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Hypos and Marching Band

H_Cs said:
Most definitely physical. Marching band for me, a mellophone player, is four/five hours of walking or doing visuals on a bumpy grass field under the sun. Fun times. ;)
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Wow. That's a lot of marching. I was in my high school band, we rehearsed maybe 1 hour before school during football season, and half an hour during regular band class period. Even when we were rehearsing for parades, we never marched for four or five hours!

When do you have time for other classes?
 
I would say firstly that you need to confirm or disconfirm low blood glucose as the cause. If this is established then it could conceivably be some kind of glucagon deficiency. Perhaps pancreatic alpha cell dysfunction or glucagon resistance in the liver. Only an endocrinologist is likely to have the knowledge required to investigate this properly.

In the event that low blood glucose is not the cause of your problems, then you still need to see a doctor but at least you’ll be armed with the knowledge that when the problem occurs it is not due to low sugars. You’re only going to determine either way if you buy/borrow/use a glucose meter and use it during one of your episodes.

As others have said, this doesn’t seem like a regular diabetes problem. I suppose it’s not impossible that you are actually experiencing high glucose, but it doesn’t seem likely given your description of the symptoms and the timings of when it occurs. In other words everyone including your doctor is going to be guessing until you can establish or rule out low (or high) blood glucose.
 
SaskiaKC said:
Wow. That's a lot of marching. I was in my high school band, we rehearsed maybe 1 hour before school during football season, and half an hour during regular band class period. Even when we were rehearsing for parades, we never marched for four or five hours!

When do you have time for other classes?
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So our rehearsals are after school, and that is why we have so much time for them. It used to be from 3:00-5:30 and now it's 1:20-5:30. Woohoo
 
Jim Lahey said:
I would say firstly that you need to confirm or disconfirm low blood glucose as the cause. If this is established then it could conceivably be some kind of glucagon deficiency. Perhaps pancreatic alpha cell dysfunction or glucagon resistance in the liver. Only an endocrinologist is likely to have the knowledge required to investigate this properly.

In the event that low blood glucose is not the cause of your problems, then you still need to see a doctor but at least you’ll be armed with the knowledge that when the problem occurs it is not due to low sugars. You’re only going to determine either way if you buy/borrow/use a glucose meter and use it during one of your episodes.

As others have said, this doesn’t seem like a regular diabetes problem. I suppose it’s not impossible that you are actually experiencing high glucose, but it doesn’t seem likely given your description of the symptoms and the timings of when it occurs. In other words everyone including your doctor is going to be guessing until you can establish or rule out low (or high) blood glucose.
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Wow! I did not know that it could have something to do with the liver. Very interesting. I might try to get in an appointment with an endo if possible. Thanks
 
H_Cs said:
Wow! I did not know that it could have something to do with the liver. Very interesting. I might try to get in an appointment with an endo if possible. Thanks
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Conceivably but not necessarily in your case. It’s just one possibility. The liver can manufacture and secrete glucose in order to maintain homeostasis within a narrow corridor. Glucagon is one of the primary hormones that signal this process. It is secreted by the pancreas when blood glucose concentration drops too low. So in theory, if all the hormones are functioning together as they should, then your liver should keep secreting glucose as necessary, irrespective of when you last ate.

That’s my understanding and I may have some details wrong, but I would hope a decent endocrinologist will know their onions. Firstly I think you need to have your glucose tested during one of these episodes. A HbA1c test will not be sufficient.
 
H_Cs said:
So our rehearsals are after school, and that is why we have so much time for them. It used to be from 3:00-5:30 and now it's 1:20-5:30. Woohoo
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What on earth are you rehearsing for that "requires" that much marching?

None of our parents would have stood for that -- I don't think even college bands march that long. Something wrong there, IMO.
 
SaskiaKC said:
What on earth are you rehearsing for that "requires" that much marching?

None of our parents would have stood for that -- I don't think even college bands march that long. Something wrong there, IMO.
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So, every year we have a different show that requires us to learn sets (where we stand in the show) and how to move between them and make it work. It's fun when you start to learn all of them, and then rehearsal moves more smoothly, nut those Tuesday and Thursday rehearsals aren't the half of it. We also have to come in for two weeks of "Band Camp" in July, to grow the freshman up to it. It's a lot, but worth it in the end. Also, the band is totally a "you" thing and you can choose whether to be in it or not. Parents know about the rehearsals, but eh, they're okay with it.
 
We had those too. Halftime shows at football games. We rehearsed in the morning before school during the week before game day, and during band class period. So about 2 hours every day for 5 days.

We never rehearsed as many hours as you're talking about, not even for festival competitions.

There were laws about that sort of thing.
 
Juicyj said:
Hello @H_Cs and welcome :)

I have come across a few non-diabetics who can experience feelings of low sugar, a friend's son goes very quiet after sport and quite pale, however if he has a sugary drink or glucose so sweets like jelly babies, then he picks up fairly quickly, i've given him my glucotabs in the past and that's helped pick him up. Non diabetics can experience low blood sugar, I was once at a rowing event and a girl participating had just finished a race, she was shaking really badly and almost passed out, she was given a mars bar and picked up soon afterwards. It's wise to see your doctor and get a check up, but if worried then carry some sugar/glucose on you that's easy to access and use this.
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That answers a question I have been thinking about from my own perspective for a few months now. A piece of the jigsaw that was missing, for me.

And is another reason why I don’t go full keto.
 
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SaskiaKC said:
We had those too. Halftime shows at football games. We rehearsed in the morning before school during the week before game day, and during band class period. So about 2 hours every day for 5 days.

We never rehearsed as many hours as you're talking about, not even for festival competitions.

There were laws about that sort of thing.
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I'd say our longer rehearsals makes up for not having to march every day. It's gross when it's hot out, but we only have to put up with it for a bit.
 
H_Cs said:
I'd say our longer rehearsals makes up for not having to march every day. It's gross when it's hot out, but we only have to put up with it for a bit.
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I"m still appalled that a band director is allowed to do this to minor students.

Eight Hour Marching Band Rule Q&A
Since 1997 the UIL has limited practice outside the academic school day for marching band and auxiliary components to eight hours per calendar week. The Student/Parent Acknowledgement Form came from a recommendation made by the UIL/TMEA Marching Band Study Committee after many months of research and deliberation. The form was created to enlighten students and parents regarding the specifies of the 8-hour rule as it applies to marching band. The form can be found on the Marching Band Contest page of the UIL web site.
https://www.uiltexas.org/music/marching-band/eight-hour-marching-band-rule-qa

Just one website.
 
SaskiaKC said:
I"m still appalled that a band director is allowed to do this to minor students.

Eight Hour Marching Band Rule Q&A
Since 1997 the UIL has limited practice outside the academic school day for marching band and auxiliary components to eight hours per calendar week. The Student/Parent Acknowledgement Form came from a recommendation made by the UIL/TMEA Marching Band Study Committee after many months of research and deliberation. The form was created to enlighten students and parents regarding the specifies of the 8-hour rule as it applies to marching band. The form can be found on the Marching Band Contest page of the UIL web site.
https://www.uiltexas.org/music/marching-band/eight-hour-marching-band-rule-qa

Just one website.
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!!!! How in the world have I never known about this? Maybe we follow guidelines but? Our band contracts don't even mention this??
 
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