emergency low blood sugar | scariest type 1 diabetes experience

A few weeks ago, I had the scariest diabetes experience that I've ever had in 20 years of living with type 1 diabetes and ended up going by ambulance to the hospital for low blood sugar. Luckily I'm ok! I hope that by sharing my story, I can raise awareness about the seriousness and unpredictability of T1D, but also show others living with diabetes that we are strong and can overcome moments like these. Have you ever had an experience like this?

[@marionkirkham8576]

I have had T1D for 53 years now and have experienced many things over the years. There wasn't even a way to test blood sugar for the first 13 years that I was diabetic, so I glad that I am still as healthy as I am. I experienced lows to unconsciousness and waking up in the hospital 5 times when I was in elementary school. I didn't really have the awareness to understand how scary these things were. The only other time that I have had to be hospitalized for a low was when I was pregnant when I was low for a solid week! Apparently, sometimes baby's pancreas can produce enough insulin for both of you. I didn't take any insulin for a week, which was crazy. Glad you came through relatively unscathed.

[@slam854]

That is a very interesting phenomenon about your baby contributing insulin. I will share your story with my endocrinologist.

[@jaydee2620]

Dude ur a warrior. I hear about how hard it was before technology came about. Glad ur here and healthy.

[@hii_241]

53 years?!

[@meghoughton562]

I'm wondering if you had more than one baby.

[@marionkirkham8576]

@@meghoughton562 Yes, I had two children. I only had the weird hypoglycemia issue with the first baby, but had preeclampsia at 35 weeks with the second. Emergency C-sections both times but babies were fine.

[@gac914]

I often tell my non-diabetes family/friends that really low BS is like an "out-of-body-experience." It is absolutely the WORST part of having diabetes, in my opinion, and I think that's why sometimes you run across people who would rather "idle" on the high side, (which of course, long term is no good either,) to avoid getting that low. I also feel after going through a low episode like I've gone ten rounds with a professional boxer -- just terribly tired and spent! Glad to see you came through it, but being apprehensive, especially when you can't pinpoint the cause, I think are some pretty natural emotions to have!

[@karri8998]

oh my god, my son has mentioned the out-of-body experience thing too, he also told my mom when he was 4 that when he was low he felt like he did not have a body.

[@supermariounofficial]

I let my blood sugar idle higher because I'm so scared of lows (because of the previous low of 32) it's so scary feeling, definitely the worst part of diabetes

[@eardw2251]

After many years of crashes, my wife only asks if I am having a crash and did I eat something; save the more complicated stuff for later🤔. I recently put a “Insulin Dependent Diabetic” sticker on my car door just in case I pull over to take a glucose tablet and catch the attention of law enforcement.

[@michaelhaywood5342]

I was diagnosed at 9months old. That was 42 +years ago. I have these aggressive lows and nothing will bring them up... until it skyrockets to over 600 and then then a very slow and painful night to get it back down to an even quasi respectable level. My doctor said something similar. And possibly after years on the pump, pockets develop between fat cells and when our bodies burn fat those pockets of stored insulin flood our system. I had one a few days back with my son and this was a bad one. This is something no parent should have to go through. My heart hurts for you and yours.

[@EG-cl5kl]

I have been a T1D for 50 years, since I was 2 years old. Take a look at the glucagon emergency kit. Nice to have when all else fails.

[@dknyisles]

Hi again. Having type 1 for 63 years, I thought I would find answers for any abnormal event, like what you had. With me, every few months I have a sudden inability to raise my glucose levels. It lasts for 4 to 5 hours. It happened when I was on the pump for so many years and still happens with insulin pen therapy these past few years. Anyway, the unavoidable response to what you just experienced is FEAR, causing daily low level anxiety. In my opinion, the best way to deal with the fear is to simply accept being afraid. Acceptance eventually sedates the fear. This is all a part of long term type 1. Michelle, just do the best you can. Do not do what I did and become an obsessive chaser in an attempt to prevent another episode like yours. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

[@jerridombrowski6017]

tell me about the inability to raise blood glucose?

[@type.one.tess23]

I had a major low back in November. I dropped to 37 and had a seizure while trying to treat. I passed out and woke up to paramedics shoving glucose in my mouth. My anxiety went THROUGH THE ROOF afterwards. I was terrified to bolus or eat or move. I sat on my couch for two weeks too afraid to do anything. It sent me into a very bad place. Thankfully, my doctor knew I needed help and I've been on antidepressants and that has made all the difference in the world. We don't know what caused me to drop so low either. My endo said, "sometimes it just happens." Which I was not satisfied with, but there still is no answer for what caused it. I've been a diabetic for 28 years and until this experience, I had only had one prior seizure and that was shortly after I was diagnosed. So it was truly traumatizing. Sorry for the novel of a comment. I just saw the video and wanted to share so you know you're not alone! :)

[@type.one.tess23]

@Anastasia W my primary care doctor did a slew of tests and blood work to rule out anything that may have caused it to happen. Everything came back normal, but he told me that my last A1c was 6.1, so my body may just not function well in that range. So we've worked the last several months to bring it up a little while still keeping it at a safe level. I've been good ever since! I'm on the Omnipod Dash and the Dexcom G6 😊 I'm also hypo-unaware, but it's the worst in my sleep. That particular morning I didn't feel low at all, and I just had changed my sensors and my transmitter, which always reads super low the first 12 hours or so for me. So I used bad judgement and ignored it until it was too late to treat on my own. 🙃

[@torduck4804]

@@type.one.tess23vitamins and minerals cause me to drop low or cause less insulin resistance, as do antibiotics. It’s worth noting as well that even with type 1 its theorised some people may have some insulin production, but at very low amounts, so that may have been the case for you. Even a change in diet, eating more healthily can change the insulin to carb ratio.

