Diabetic Recipes
A pilot in Denton, Texas, made an emergency landing near a freeway yesterday because he felt lightheaded. Only one media source stated he was diabetic. Yet the article made every major newspaper in the area.
Thursday, I drove down the highway in rush hour traffic digging through my bag and eating everything I had with me. As I stuffed the glucose tabs into my mouth, I sat wondering about my fellow drivers. Were any of them diabetic? Had they driven this low before? Would they be mad because I was driving low (granted we didn't reach speeds above 15 mph)?
When I heard the pilot's story on the news this morning, those thoughts ran through my head again. Were the drivers on that freeway diabetic too? Would they be mad if they knew a plane had been flown over their cars while the pilot was low? If they were in that situation, what would they have done?
The media irritated me because of how they covered the story. One paper said he landed because he felt lightheaded, another because he was diabetic and felt ill, others could not explain why he landed. No one explained he was lightheaded because he was low (I'm only assuming here) or exactly why he couldn't continue to fly like that. Everyone just covered the story as "crazy man lands plane next to busy highway."
So I wonder, would I be covered in the news as "crazy lady stops car in rush hour traffic" without any defining details? Would people be thinking when they heard "diabetic" and "ill" that "those diabetics shouldn't be driving/flying if they can't keep their sugars maintained?"
I wonder if people actually knew how often diabetics fly or drive while low or high (we all know both affect our judgment), would they say we couldn't have our licenses renewed? Because we have seizures when we're low, should we have to take the bus or walk everywhere? If diabetes is so unpredictable, how can we be safe drivers or safe pilots?
Does diabetes prohibit me from living my life, often in the fast lane? Should diabetes get to prohibit me?
I understand your point Lindsey. I think sometimes that the aged should quit driving after about 70. I don't actually believe that tho. People, no matter illness or age, should be able to do as they're able. I have a few other medical issues besides diabetes but I don't think they should keep me from behind the wheel. Altho being schizoaffective/bipolar should limit my drive time but that should still be my choice. I know that I've been low while driving and high but my wife monitors my behavior quite well if I don't. I have had to pull over on the saide of the road and let 1 of my kids drive because I knew I couldn't. It was a different issue than diabetes but still I knew I was not alright and censured myself. We all have that respocibility no matter what our illness or age. My kids and wife are very effective in helping me see when I'm "getting bad". It helps to have understanding people around you but I don't think we'll ever get that from any media source. They're just looking for the next big story. Ruining other people's lives is no big deal to them.
I didn't read the story in the paper, but saw it reported on a TV station in Houston. They repored his reason for landing as due to his being diabetic and that he felt/thought his dizziness was due to his blood sugar level being too low. Insofar as 'a lot of pilots flying that way', I doubt that as it's only been very recently that anyone with diabetes could have hoped to get a private pilots license; that was an interest of mine in the far past.
Texas DPS does have the authority to either revoke, or restrict driving privileges for someone with diabetes.....been there, done that unfortunately. Reinstated through court appeal & control vouched for by my Dr. after 6 months of not driving.
I've learned of a manner of control involving low-carb diet, & consequently my insulin reduced to less than 20% of what it had beem previously for 55 years as T1! No more ups & downs as before with BG. So things can get better.
You raise some importants questions that we should all think hard about.
Personally I am just about to get my G2, meaning i will be able to drive without a licenced driver in the passenger seat. This also means that I will need insurance.
I was wondering how diabetes effects insurance rates and how much I/my parents, should expect to pay.
I've never had a problem with diabetes and car insurance. My insurance is fairly priced. The only problem ever with insurance is usually health and life. They tend to deny us certain fundamentals.
Your description of driving when you know your blood sugar is low makes a terrific case for restricting diabetics from driving or flying. Why do you do it? Instead of eating everything in your purse, why don't you pull off the road. If you cause an accident, you will be judged very harshly,and rightfully so.
If you'd driven Houston rush hour traffic, you would completely understand. It's like being pulled over anyway.
I can feel for your situation of being low while driving. I do believe that we as diabetics should always be prepared for any situation such as this one, but I also believe that we should be careful and pull off the road if we feel lightheaded until everything is better. Just another obstacle that we have to face in this disease. And just like anyone else who faces a disease or ailment that could get to the point that it effects our ability to drive, if we must stop...then we must. Hope it never gets to that point for you.
I can tell you that about 2o years ago, I almost lost my license. I went into a hypo and had crashed my truck into the guardrail at the top of a bridge...scary stuff. I had to get a letter from my doctor stating that i was in control and had to get in control,and was required to check my bloodsugar every time before I drove.I still do (much easier now with the CGMS)
As diabetics, we are accountable to others for our actions. I have had to learn that the hard way over the years.......
We just like anyone else which a medical condition are responsible to make sure we are not in a position to harm anyone. Diet, exercise and most importantly diabetes monitoring help us do this. I for one test before heading home in the evening for work as a rule to see where I am. If I'm even in the 80's I eat a light snack because you never know how long it might take to get home. Diabetics who have good control and monitoring of their diabetes should not be restricted from flying, driving or any other activity. However those who don't have control or who don't monitor should be held responsible if they cause an accident even if it means taking their licenses away.
