why is it so low. Most times I just say, “He has Type 1 diabetes,” I don’t even dignify it with an answer. Maybe because he’s a child and they watch me test him, I’m not sure, but they do.
Leslie
Have people really asked you why a number on G’s meter is so high? I would go berserk if someone ever asked me that. It is none of their business, and if they have the gumption to say that, I’m sure they don’t have the brains to even remotely understand anything else you try to tell them. Grrrrrr. Having a chronic condition has taught me that people are rude and ignorant, and I hate that about it, but it’s a part of the disease too, a big part.