[@ridhima579]

I’m 16 I’ve had type 1 for 5 years now, last Wednesday I woke up to a seizure my parents found me making sounds and acting weird. I was taken to the icu I was unconscious for an entire day. I don’t remember anything that happened. I just got home I feel very disconnected from reality and weak I don’t know what to do. It feels very weird having a whole day wiped out from your memory. Apparently I ripped out the iv multiple times and it still hurts but I don’t remember anything

[@amandawilliams5219]

So glad you're ok! My 20 year old son has been T1d for 3 years and it is definitely a beast of a disease.

[@marilynlynch3829]

Hi Michelle.I' ve been type 1 for 41 years. I have had a couple of those experiences at night, never in the day. I am using an insulin pen but am afraid to try a pump because of the risk. I do have areas where insulin is absorbed more slowly or very rapidly. No one can explain why. Just another joy of diabetes. Most days are great...take care, you give us all a lift by sharing your experiences.

[@silverfullbuster9177]

Have you ever had an accidental over injection with the pen over the 41yrs. I dont think its possible but I've had that onece with a broken pen but never if the pen isnt broken. I've had type 1 diabetes for 6yrs and will never get a pump based on these stories.

[@Annie-mb2po]

I don't have type 1 diabetes but I've been watching your channel for a while now to get insight onto what life is like with it, and I'm so sorry this happened to you!! Thank you for sharing your experiences! You can get through this

[@not_in_the_know]

glad you are ok Michelle. sounds very scary! I have had some scary lows over the years, one comes to mind when I was at home and became very anxious eating and waiting for my bg to rise.

[@dinodemopoulos3336]

Oh man, sorry to hear Michelle. Glad you are OK. My heart was racing as you were telling the story. So scary

[@PowderBlueML]

I was ready to cry watching this. So happy you’re feeling better. I hope you’re able to feel safer using the pump again soon. ❤️

[@AkaiMiso]

Sorry to hear about this Michelle. I hope that you can feel confident again as soon as possible. Although you are handling it with the proper amount of caution, to put it into perspective it happened once in 20 years, so try to relax again. Thanks for sharing this!

[@jillfiorenza2989]

Very scary, Michelle! Glad you are okay. I know you were not on an airplane but you did mention others commented experiencing lows in flight. Not necessarily as scary as what you went through, but an unexpected low. That is where pressure gradients come into play. Pumpers should always disconnect on both take off and landing. I love your posts btw 😊

[@ItsYaGirlStrawberry]

I’ve been T1D for 30+ years; as I was juvenile when I was diagnosed. I’ve recently been having lows that wake me up out my sleep but causes me to almost think I’m dreaming and trying to tell my husband I need glucose ASAP. This was very scary for me. I tend to run higher now than I use to due to it. I’m glad your okay and pray that you continue to be.

[@supermariounofficial]

Same for me, a month ago my blood sugar went into the 30's and felt like I was gonna die and now I let my blood sugars run higher because I'm so scared of them, but now it's too high and I really need to get it under control

[@alidubow2162]

Sorry to hear that Michelle. It happened to me every night on low blood sugar and the good thing about it is wakes up while I am shaking I got juice in my room . I always manage at home.🤞 doesn’t happen while I am driving. Anybody who has T1 good luck and always manage your blood sugar at home.

[@DeathlyHollow25]

I was diagnosed with T1D last year at 24 and researched heavily about pumps and dexcoms. I've read so many stories like this about pumps that I'm never getting one. Id rather rely on myself for insulin. I'm sorry you had to go through all that. I hate the way I feel whenever I go low. Glad you feel better!

[@MichelleLord]

Thank you so much💕! I'm really not sure if the cause was the pump. In fact, the more I look back at this event, the more I think it wasn't the pump since there are so many safety features and quality control checks. However, diabetes tech certainly isn't for everyone and comes with its own pros and cons. You have to do whatever feels best for you 😊

[@NicoleBermz]

I’m 24 too and scared to be diabetic. How can someone so young like myself avoid being diabetic ??

[@hannaleigh6975]

Your videos have helped me so much. Thank YOU for what you do.

[@judyj9517]

This was so hard to watch. So glad you are ok. I don't follow you on IG so thought for a moment you went low while you were you with your baby and no one was around. Can't lie, started to feel nauseous thinking about it. I've had random episodes where my last bolus was over 6 or 7 hrs ago and sugar just dropped for no reason. Consuming countless amounts of carbs and no response. Honestly one of the scariest thing in life. As someone with type 1 for 30+ yrs, I don't think one ever gets "used" to feeling like your are disconnected to your body. Anyway, just wanted to thank you for sharing all your content. It makes us diabetics feel less alone. Hope you are able to recover psychologically and able to trust your body (and the pump) soon. You are doing amazing. 🤗

[@ayman_khuzundar]

So sorry to hear this 🥲 my brother had something like this 2 years ago but without a pump and without a CGM and I can remember that time very well so I can feel you. And yes it is diabetes, glad you are OK now

[@elizabethdonnelly4073]

Glad you came thru this OK Michelle -- an experience like that is very unsettling. In 50 years I've only had two bad lows, one that put me into a seizure and required a trip to Emergency, Afterwards, I went thru a period of anxiety attacks, The symptoms of anxiety are similar to the symptoms of low BGs so it was not a fun time. When driving I was constantly pulling over to check my BGs. & would be shaking so hard from fear that my hands could barely hold onto the steering wheel. It took a long time and lots of positive self-talk to get thru it. I started on the TSlim 7 months ago, there have been ups & downs but I want to tell you how thankful I am for your videos --- your Demo videos on doing the cartridge fills and site changes saw me through for the first three months until I felt OK to do on my own. I appreciate you!!