I am 66 yearsd old, no diabete history in my family, not over weight, am very athletic and was diagnosed type 1 diabetic 4 years ago.I am on a pump and now labeled brittle by my wonderful Dr. as I constantly have lows of 20.. Because of this I have guidelines my husband and I choose to go by.ANYTIME I get in my car as driver I test myself right beforehand. I am not giving up my interpendence yet I usually do not feel any warnings. I know the parametics now and they gave me a suppy of oral glucose gel by Paddock Labs in Minneapolis. It comes in tubes and I have taught, family and friends what to do. If my husband goes out of town I ask a friend over. Hope this helps everyone. Because I am very brittle I also am faithful to test every two hrs besides. Good luck to you all. I was an rn and worked in special care units and never realized what a challenge this disease is.
As both a Dr. & an Instrument rated Pilot , with T-2 diabetes, I can state that it would be a horrendous misconception to even think of grounding pilots due to diabetes. The FAA already has inplace stringent guidelines as to health resons for losing your privlage to fly. I have never had any symptoms while flying, even in 0/0 conditions in a snow storm. Like all pilots shpuld (not just Diabetics) I carry both hydration & nutrition supplements easily at hand. My Lord, dont give the Feds another excuse to strip us of our ever dwindiling Rights. Sounds like this Pilot did excactly the right thing by landing; Note: All PILOTS are trained to disregard signals sent by our middle ear, as in vertigo, and reley on ou instuments. JFK Jr. who was to my knowledge not a diabetic, didnt/couldnt do this (RIP) and he & his Passengers paid the ultimite price.
I carry wrapped mints in my purse at all times just in case I feel low. There's also a meter in my car to use if I'm in the car. But I've been low enough times to know when I'm low.
Now onto the subject of not driving. My mother went through the trauma of giving up her driving, including being afraid I would have her declared unfit to run her life as she wanted. Finally, after a while she got around to asking me my opinion. I very carefully recommended that she watch her driving and determine for herself when she thought she might hurt or kill someone from her driving. And then she could give it up when she needed to. That worked for her. I hope it will for me. I certainly don't want to be told I have to give up my driving.
I am noticing that now I have to be careful to keep myself in check and not off into talking to someone in the car with me. I'm starting to slip a bit, not from diabetes but old age. So I'm making a mental note of it and thinking about what I need to do and when I need to do it.
I also suffer from low blood sugars frequently, and sometimes when I am having a low, my blood sugar drops into the 30's & 40's. I almost always have a full pack of sugar tabs with me, a regular soda, fruit or peanut butter crackers or just something to shove in my mouth when it happens. I pull over or if my husband is driving, he pulls over until I am alright to go on. I have very few if any symptons ahead of time other than shaking when I get below 50.
Last summer I witnessed an accident where a diabetic passed out from a low blood sugar (he was right in front of me). Nobody at the scene had the brains to see if he may have been diabetic, not even the paramedics or the police department. This man had crossed the median in a busy local outdoor mall, ran over the curb on the other side of the street, hit 5 cars in the theatre parking lot before his vehicle came to rest on top of a curb in the parking lot.
With the assistance of a young man nearly run over by this driver, I slipped a sugar tab between his teeth and cheek(against the wishes of the paramedics and police present). Within a minute or so the man became responsive enough to tell people he was a diabetic.
Hang in there, always keep something stocked in your car, you never know when you will be delayed. Above all else, where a medical ID, either bracelet or necklace that will tell someone immediately what might be wrong, just in case something happens.
I just wanted to add:
- I do not think diabetics should lose their rights to drive or fly or boat, for that matter. As long as we are in control of our blood sugars, we should be fairly treated.
- Always carry things in your car for lows! Glucose tabs are great because they don't melt or freeze. I also think some sort of long acting carb (like peanut butter crackers) should be kept in the console as well.
- A medical ID bracelet is the best bet to being helped quickly by paramedics. I've heard countless stories (like the one above) where diabetics go untreated because of no information.
I have boarderline T2 with multiple health problems. The one thing I have never done is juse my health as an exscue to endanger others. As with any disibility a person must be responsible for there own care. And if they don't have control of a problem, then they must seek alturnitve ways. I personly think the piolet did the right thing landing when he did, it showed true responsibility.
i have been a diabetic since 1962 type 1 i am 55 since being on the pump my sugars drop too fast without any warning(LOW BLOOD SUGARS ARE NOTHING TO PLAY WITH ) please pull over to the side even if you are on a bycycle etc.....anything !!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE PULL OVER TILL YOUR SUGARS ARE STABLE REMEMBER ALWAYS DRIVE TO ARRIVE ALIVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and i always keep a bag of lifesavers with me they work fast if you chew them take 5-10 lifesavers and hopefully you will start to feel better fast BUT PLEASE STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING THAT"S BEING FOOLISH IF YOU DON"T STOP IF I HAD TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC AND IT MEANT MY LIFE I CERTAINLY WOULD ALSO PUT ON YOUR FLASHERS !!!!!!!!!!!!