Saturday, March 27, 2010

Going Low at a Rock Show


Before I tell the story, it must be known that I should have been more prepared. I should have carried sugar with me but with the switch between purse and clutch it just didn't happen.

Yesterday Sam, Michelle and I went to go see Down with Webster at a bar in Brantford. To say the least it was a crowded mess. The concert although hectic was good. The bouncers by far 'tried' to have a handle on things but failed.

So what exactly is diabetes? Well I know and you know but just how many people don't really care. You would think that some type of training would have been made when handling someone in a medical emergency or was there training and this was just lack of understanding and caring.

Just before DWW played amongst the moshing, Sam, Michelle and I worked together to check my sugar. At 7.9 I knew that by the end of the 3 hour concert was only heading for a low. I knew that I had taken correctional insulin earlier and just had a gut feeling that I was going to be going low within an hour or so.

So I wasn't completely low when I needed a chocolate bar but I was definitely in no position to go find one. Stuck in the corner of the bar, around crazy people pushing one another there was just no way I could get by without losing my spot.

I told the bouncer I was diabetic and low, (a little stretch of the truth) he told me he couldn't do anything for me but escort me to the table where there would be food. So at this point do you wonder if he would have asked me if I needed medical attention? Well stop wondering because he didn't once ask me if I was a. okay or b. in need of medical attention. In fact he dumped me in a line to wait for a chocolate bar and said he would be right back.

This brings me to me point of not caring or not being understanding. Maybe I am being too hard on the poor mid 20's bouncer but frankly I don't believe that the situation was treated very well. The bouncers are more than happy to pull a drunk girl out of the crowd, but not so keen on helping a diabetic girl find food.

Thankfully I've got amazing friends who gave up their spot to find me. As for that bouncer, he never did come back.

This only gives me more reason to write. How could 300 000 Canadians live with type 1 diabetes and half the population not care or give a helping hand. Is it that diabetes isn't a disease you can depict from just looking at someone. I do not look ill therefore I am not ill.

Whatever the case it will be my goal to let people know that diabetes isn't a walk in the park or something you can just deal with or get over. Yes, it's manageable but since when is it not an emergency.

Kayla

1 comment:

  1. Hi Kayla! First off let me say how very proud I am of your handling of diabetes. I was diagnosed 5 years ago while working full time at Pauline Johnson Collegiate. 34 years old, single mom, no history anywhere in my family of diabetes and BAM! I am Type 1, and went blind for 6 weeks from sugars crystallizing in my eyes.
    Now six needles a day keeps me living and my sunny dispositon keeps me smiling. Diabetes made me re-evaluate what was important in life and created a very interesting journey, one which led me to re-unite with my soul mate from 22 years ago. He accepts my good days and bad days, my highs and my lows (literally and figuratively speaking)and I continue to embrace life and all it's opportunities. I also use any and every opportunity to educate people about it. Just because I don't look sick, doesn't mean I'm not.
    One of my students once said " At least you don't have cancer Miss Kim..."
    ....and I said " Well yes I guess, but at least with cancer you can be proactive, get and try treatments, have surgeries and maybe one day be cancer free. There is no medicine I can take to "get better", I take insulin to live for if I didn't, I would die." He thanked me for pointing that out....he hadn't thought of it that way.....so thank you for doing your part Kayla, in such an inspiring way!

    ReplyDelete