Hi, This is my first post
I have always been told I must test before driving but I have only been diabetic for 4 years and I just wanted to share my experience. I had only been type 1 diabetic for 2 years and had informed the DVLA and issued a 3 year licence as I was fit to drive.
One morning on leaving the house my BG was 10.0 which for me was pretty normal, took my insulin grabbed my usual cereal bar and got in the car to work, 10 minutes later I felt odd I was a traffic lights on a main road (no where to pull over) and thought I better test it was 1.5 and I started to panic trying to drive to a shop for juice (I had things in the car but at that point my brain went to mush). I managed to make it to the shop however I never got out the car I passed out and luckily a passer by seen me and called for help.
I didn't actually have an accident and no damage to my car however in the process of trying to get to a shop I must have been driving extremely erratically as I managed to fracture a vertebrae in my back which was only discovered when I was in A&E when I started to come around and complaining of back pain and because I was completely out of it they had no reason to suspect my injury so was walked from my car to the ambulance and then out of the ambulance onto a trolley. I was in hospital for 6 days had a back brace on for 8 weeks and off work for 3 months and as a result as I had lost hypo awareness I had to surrender my driving licence which was only returned once my consultant signed off that I was fit again to drive this was 7 months in total. I just keep thinking I could have killed or injured someone and would never forgive myself.
I have been assured that my experience is pretty uncommon but my diabetes team at my hospital cannot explain why I dropped so quickly, I have now changed my insulin and after being on a DAFNE course I only take in accordance to what I eat, I am still pretty weary about going low and now tend to get signs when its around 5.
I urge everyone please test before drive if you value your life and the lives of others and your driving licence!
I didn't realise this was going to be like war and peace
I have always been told I must test before driving but I have only been diabetic for 4 years and I just wanted to share my experience. I had only been type 1 diabetic for 2 years and had informed the DVLA and issued a 3 year licence as I was fit to drive.
One morning on leaving the house my BG was 10.0 which for me was pretty normal, took my insulin grabbed my usual cereal bar and got in the car to work, 10 minutes later I felt odd I was a traffic lights on a main road (no where to pull over) and thought I better test it was 1.5 and I started to panic trying to drive to a shop for juice (I had things in the car but at that point my brain went to mush). I managed to make it to the shop however I never got out the car I passed out and luckily a passer by seen me and called for help.
I didn't actually have an accident and no damage to my car however in the process of trying to get to a shop I must have been driving extremely erratically as I managed to fracture a vertebrae in my back which was only discovered when I was in A&E when I started to come around and complaining of back pain and because I was completely out of it they had no reason to suspect my injury so was walked from my car to the ambulance and then out of the ambulance onto a trolley. I was in hospital for 6 days had a back brace on for 8 weeks and off work for 3 months and as a result as I had lost hypo awareness I had to surrender my driving licence which was only returned once my consultant signed off that I was fit again to drive this was 7 months in total. I just keep thinking I could have killed or injured someone and would never forgive myself.
I have been assured that my experience is pretty uncommon but my diabetes team at my hospital cannot explain why I dropped so quickly, I have now changed my insulin and after being on a DAFNE course I only take in accordance to what I eat, I am still pretty weary about going low and now tend to get signs when its around 5.
I urge everyone please test before drive if you value your life and the lives of others and your driving licence!
I didn't realise this was going to be like war and peace