[@francesca5190]

I completely understand you! I still have many anxiety attacks that look like a low and it's something so daunting and scary, sometimes unbearable, very hard to deal with on a daily basis.

[@kristymarie6065]

This was so important to share for others. Thank you

[@epicsophix]

I experienced such an emergency when I was 14 I think… I was on vacation and we visited a place. I didn’t change my tubing, so I ran high till we came back home… The next morning I woke up in the ambulance, driving to the hospital… Grateful they didn’t happen more with you! Greetings from Germany

[@lumaalameri9386]

Hi Michelle, I just get to watch this video. I felt worried about you, I hope you are well now and I am really thankful for sharing all the great information with us. God bless you

[@melissajohnson4170]

This is so scary!!! Thank you for sharing your experience. This is my biggest fear!! I'm glad you are ok!!!

[@MichelleLord]

Thank you!!

[@manasimande4367]

God bless you dear! My daughter who has T1D and few months ago she passed out due to hypo and I needed to give her glucogen injection and it really helped very well. Plz do talk to your doctor about glucogen injection.

[@karri8998]

My son has been having that same thing happen to him many times over the past few months. We are thinking stress may be playing into that for him , as he is finishing up his second degree. Take care, I am so glad you have your husband to you help you through it all both physically and mentally.

[@babytigtig3795]

really scar story, hope you can relax and return to normal, thanks for another great video

[@rrobbins5523]

I’ve been on MDI for 11 years and had a few scary incidents but nothing that I couldn’t identify the cause. However, I’m about to start the X2 in a few weeks. While I would assume pump malfunctions are quite rare, your story is a good reminder that, even with a pump, things can still go inexplicably wrong. Thanks for sharing.

[@jenniferrice8099]

Hi Michelle! So glad you are ok. Great job at detective work. T1D for 39 years. Yes I have experienced this. Especially when flying. What I learned was due to the pressure change it caused my pump to give more insulin that wasnt requested. I sent my pump in like you and they couldnt find a record, but noticed I suddenly had less insilin in the cartridge. Also known as "baggae claim lows". Now clearly you werent on an air plane or changing altitude. Soo if we kinda keep with this theory im wondering if there might have been something with the new cartridge it had built up pressure and when you reconnected to the site it gave the cartridge the path of least resist to relieve the pressure. Now Im not medically trained, You and Alfie are way smarter than me, and yes we may never know for sure. Keep up the great job of being you!

[@45rrr676ggu]

So glad you’re okay!! That’s so scary 😱

[@MichelleLord]

Thank you 💕

[@user-yv5vc8mt5j]

Glad you are ok🙏 ❤️

[@obscure2304]

Glad you're good again! I've been running into such situations myself a couple of times (while on mdi though) and it substantially affected my bolus behavior for quite a while. Especially whenever I was home alone with my little ones I kept my bs running higher than I usually would. Have you ever only changed the cartridge but not the tubing before? I'll have to look it up again but isn't the tandem manual saying that it could cause issues? Also I'm experiencing some wibbly wobbly bs curves since the recent switch to summertime. On mdi it was not affecting me that much compared to the pump therapy. Stay strong Michelle, it eventually will get better over time and I'm very certain you'll recover confidence in your therapy. Please keep us updated on the outcome of the in depth check of your old pump. Really curious about that one.

[@chrisp2916]

I’ve been type 1 for 40 yrs and this has happened a lot. My pump was to high. Very scary.

[@bellaquestad6598]

Glad to hear you are okay and was able to get a new pump in order to feel better about using the pump!

[@hlsjsjkssc]

Thank you for sharing your incident. ❤️ I am recovering from a big fear of lows and anxiety + an eating problem that it caused 1,5 years ago. Around the same time I had a very scary moment when I miscalculated and injected way too much insulin and had a huge anxiety attack. I also remember eating a LOT of honey to cover the insulin. This is truly one of my biggest fears but stories like this can also give others help, seeing it all turned alright physical-wise :)

[@supermariounofficial]

I'm so scared of low blood too, I wish to never have them

[@onceuponachildtempe]

Thanks for sharing your scary experience... I'm new to owning a pump after 30 years of taking manual injections.. I personally have replaced from humalog to lyumjev insulin and the lows happened to me as well. As you mentioned, there are so many possibilities of every situation. Something you mentioned briefly was you were breastfeeding.. I was watching a video prior to yours and the diabetic mom expressed how it caused her sugar to drop.. You mentioned your sugar went up.. You may want to review the sugar history/carb counting to see if you ate anything different or over substituted on your insulin.. I do agree, with this fear in mind, you'll want to figure out what is the normal range.. So keep up the great work and positive mindset as you get back to your healthier you.

[@bettyandthebeakers]

Glad you are ok. It is totally traumatic! 3 weeks ago had extreme low. EMT was needed. Very scary. Only 3 times EMT involved in my 40 yrs of T1D, dx 10 yrs. Older you get hypoglycemia insensitivity happens. Neuroglycopenic symptoms which is lack of knowing you are going low plus clumsiness or jerky movements, muscle weakness occurs so hard to hold or walk to drink juice. (My dexcom was off for 48 hours due to medicated lotion on skin) I totally have ptsd from experience!

[@isabellaboccuzzi3959]

I totally understand you girl, that is very scary. I had your same experience, but I wasn't at home with my husband. It was in the July 2015, I was at my parents house in Chicago at that time. I live in the south of Italy, Bari. Now I have a hard time when I have to travel but if I have my husband I feel much better and safe.💪💙😘 Diabetes is very scary some times, and it drives us crazy.🤦🏻

[@Troy-McClure81]

My 10y.o. just hit 2 years with Type1, she's currently on a 1 year study for Afrezza a type of inhaled insulin, over 6 months in and I've seen a huge difference in her overall health.Lows are scary and being woke up at 2am is total fear.Second year we couldn't figure out why her BG was so out of whack we were following guide lines ,and then she was diagnosed with a second autoimmune Celiac Disease ,which let me tell ya has added another complexity to this horrible disease. Good luck 👍 I watch these with my little one she doesn't feel as bad when she sees others going through it.

