FYI -- The American Diabetes Association has a new video, "Treating Diabetes Emergencies: What You Need to Know," and pamphlet to help emergency workers and police understand and treat the 1 in 7 diabetics who suffer from severe hypoglycemia. I recently lived through a terrifying bout of hypoglycemia while driving my car, and had the police not know to ask for medic alert or note the glucose tablets in my car and in my bag. Since I am a board member of the local A.D.A., I have volunteered to develop a short education class with the police using this new information.
When I was pulled over, the first reaction of the police was that I must be drunk or on drugs. I certainly do not fault them on that, but I was together enough to ask for milk. Thank goodness a trained emergency team was called and in seconds of their arrival, knew how to treat my quick fall to a blood glucose level below 40. When I was thinking again, I took the opportunity to ask the very kind young officers who stayed with me what they knew about diabetes. Their responses were not based on anything that I know to be true or important at the time when I needed some carbohydrate. Our local A.D.A. chapter will begin this program swiftly, and it will include a supply of glucose tablets for each patrol car.
As we have said on these pages before, low blood sugar can occur rapidly and must be treated immediately. It is important that you carry a carbohydrate snack and glucose tablets with you at all times. Learn your symptoms (common ones include confusion, silliness, numbness of lips, blurred vision. If you have a low blood sugar experience, talk to you doctor to determine if you need to modify your medication and/or meal plan. I did -- my insulin dosage has been changed, I have increased by blood monitoring, I will be faxing the results weekly to my doctor for further evaluation, and my doctor and I agreed that I will not be able to stay in such tight control. Blood glucose awareness training for yourself might be beneficial.
Also, since it might save you life or the life of someone you love, we're asking each of you to contact your local A.D.A. or Juvenile Diabetes Foundation chapter and see if they have a program for police awareness of signs and treatment of hypoglycemia. In one quick call to my partner's A.D.A. chapter, it was determined that north Texas does not have a program. But, the wheels are now in motion.
Please let us know the progress with this very important issue in your own state. Let's make March the beginning of Hypoglycemia Awareness with the police departments of every city, town, and hamlet in America. Together we can help each other. March 24 is the American Diabetes Associations's tenth one-day Wake-Up Call to find the undiagnosed millions of people with diabetes. Now, more than ever, our police departments need to be aware of the special needs that we as diabetics might have from time to time.
