Brother's Wedding - Advice would be good...

[joelcam]

Hi all,

It is my Brother's wedding in December. I have been a T1 since August so still in the early stages of this lovely pain in the @ss disease. Anyhow, my levels are all under control and I am having next to no hypo's so managing quite well.

My concern is that although I am not really a drinker (Might have literally a can of lager or 2 on a Saturday) I will want to have a good drink and a laugh on the night of the wedding. I am staying overnight in the Hotel so no need to offer advice on not driving etc!

Before I had diabetes, If I had 7 or 8 pints that was good night for me, I'd be well drunk, slurring and dancing badly etc...I have not got drunk since diagnosis and am really anxious about whether to just have 1 or 2 pints and then get on the diet coke. My partner will be with me and she is really sensible and would know if there was something wrong, but I'm still worried I may take the shine off his special day if I end up in A&E!! (or more to the point his Wife's as she has been planning this since before they met!)

Any advice welcome.

Thanks

JC

 

[glitterzoe]

not saying that you shouldnt have a drink but are you aware that it lowers your blood sugers. are you aware of your hypos and could you tell the difference between "drunk" and hypo? if you can answer yes then by all mean have a drink but be aware! if you can have low carb beer all the better, dont miss any insulin, keep lucazade next to the bed (you are more likely to hypo during the night) if you can manage it try a small sugery drink to keep your sugers up, and check your blood. Alcohol lowers blood quite rapid (this is why you get munchies last thing at night when you have been on a bender) this is fine if your not diabetic but for us l;ot, not good. Just keep track and have a good night dont drink too much and it you find that your fine throughout the night and in the morning then you can be happy in the knowlage that you did the right thing. (the longer your diabetic the easer it becomes :lol: :lol: )
Have a good time

 

[shedges]

Hi JC,

I've been to loads of weddings in the last 4 years and had a fair bit to drink at a few of them. The one where I didn't follow advice and the diabetes affected me worst and that was my own! D'Oh!!

The way I see it, there are three key things to remember:

1. Have something to eat before you start drinking and inject insulin dose accordingly.
2. Keep an eye on your levels through the evening, but don't worry if they're a little high - alcohol will do that to start with.
3. Alcohol will cause your bg to go lower later, so whatever you do, make sure you have something to eat before bed.

When I'm staying in a hotel I pack some flapjacks and wine gums in my overnight bag - flapjacks as a pre-bed snack and wine gums in case of hypo. If you have eaten enough (I know the timings can be difficult at weddings) and you have something before bed, you'll most likely only suffer from a hangover and the possibility of being a bit higher than normal in the morning.

Hope that helps,
Any questions give me a shout.

Sam.

 

[Debloubed]

Hi JC, congrats to your bro! As everyone has already said, watch out for those night time lows as they will happen after a day/night of drinking (lets face it, after the pre-wedding drinks to steady the nerves and toasts etc, you will probably have the chance to sink a fair few!) 2 words for you. Starchy carbs

Top tip - you will be tempted to over inject if you see your levels start to rise, particularly before you go to bed. Resist, resist! I did that once and it wasn't pretty :roll:

Above all - have fun and enjoy the day!!

 

[deeby]

Hi there

Another thing I have to watch is going low the next morning - that really caught me out the first time it happened. I'd had the pre-bed snack and everything was fine. Was just congratuting myself on my first post-diagnosis night out when I went hypo at around 11 the next morning. So just be aware that sometimes the effects can take longer than you think. Now, following my DN's advice, I inject a little less insulin on mornings following a drink and have been fine ever since.

Have a wonderful time!

Deeby

 

[copepod]

Hi Joel
Congratualtions to your brother. I'm female, but hate dressing up, hate weddings (not married to the lovely guy I've been with for over 10 years) and find weddings the most difficult situations I've had to deal with in the 14 years since my diagnosis - far more difficult than travelling to locations such as South Georgia, 4400m up the Andes, competing in and marsalling at adventure races and mountain marathons etc, and nowher enear as interesting nor as much fun. Why are weddings so difficult? Mainly the lack of information about when and what food will be available, alcohol etc. Weddings might be OK if the stress was outweighed by enjoying the situation, but it's not. Often I have to completely avoid drinking alcohol art weddings as my partner's one fault is that he's never learned to drive. What have I found helps? Always having blood glucose meter, insulin pen, sweets and muesli bars to hand - at least you'll have jacket pockets, but I have to carry a handbag, which I only ever carry at weddings (and one trip to investiture at Buckingham Palace). Thank goodness all but one of my eight cousins is now married - and none are onto second marriages yet!
On other occasions, I do drink alcohol - usually a maximum of 2 pints of beer or half a bottle of wine in a night - and always eat something before starting to drink alcohol and alternate alcohol with non-alcoholic drinks, which is when the lack of sugar free drinks is shown up - diet coke if you're lucky, otherwise perhaps still or sparkling mineral water. Fruit juices are nowhere near sugar free, so may or may not be suitable, but mixing with sparkling water can help.

 

[joelcam]

Thanks a lot everyone...some great advice given....just freaking me out because if I am rat-assed I might struggle to check my blood levels throughout the evening...donlt fancy seeing a spinning glucose monitor in one hand with the other hand wrapped around a spinning toilet....people banging on the door trying to inject me with glucogen while others are shoving Mars Bars in my mouth because no-one really knows what the f*** they are doing - ha ha! Maybe they'll call it off!