[@kristinathornton3372]

I'm convinced that you were getting low from insulin. Nothing else makes sense. So happy you got a new pump. So scary!! 🙏❤

[@nextbiggthing94]

This happened to me 3 times while in the 1-2 trimester of this pregnancy. It’s really scary. But I’m in The states and they treated me at home. $300 each time they came to my house gave me glucose and left. Glad you are ok.

[@neilthomas9846]

Lucky it was in the daytime with you and not during the night when you're sleeping, which is what happened to me last year. It is a scary moment when that extreme Low happens. Glad everything is better now and hope you find the cause.

[@MichelleLord]

So true! Night would have been much scarier!

[@jessicavidana1442]

I understand what you've been through I am 44 years old been a type 1 diabetic since 18. I also wear a medtronic insulin pump. I've had low blood sugars and been 3 times hospital. The third times was worst my sister found me on the floor was able to give me some juice and cookies. I was sitting on the floor leaning on my bed I bled on my eyebrow and head. The next few days had 2 black eyes because I found out later I had hit my head and eyes on the edge on the table. I don't remember standing or getting up before sitting on the floor it's like sleep walking. I got off my pump a few days. Back on it but I don't trust my pump 100 percent.

[@KrackerJack5586]

So grateful that you are okay and I'm with you it had to be too much insulin in 30 years I've had two rides to the hospital from an ambulance not fun but since I got my new Eversense CGMI haven't had that problem again since it wakes me up with on-body alert every time I get low I don't know what I would do without that CGM going in for my 180 day insertion next week 😀 all the best health to you

[@thehappydiabetic5380]

So happy you got through it all. As a former president liked to say’ I feel your pain’. Been there a few times. I’ve been type 1 for 52 years, since I was 15. Since I’ve been on a pump (1991). The lowest I’ve measured is 29 (1.6). At the time my body was resistant to low blood sugar signs. During the 80s, I even got to the point of being totally out of it and doing some really strange things. Climbing up on the dining room table and ranting, and having no memory of it. Standing on my head in the snow.

[@mralexpawlik]

Tandem Diabetes customer support is awesome working with them is a pleasure them and dexcom is the same way just amazing what they will do for us.

[@sejlabird]

I'm so glad that you are ok! I'm had a terrible experience with a low I couldn't explain in the past. This really does sound like a pump issue. I know it may be a delicate topic, but did you ever get a report back from Tandem after they did a thorough examination of your pump? Thanks again for sharing this with us 💙

[@anthonyrusso746]

So glad you made it out of the hypo-quagmire. I've been in that situation a few times and I agree with you - it is very scary because you know you are on the edge of a precipice with only have a few minutes to correct the situation. I recently experienced an unexplained situation myself. I've learned to be careful when administering a bolus because I have double dosed a bunch of times. Life is hectic and things happen. But, this past Tuesday while substitute teaching my tandem insulin pump began chirping 3 times. It was 9:30 in the morning and I was dumbfounded when I looked at my screen. "Insulin on Board = 10 units." What the heck is going on. I never go low at 9:30 am and I definitely did not bolus 10 units. Perhaps when I tucked my pump into my belt I accidentally typed in 10 units? Nah but Wow, did I ever have to scramble to keep the lights on. I ate everything I had. One granola bar, 3 mints, two oranges, half a sandwich and 5 glucose tablets...and the down arrow keep dropping so I sent two students to the faculty room to get me a candy bar. Finally got the arrow to start the upward movement. Whew, another close call but I didn't do this to myself this time. Later that evening I called Tandem to report the situation. They promised me they would evaluate my download and get back to me in 24 hours. Well, I've been carrying a tube of full glucose tablets with me ever since. I don't trust my pump period. But, I know I can't survive without it. Not sure what to do except keep checking my screen to make sure I catch another misstep. Life is good even when a fast ball comes flying at you!

[@SSEL_RAEF]

The hormonal shifts are really intense for blood sugars- I had a hard time keeping my blood sugars up on my menstrual cycle, no matter how much I ate, it was so scary

[@Reon-yr6xz]

Sorry to hear that happened to you Michelle , and, actually, that’s one of the reasons I changed to injections so I am the one that “ have the control” with my insulin and no to trust a machine. I used the same insulin pump that you have in the past , and, honestly, wasn’t comfortable using it. A machine is a machine, and, unfortunately, like all electronics, they are not perfect. I hope you don’t have to go through the same again, imagine the feeling, I’ll be freaking out as well . Please take care!

[@s6kpil85]

You should give omnipod a shot. I never had issues with insulin injections on the amounts given through its cannula. The only reason my endo put me on a Tandem is that they want tighter control using control IQ. It was the most convenient to use, and I plan on getting back on it after future pregnancy.

[@diabeticinthewild]

Wow! Glad you're ok Michelle. Sorry I missed this on IG. How is Raffi? This must have been hard on him too. Bless you all. (BTW, this is Lostboy from IG.) I once woke up in the bottom of a 30' ravine in my car. This was before CGMs. Luckily I could drive out of the ravine (at an angle), and when I was able to check my blood sugar, it was 19. Lowest recorded blood sugar of my life. Somehow I woke up on my own. I wasn't mentally ok for days.

