It Wasn't Me
Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 8:48AM My wife’s iPhone has been acting up. She will be plugging along and all of a sudden it will shut off. Not lock screen but completely power down. During phone calls, when reading emails, sending text messages, and most importantly while playing Candy Crush you would lose whatever you were doing. So we finally went to the AT&T store last night to get her a new one.
After what seemed like an eternity we got her all upgraded to the 5. Of course she got a case, screen protector, and a car charger. You know, the add-on’s you have to have.
Across the parking lot from AT&T was Red Robin which always reminds me of the DOC but first and foremost my friend Sara. My Dexcom was showing a South East pointing arrow with a number of 96. My mom and daughter were with us so I asked them to head on over and get us a table. Also to have them order Diet Cokes and Cheese Sticks. So while we were finishing up the transaction they walked over.
The short walk from the phone store to the food store made me tank. I walked into the restaurant and the hostess stepped out in front of me and asked, “How many?”
“Um, our party just walked in. Like 2 people just came in… I saw them walk in but I don’t know where they are.” I could hear my attitude and could feel my face heating up in anger.
“Okay? Well if you want to walk around and find them…” She trailed off because I just walked past her frantically looking for my mom and daughter.
The entire restaurant stopped what they were doing and looked at Jasmine and I. I could feel every eye looking at us in fear. What is this guy going to do? Why is he so angry? Who is he looking for? Is he going to hurt us?
“They are over there by the back wall.” My wife saw them but I couldn’t.
“I cannot see them. I can’t see anything.”
“Over there. Can you see Gillian?”
“I am too f***ing low to see any f***ing thing so please just walk and I will follow you.” I snapped. I wasn’t mad at her I was mad at the low. Luckily my wife knows the difference and doesn’t hold that against me.
Before I even sat down Jasmine grabbed glucose out of her purse and handed it to me. I sucked down the pouch of Level glucose and leaned my head on my daughter’s shoulder. She leaned her head on mine and I said, “I am not snuggling so please just sit up and let me escape for a second.”
She sat up and let me rest my head until my glucose caught up.
CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH What the heck was that noise? CRUNCH CRRRRRUUUUUNCH
“Oh my goodness it sounds like a monster is eating nachos” I said it very quietly, just so Gillian could hear it and she started laughing. Whoever was behind us was eating chips and not closing their mouth. Eww.
When she started to laugh and I did too I knew I was back. It was done. This was a really grumpy low for me, not normal but not unheard of.
The fact that both my daughter and wife know what diabetes does and more importantly what it does to me. They know that how they respond can make all the difference in the world.
If Jasmine would have wigged out when I snapped about my temporary “blindness” it would have probably gotten ugly. Gillian could have gotten an attitude about the not wanted to snuggle thing but she understood.
When I go through a low everyone around me goes through it too. Having people like my wife and daughter around who understand what is happening makes the road from low to normal much smoother.
And in case you were wondering no one in the restaurant stopped to look at us. That was just how I felt but Jasmine reassured me later that we did not make any scene.
It’s scary what a lack of glucose can do to your brain and your attitude. Thank God I have type 3's in my life that get it.
Reader Comments (7)
You are so right... those lows affect all in our circle of influence. Glad it turned out okay.
Great post as usual, George. Thanks for sharing this and reminding everyone how important good, understanding support is. You're pretty awesome, too. :)
Your ability to pull me right inside that low with you is amazing. And I love how you close the story with a laugh.
I can't even imagine how it must feel. Thanks for the reminder to let the behavior that lows cause to roll off my back and not get frustrated by it.
Thank you. I appreciate this perspective and this reminder to roll with it when my son is experiencing lows. It is soooo incredibly difficult to explain that he is "not himself" to teachers and friends re: lows.
I love my type 3's. I don't know what I would do or where I would be without them.
Great post! My hubby sometimes still takes it personally when I grouch at him when I'm low...it's definitely nice that your wife and daughter understand :)