As a child with diabetes, one of the most frightening reminders of the danger of the disease was the emergency glucagon kit. Not only was it a symbol of the terrifying risk of severe hypoglycemia, it also had a giant needle.  And as I look at the kit today, which I found after digging through some drawers, I have to agree with my childhood self; that’s one big needle! Glucagon kits are part of the emergency arsenal for diabetics; Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly each manufacture the kits, which come in bright red or orange cases...

The digital clock on my bedside table said 2:11 this morning when I woke up.  I had, in the midst of dreaming, tried to put off getting out of bed to correct a slow onset hypoglycemic episode – but deep down I knew there was no avoiding it.   There hadn’t been any good cause for my blood sugar to drop.   I had eaten a low-calorie salad for dinner with a piece of whole wheat bread and went to bed at 10 pm (early for me!) with a blood sugar of 110.  I had not joined friends for a glass of white wine, or snacked. ...

I prefer running in the mornings. I didn’t always. I used to run in the evenings after work, or after the kids went to sleep. There were two problems with this. The first was that it took up too much of my family time. The second was that I spent the whole day worrying about eating and injecting correctly for my run. So I started running in the mornings. Until a few weeks ago when I began my new training program, all my runs were pretty much the same. The distance changed and with it the speed, but they were all more of the same....

Recently, Congress has been getting a lot of attention for how hard its members are supposedly working. They’re staying in Saturdays to discuss the health care bill; they’re debating the troop surge in Afghanistan. Every day in the life of a Senator or Representative is filled with Very Important Business, these reports make it seem, keeping long hours to do what is just and right. Okay, fine. I’m sure that there are politicians who are genuinely committed to what they think would be best for the country. But have...

I have a problem with beans. Or, rather, legumes in general. I know they’re supposed to be good for me. I know they have a low glycemic index and will break down slowly and, technically speaking, should not be that difficult to control. And yet, for some reason, when I look at a bowl of bean soup — as I did last night, when I made it for dinner — all I see are carbohydrates. Lots of them. It might as well be a bowl full of potatoes. As a result, I always overbolus. Always. You’d think that since I know this...

My husband’s out of town right now on business, and in addition to making me miss him, it’s also making me realize that this is one of the first times since I was diagnosed with Type 1 nearly nine years ago that I’ve spent a substantial number of nights alone. When I was diagnosed, I was still in college — and lived with a roommate. After college, I lived briefly with my parents, and then moved in with more roommates. A succession of house shares followed, and then I moved in with my boyfriend, who’s...

Show Background Information I’m a 23 year old type 1 and I take 11 units of long-acting insulin at bedtime. Many mornings I wake up and my t-shirt and sheets are wet with sweat. Could this be a sign of nighttime hypoglycemia?