[@FrankiesWorld]

I have been a DT1 for almost 30 years, this has happened several times to me. In my very early stages of diabetes I remember my doctor mentioning something like, a "moonlighting" phase which is when the pancreas starts producing insulin on its own out of nowhere. Maybe that on top of the insulin you were getting from the pump just kept causing your numbers to keep going low. Horrible situation and also for the person without diabetes having to deal with it. The worst is later on when the glucose finally kicks in and your blood sugars are high the rest of the afternoon and at that point, you are scared to give your self any more insulin to bring it down. I have been on the libre 2, just got the dexcom g6 and am trying to get the tslim 2. Your videos have been very helpful, so thank you for that.

[@silverfullbuster9177]

Is this severe blood glucose drop more of a pump risk as I dont think it's that much possible with a pen??? My diabetes team have recommended me to give a pump a go but I'm certainly not after hearing these stories.

[@funkyfreckles22]

I love your vlog! Thank you so much for posting these, I find them comforting and inspiring! I just got the t:slim X2 and this video gives me pause. How are you feeling about the pump now?

[@zarasbubble1748]

I’m really glad you’re ok now and that Tandem agreed to the replacement!! I would definitely be terrified of continuing to use that pump. Out of curiosity do you get Glucagon in Canada? We get it prescribed in the UK and it really helps with severe lows like in this case. Maybe look into it? For reference they are single use injections which you mix up and then inject.

[@jennaschwartzman5882]

Check for Addison’s disease. Cortisol crashes can cause severe, hard to treat lows

[@taylorspears3134]

Glad to hear you are okay. Unrelated to your story, but I switched to a tandem t-slim last year after being a medtronic user for 14 years and the pump's design makes me very nervous about over-bolusing. The old paradigm series medtronic pumps had buttons that required considerable pressure, in contrast to the t-slim's touch screen, so I didn't have to worry about accidental boluses from the pump moving around in my pocket. Moreover, on the medtronic pumps you have to use the arrow keys to input a bolus; this is inconvenient but makes it very difficult to accidentally over-bolus if you are tired or not otherwise paying attention. On the t-slim, by contrast, you can just type in the bolus amount using a numeric keypad at the same time you are entering your carbohydrates. On a couple of occasions -- for instance, in the middle of the night after treating a low -- I have accidentally entered carbohydrates into the current blood sugar box on the bolus screen. Because I live in the UK, we use mmol/l to measure blood sugar and so this has very nearly led me to massively over-bolus. (Attempting to enter a bolus for 15 grams I accidentally typed in 15 mmol/l ~ 257 mg/dl). Ultimately, I decided to add a PIN to access the pump. This creates an extra barrier to accessing the bolus screen that forces me to be sufficiently awake before implementing a bolus. It also adds extra prevention against random key presses leading to an accidental bolus. It sounds like you didn't have an accidental bolus, but I wanted to share this in case anyone else has had similar experiences.

[@EllamentaryPenguin]

Glad to hear you're ok! That's so scary 😳 I once had a random horrible low too...I had bolused for a donut while in range. 10 or so minutes later I was double arrows down at 40 something...than at "LOW" a few minutes later. I had my glucagon ready to go. Chugged syrup and was ok eventually and didn't wind up having to use the glucagon. I still never found out what the cause of this was. It took me a while to feel comfortable bolusing enough for a while. Diabetes is a fun ride sometimes. Thank you for sharing your story!

[@MichelleLord]

Yikes!! That's so scary!!! I'm glad you never had to use the glucagon. I had my glucagon out and ready to go, but luckily never had to use it.

[@francesca5190]

Had you possibly changed your site just before? It happened to me twice that I changed my site, I bolused and after 10 minutes I would drop so fast, and so I removed the site and A LOT of blood would come out of it... so the thing was that the cannula ended up in a vein or vessel. This was so traumatic for me, I never truly recovered :(

[@adrian29459]

Glad to hear you're ok now and didn't pass out from the hypo situation. I had a similar thing happen to me once at work. Level kept dropping all morning and I kept eating & eating until I was sick. First aider stayed with me till the level eventually settled at normal. I don't get scared of hypos but this one had me panicking

[@silverfullbuster9177]

Was that experience with the use of a pump or pen?

[@adrian29459]

@@silverfullbuster9177 that was with pump

[@robertlinek3807]

I never change only the cartridge because it seems like a more complex process that can lead to errors as opposed to doing only the infusion site. I sometimes change only the site if I have a bent cannula but other than that I always change everything as a single unit even if I have to waste some insulin or, like in your case, when you had just put in a site and it’s working perfectly. With diabetes it’s sometimes impossible to assign cause and effect because there are so many variables involved. It was really great of Tandem to give you a replacement pump.

[@CobGeorge]

Hi, I'm T1D for about 10 years now, I do active sports like riding dirt bikes in the mountains. I had a low episode to the point where I lost control of my muscles, ended up falling off the bike as I was trying to climb a mountain. I'm considering to get an insulin pump as well (medtronic is the only one available in my country) but your video makes me have second thoughts. If possible please keep us posted as to the reason of what went wrong. Thanks for sharing your story with us and I hope you won't have to experience such lows again.

[@zarasbubble1748]

Pumps are definitely incredible and instances of malfunctioning like this are extremely rare, so I wouldn’t make it condition you too much… It is very unlikely that the manufacturer will tell her what went wrong. The only time they would do that is if they find something that means a batch of pumps needs to be recalled. (Extremely rare to the point I’ve never heard of it).

[@CobGeorge]

@@zarasbubble1748 Got it, thanks for the info!

[@jenm6977]

The last time this happened to me was a terrible case of some kind of gastroenteritis, couldn't keep any food down and even with disconnecting my pump, letting pure sugar dissolve under my tongue and drinking soda felt like it was just not bringing my blood sugar up! I think the gastroenteritis prevented absorption of the sugar that I had originally treated with. My last bad low since then was after walking around the zoo and taking a correction bolus for the tiny piece of pizza that kept my blood sugar up for hours and then,of course, I had to change my sensor 😬 so scary! Thank you for your channel.

