My diabetes clinic appointment is coming up next month and I scheduled my blood draw for my labs with my GP’s surgery. I usually get them done about 2-3 weeks before my appointment so that I have enough time to collect and copy them for my own records. The regular blood draw for labs is one of the "joys" of having type 1 diabetes. And for this one, I scheduled a fasting blood sample because my cholesterol was due to be checked. However, I have read that being fasting for this test doesn’t actually affect the accuracy of the result. But do I want to have that “discussion” with my nurse practitioner or not yet?!?
The morning came and I had written a note for myself to remind me not to have breakfast. Sometimes, I wonder “What I’m like?”
Low (pun) and behold my CGM started to alert me to the fact that my blood sugars were below 4.1 mmol/l (74 mg/dl) with a ⬊. I did a check on my meter just to be sure. And YEP!
So what to do? I decided to still forego brekkie and top up with 2 glucose tablets, which is usually enough to bring me back into the 5’s. The important thing for me to remember was that I was driving - it was only a short drive but none the less driving. Don’t drive under 5 mmol/l (90 mg/dl).
By the time we left the house for the school drop off I was at 5 mmol/l. After I dropped the kids off at school, I went home and literally didn’t breathe so that my blood glucose wouldn’t drop any further. I only had to hold out til 9.50am.
I made it! I told my nurse what I used to bring my sugars up to make it safe to drive and she didn’t even bat an eyelid. So that was great!
However, there’s another disadvantage to trying to do fasting blood tests when you have type 1 diabetes and that’s when your done with your appointment.
I was starving, famished, could have eaten a horse. I ended up at the closest cafe and ordered the lesser of all the evils … or so I thought; a plain cheese and ham croissant. Definitely not a great option, unhealthy and boy did it send my blood sugars into the clouds.
I feel like I should’ve gone all out and had the muffin. But at least this job is done for another year.