@Mel dCP it wasn't as big a surprise as you might think! I'd been feeling rough for a few days immediately before the hospital trip, but I had about two weeks of mega thirst and ALL of the trips to the porcelain firing range! That prompted a bit of Internet research and a trip to the doctors with the suspicion that I may be diabetic.
What I wasn't expecting was the "you need to hold to hospital right the f now!" call from the doctor, and the bg so high that the hospital's meters wouldn't give a reading other than high!