[@susanlee7341]

That was me when I was pregnant. I dropped to 0.9 and ended up passing out . Luckily the baby was OK, he's 18 now and also a type 1. Will be 50 years for me in late August.

[@s6kpil85]

I recently had a low, and my sister had to call the ambulance. I can understand how scary it was. I've never had to get care for a hypo. Luckily for me, my sister is a pharmacist doctor, and she knew what to do. I felt the struggle for oxygen and my neck felt strained. I was a bit delirious and didn't remember that she had given me my Basquimi nasal injection. I've had no response from Tandem Diabetes when I had questions. It just put me on a call-back waitlist but no one ever called. Their customer service is worse than OmniPod, and I wish my new endo didn't recommend the Tandem. I hate the tubes. Thanks for sharing about the metal injector, my very first two sites seem to not work. However, it's been less than a week since I've had my Tandem T-slim, so I will give it a shot. Thanks for sharing!

[@artwithlauryn6397]

Thanks for sharing💙

[@Asiandramafan043]

I've experienced stubborn lows on one occasion that comes to mind was the morning i had to be hospitalized for DKA.. I woke up with a extreme low.. ate something.. & it just would not go up for anything or like you said it would go up for a short while & then just drop again. I got really sick that morning & went to the ER, there they said i was in DKA with high sugar from ofc being sick & correcting the lows... it's just a really weird experience.. I've been diabetic for 20 years also.

[@krystielee74]

I’m so sorry! I remember from previous videos that you were somewhat scared of lows, that you would tend to under-bolus sometimes. I’m so glad you were safe. I hope the ptsd subsides and you can trust your management again. I’ve had a couple of scary lows with my son. I just ended up watching him sleep and telling myself that he was safe. Did you consider micro-dosing glucagon at any point? Just curious, we’ve never done it.

[@MichelleLord]

Thank you so much! I'm sorry you've also had scary incidents with your son. I've never micro-dosed with glucagon, but I've heard about some people doing that. We had my glucagons close by during my lows (both the shot and nasal spray), but never used them. I was always taught that glucagons are to be used if I'm unconscious or can no longer keep food down, but perhaps this is more of an older school of thought 🤔. Something I'm curious about as well!

[@anothercitizen4867]

I had a serious low blood sugar incident wearing an Omnipod. I passed out. The paramedics gave me a glucagon injection. Didn’t go to the ER. It was my doing, not Omnipod’s.

[@barryseidl3803]

About two weeks I had a really strange experience as well. I was at 120 and bolused 5 units for a large dinner meal. About one hour later I was checking the air in my tire, stood up and got really dizzy. I looked at the dexcom reading and it was 67 with a down arrow. I headed for the kitchen to drink some OJ but as soon as I got there, I forgot the reason. My wife told me later that I was trying to go outside and she got me to sit down. She administered Glugon shot and after about 15 minutes I finally came around. The shot really takes it's toll and I was spent for the next several hours. I still have not figured out what caused it but it is scary for sure.

[@debbiewithtype1diabetes559]

Hey Luv not to worry I have oy gone 2 X in 35 yrs Be healthy sending love

[@leahsaks]

What s scary experience! Sorry you had to go through that 😭 Luckily I've never had that though I've only had t1 for 3.5 years. A few weeks ago I did a stupid thing when changing my site. After filling the tubing the screen suddenly went back to change cartridge ( I might have pressed something by accident). So I just absentmindedly followed the prompts again and then realized that I was connect to the tubing and I had just injected more than double insulin I would bolus for a meal. This was at night after I had my dinner so I panicked. I called tandem but they said this was a medical question they couldn't help. I couldn't get in touch with my endo so I just started drinking juice and eating fruit and an hour later I was crazy high. I never dropped low so I am still mystified as to why I didn't go low considering the amount of insulin I had. This is a freaking crazy disease!

[@vVeazel]

Hi @Michelle Lord, thanks for sharing your experience. I am sure you are already aware, but the fact that you were hospitalized makes you eligible for ADP coverage of your Dexcom. I will leave the dumb politics/rationale out of this, but thought I would mention. Incidents like this are the reason I've stayed away from the pump. A friend of mine who is also on a pump has been hospitalized at least twice recently. I wouldn't trust a gizmo like this to keep me alive.

[@cagedtigersteve]

Glad you are ok.

[@missme9802]

So glad you are ok!! I had a similar experience but on injections not pump. It scared me so bad that I had to be put on antidepressants and anti anxiety meds. Then also put on dexcom. Long story short I believe I wasn't eating enough.

[@MichelleLord]

Episodes like this can really cause anxiety. I'm sorry you went through this!!

[@missme9802]

@@MichelleLord 💜💜

[@alwences2]

I am also a Tandem user, it has happened many times that sunddenly I would hear the pumps alarm, normally due to incomplete bolus alert. I guess this happens after handling the pump and putting it in my pocket because I (inadvertently) didn't lock the pump's screen properly. Check the pump bolus history for that day and time The zombie site is a valid possibility, it has also happened to me before having a hypo after massaging a lumpy old site. Good to hear you are fine. One of my most notoriously stupid diabetes accident, some years ago, was to mistake my lantus and Novorapid pen because I was talking to someone, so I injected 28u of Novorapid (should have been the lantus of course). Of course, visit to the ER, loads of Mars bars and ice cream. That was before CGM too

[@marjorieopalski5942]

