Last night I started up a conversation with my wife that I have never had before.
"I just read on this blog about a woman who's husband becomes verbally abusive to her when he is low and then doesn't remember anything come morning. Do I ever do that?" I did not get the response I was expecting.
She said, "Well sometimes you can be mean."
"What!?!" Really!?!"
"More sarcastic I guess. You can be short and sarcastic." This made sense to me.
I know that when I am low I cannot think at all. When I am really low and my wife asks me if I want orange juice or a sandwich I get frustrated because my brain can only handle yes or no type questions. Thinking does not occur properly.
"I know the reason why I get like that. It is hard for me to explain anything or think about anything when I am low. I guess I just assume you know this and questions make my brain feel like spaghetti. Spaghetti with a twirling fork in it."
She got it.
That is the deal people. We as people with diabetes need to educate our partners on everything. Not only the difference between different types and how insulin works. We need to also let them know what we feel like when we go low. What we think about. How we want to be approached.
Last night was total eye opener for me. I assumed my wife understood and cleary she did not. How could she? She doesn't have diabetes, and I have never explained those feelings especially when I'm low.
I know many of us react differently but we all can agree that we do "change" when we are low. So we should tell our loved ones what that feels like when we are not low.
It may be a win-win for everyone.