I have been aT1D for over 48 years and have worn a pump for over 20 years, the Tandem with Dexcom sensor for 3. I have s son 44 and daughter 39. After having the Tandem for over a year I had several severe lows I could not figure out at first. I am very insulin sensitive snd a small eater so I never take more than 2 units at a given time. With the touch screen I am often very fast in punching in numbers. On the bolus screen I realized that I was tapping the top 0 changing to units and then punching 6, for example meaning 6 carbs, but receiving 6 units. Very careless and I did it more thsn once!!! Awful as you know eating candy bars and drinking juice as double arrows keep pointing down. Good news for me I placed a restriction to never allow the pump to deliver more thsn 2 units at any given time. And it has saved me, from my speedy careless bolusing. I also have been never hospitalized for extreme lows and attribute that to luck! You have a new baby, life could not be busier, Best Margie from Marylsnd

[@jrez8225]

Thank you for your story. I've been T1 for about 15 years now, and I still haven't made the decision to use a pump yet because of my fear of a malfunction or something. I've heard scary stories and it's caused me to be hesitant. I just don't fully trust it yet. That's how I feel, and I'm fine using my pens with the Dexcom CGM system.

[@silverfullbuster9177]

In your 15yrs have you ever had an accidental overinjection/malfunctioning with a pen (which i dont it possible unless the pen is broken)???

[@jrez8225]

​@Silver Fullbuster I've only had one pen break on me, and that was because I dropped it. I've mistakenly given myself an over-injection before (a couple of times) in the past due to me not paying attention to what pen I had in my hand. It's been years since that has happened.

[@lorenaa.5949]

Yup it happen to me once. I am a type 1 diabetic for the past 13 years. And some days I just see that my body (pancreas) isn't so lazy and it works all of the sudden 🤷🏻‍♀️. Crazy illness but nothing I can't handle💪🏻.

[@missme9802]

That's what my little sis says. When I tell her about lows and eating sugary things with no effect she responds oh your pancreas is awake today.

[@captainkirk5548]

I'm glad everything turned out OK. I wish we a meter which would also read the amount of insulin in the body. I have heard of people with pumps that were in error at night when sleeping.

[@catheyr1566]

In my early 60’s, same thing happened to me. No reason. T1d 40 plus yrs, on pump 20 years. Past menopause no hrt. I drank a 6 pack of sugary soda (1/2 a can is usually enough), ate a can of frosting, got down to 25 and very foggy mentally. Called 911. They treated my low. Finally started going up but it took forever. I felt like I’d gotten too much insulin from my pump. I use tru-steel. I pulled out all the insulin from my cartridge to measure it. I was within 5 units of my pump’s reading of how much insulin remained in the cartridge. I broke it open with a dremmel tool and there was still a little insulin in there that I couldn’t draw out. I never knew why. Off pump 1 week while I went to my specialist to get answers. No answers came. Idk what happened.

[@bettyjanechiota2697]

That happened to me too. I had the worst lowdown to 29 mg/ dL. I have had DM 1 for 48 yrs and age 59. I never experienced that type of hypoglycemia when I was using Medtronics pump. I switched to T Slim when this unexplained hypoglycemic event happened…it was as if I had main lined insulin just like Michelle’s story. I lowered all my basal rates but never knew why this happened. Glad to see another DM 1 who has some longevity

[@catheyr1566]

@@bettyjanechiota2697 I was using X2 Tandem pump with Dexcom CGM integration then, and still do. I started using that set up when it first came out. This happened after my first year on that system. I checked my BG manually during the crisis and CGM was accurate. I am insulin resistant which only added to my confusion. That’s why I measured the balance in reservoir-to see if I’d gotten a huge dose. I had bad luck with Medtronic. I used another brand before that. On my 5th pump now I think. No other problems with my X2. God has blessed me with good health for the most part and I’m thankful. Pump does put on the weight I think.

[@byzantinegold]

I can relate! I know I'm two years late but I recently went to the ER for the first time as well. It was kind of a false alarm but I wanted to play it safe as I had taken a ton of insulin and was crashing really hard. Do you keep glucagon around? I usually worry a lot less having something I can just inject myself with and pump up my blood sugar if I need to. I absolutely despise that feeling of forcing myself to eat while low so its nice to have a "ripcord" to pull just in case. Best wishes for your diabetes journey.

[@CosmicRetriever]

My last emergency Glucagon kit expired in December of 2020. I have since had it refilled and keep it in my refrigerator for safety reasons. I have had some pretty severe lows in my 13 years of being a diabetic but I've never actually passed out from a low. That being said, people should ALWAYS keep Glucagon in their homes (anyone with diabetes who takes insulin, tbh). You never know when you'll need it. And if you do have Glucagon, be sure to check the expiration date on occasion because they have an average shelf life of about one year.

[@marieaberg3540]

Hi Michelle, saw your video here, my God.... happy to see that you are ok now.... You asked if anyone had experienced this, and yes, often. It seems that after giving birth I got soooo sensitive in bloodsugar because of the hormonal flucturations that happens every month, at ovulation really high bloodsugar, and the really really low at the menstruations. Now, when Im 50 the hormons has calmed down and all is totally stable. This is nothing the doctors acknowledged when I asked them at that time, but I have heard many diabetic women say the same. So maybe this is something your doctors can figure out and check the literature of studies made about hormonal flucturations in endocrinology? Anyway, many warm greetings to you and your husband from Sweden! Take care!

[@slam854]

T-1 54yrs) I think what happened was a result of pump priming after install of new cartridge. I use the 43" tubing set which contains 17.8 units of insulin. The pump will not complete cartridge/infusion set change without at least 10 units being purged thru the tubing. I use Tandem as well with Control IQ. Waiting for Dexcom G7 to appear.

[@lozetchells9164]

I'm type 1 (LADA) and I had a very good friend die of dead-in-bed syndrome a few years back. There were suspicions that her pump malfunctioned but it's pretty impossible to prove if the pump appears to work afterwards, and to this day nobody knows what the cause was. This is what also scares me about closed loop and Omnipod and the likes. Sensors and pumps are too unreliable to let them be "automatic". I know there are safeguards, but how can they safeguard against a sensor reading 8.0 when it's actually 4.0? And yes, that's happened to me multiple times. Until there's an answer to that then I'm sticking with MDI.

[@CherryWanders]

I have changed my cartridge without my site MANY times. That has never happened to me. However, my tandem pump decided to give me a 10u bolus yesterday randomly (while working at a renaissance festival in 100 degree heat while I was already struggling to stay in the 80s). I have never given myself more than 2u. Tandem is saying I did all 6 button pushes accidentally but is still replacing the pump because I won't put it back on my body. It was a refurbished pump I received 11 days ago to replace an 11 month old pump that malfunctioned due to the speaker. I'm currently hooked to my first (now out of warranty) pump. The whole ordeal was terrifying. I had to consume about 1100 g of carbs and it took 12 hours to even out. Super scary. Just wanted you to know that you are now the 3rd person aside from me that has had/ feels like their Tandem pump tried to OD them on insulin.

[@kreativekimberlycohouseofwall]

I was diagnosed with T1D 6 years ago (age 44). Unfortunately, I’ve had 3 hypoglycemic episodes. The last one I had was February 2021 and I was at 57, next thing I remember was waking up to EMS asking me questions.

[@lorenaa.5949]

I have gone as low as 32. I still managed to get up and eat like a pig 😂. Thank God my body could handle it and my mind didn't go to anxiety I keep myself calm and focused on the food I had for lows. I was alone with my twin boys who were 6 years old at the time and this happened at 3 am.

[@kristymarie6065]

That is absolutely horrible. So odd it just had to be the pump. Thank you for sharing and I’m so glad you are ok

[@scp170190]

bad hypos for me can feel almost intoxicating, but not in a good way. i have experienced a sense of de-personalisation, intense dizziness and sweating, a super powerful hunger urge, and even an intoxicated feeling almost as though im very drunk or on drugs. I have also at times, in a v bad hypo, lost my lucidity. and found myself talking nonsense or doing things for no reason. pretty scary

[@Matt2010]

Yep. Have too.

[@JLJ504HD]

I'm a T1 diabetic as well and I have been to the ER this past Saturday. I found myself back in the ER at the same hospital 🏥 in the exact same room three days later. Been a T1 diabetic since August 2000 and I hate it with a passion, especially when it drops below 70 mg/dL. Which lead me to come up with a saying between T1s and T2s, "When you're a Type 2, you're in luck and when you're a Type 1, you're f***ed" That's because of the knowledge of both types. I'm sorry if I come off sounding brash, but that's how I feel about being in this position (and D.I.S.-position)

[@thandolwethusithole4706]

watching this because i want to try to understand what my boyfriend goes through ❤🥺

[@veronicadidier437]

I have had lows like this before while on the pump and while taking injections. It would be random and I would be low for hours. My doctor suggested that when correcting stubborn lows to have a mixture of sugar and fats. My go to is a spoon full of peanut butter and juice and so far it has worked well. Glad you are feeling better!

[@Nobodyknowsreally]

No offence to your doctor, but that is the worst way to treat a stubborn hypo! Juice is fairly low GI, (incidentally honey is quite low GI too) and adding fat slows down the absorption even more. When you are low you need the fastest- absorbed sugar available, which is neat glucose. Preferably glucose liquid as this will be digested quicker than a solid form like tablets or jelly beans. All of these will work, but slower than liquid glucose. The quicker your level rises the less likely you are to want to keep eating until you feel better! Once your BG is back to a safe level, then it may be a good idea to have some complex carbs with a bit of fat or protein to stop you dropping again.

[@veronicadidier437]

@@Nobodyknowsreally well I think the point is to get the blood sugar up fast with the juice and the fats, which do take longer to absorb, are to keep you from crashing again after. But everyone is is different and what works for one person doesn't always for for another. It works well for me.

[@alexb.1320]

Glad thats behind you. Does the pump provide data of how many units remain in it? Hindsight of course, but measuring what remains vs what in theory should remain would tell you quick if the pump wasn't operating correctly.

[@anitastokar98]

The pump normally does keep track, however, since she was changing the cartridge and the infusion site at two different times, I am not sure if the insulin remaining would be correctly calculated.

[@terrihugh9840]

Tandam is awesome!

[@lavellvelez2157]

Could you have changed the cartridge and “bled the line” and connected it before it ended?

[@theresamelvin60]

I sometimes loose my awareness and just black out don't remember really much afterwards

[@sarahwolfmoon]

Awesome 😎 well better soon 😸

[@macmackenzie7654]

Hi Michelle I have been a T1D for 71 years(I am 81 yeas old) have been thru about every type of insulin therapy and pumps. I am now on a Tandem with Dexcom previously on Medtronic’s pumps for about 20 years. I have always kept my blood sugars low even on pens and before testing. I always could tell my sugar levels to some extent by paying attention to my body signs(that is another story) that does not mean it went smoothly ever. I go thru what you are talking about quite a bit and turn off pump and eat everything and is still scary . I have talked to a couple drs 😮and talked to them about this. My theory is that your liver gets low on sugar it stores and your metabolism gets messed up, they all say this can not happen???? Since you get involved with KZbin etc hope you get a answer. I would like to discuss with you sometime but not sure best way to connect with you if you are interested. IMAC MacKenzie

[@kristalculler3928]

Hi Michelle I hope your sugar went back up how is your baby doin? Sending ❤️