Single parent night hypo worries

[Metalmama]

Hello,

I'm a Type 1 on 2-3 injections a day. Am well controlled, and have just had a night time hypo, my first in just over a year.

My 18 yr old daughter saved me but is going off to uni in Sept leaving my 9 yr old son.

So, how do other single parents cope with night time hypos? I rang Dexcom who said I could buy a CGM but the outlay and ongoing costs are too expensive.

I will not go on a pump, it's just not for me. No lectures about that please.

So does anyone have any tips they can share?

Thanks all.

 

[therower]

Hi @Metalmama . It may help if you could tell us what insulin you use and what regime you follow.
Fully understand your worries and I'm sure people will be able to offer advice with a little more information.

 

[Juicyj]

Hi @Metalmama there is always a reason why a hypo will occur so the process is to analyse, so too much insulin/exercise, not enough carbs etc, as @therower has said if you can advise further on what your regime is like we may be able to help you understand more about why this happened.

 

[noblehead]

I rang Dexcom who said I could buy a CGM but the outlay and ongoing costs are too expensive.

As a short-term measure you could ask your diabetes team to see if they'll loan out a CGM, not ideal but it will help you get your insulin doses sorted if they are out of sorts, INPUT has some more info:

http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/cgm/cgm-nhs-funding/

 

[Scott-C]

If it's a cold sweat hypo, there's a thread here about hypoband
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/hypoband-the-cold-sweat-alarm.84403/

It's worn like a wristwatch and alarms if the sensors on it get too cold and damp from a cold sweat, so you'll hopefully get woken up early on in the hypo instead of getting too low. It can send a message to other phones.

I got one, but typically enough, haven't had any cold sweat hypos since I got it, so can't say if it works or not - maybe it's got a weird placebo effect! Some users in the thread reckoned it worked for them.

It's a one off cost, can't remember how much but it'll be on their site.

Freestyle libre costs £100 per month if used all the time. Although it's not got alarms, it's still very good for seeing what's going on in the last few hours before going to bed so it's generally easier to make judgment calls about whether and how much carbs might be needed for supper. And you can also check levels overnight which'll indicate whether basal tweaks might be needed. Like I say, alarms would be great, but it still improves chances a lot from the clues it gives.

There's also a free phone app called gluconightwatch which is meant to make a phone ring if you wear it over the libre sensor, but obviously wearing a phone on your arm while sleeping ain't that convenient! Haven't tried it so can't say if it works or not.

 

[Metalmama]

Thanks for that info. I do need something with an alarm and don't always get get cold sweat hypos, I usually tend to bake : 0.

The Dexcom CGM sounded quite useful but I was told you have to wear it all the time. Hmm, not keen on having something on 24/7 and I asked if I could just wear it at night and was told that although not advised, yes it could be done. However, that would mean more sensors and then that would mean more cost. The £200 a month for the sensors is something that would be an issue and was told the do fund some cases on the NHS. I am currently doing more than one part-time job and get no child maintenance as ex pays the mortgage. More to that story but that's for another time : 0

I am on Bovine Neutral and Bovine Isophane as have had issues with the Human insulin and more modern ones that I have also tried.

I currently take:

AM - BN 3-5 units and I 23-25 units so around 30 units in total

PM - BN 4-5 units I 4-5 units around 9-10 total

If I take a lunch jab its about 7-8 units.

I have had diabetes 44 years and in the last few years have become so carb sensitive. I try and stick to very light meals at lunch and only inject if I am eating out. Control has been harder since my son was born. I put a thread up about that 7 years ago on here.

To be honest having had it so long, I am so burnt out with it. I said that to my DSN who said "Well, that's understandable after you have had so long" and that was that.....!

I don't have any complications from it as am quite careful.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hi, I don't know if this will help, but I have been a single parent and type 1 for 28 years and bringing up my child for 16 years now and I have had some scary tines, but still here and fighting fit. My daughter is 16 now and I did worry especially when she was very young, she goes out and stays with her friends over night, so on my own. I know there are some single type 1's on the forum, this type of thread has been posted before, but I can't think who they all are right now.
Try not to worry too much, but good luck and wishing you all the very best.

 

[Metalmama]

Thanks, Robinredbreast!

It's pretty scary. I was doing okay and then had a massive hypo on Tuesday in the early hours (on my birthday of all days!), and that totally freaked me out.

Thank you for your kind words! How have you coped? What about when your daughter was much younger?

 

[Robinredbreast]

Thanks, Robinredbreast!

It's been pretty scary. I was doing okay and then had a massive hypo on Tuesday in the early hours (on my birthday of all days!), and that totally freaked me out.

Thank you for your kind words! How have you coped? What about when your daughter was much younger?

I'm so sorry to hear of your birthday hypo, I hope you recovered well and you had a pleasant birthday, despite the horrible hypo.
When I had my baby, she was 7 weeks early, I was very ill and was in hospital for a while. I managed breastfeeding, but I had a massive hypo ( I was with my partner in the beginning) I wouldn't wake up when she was crying for a feed and eventually woke up to paramedics in the bedroom. I used to worry it would happen again and was frightened to go to bed sometimes, it has always been a worry, being a single mum like you. so looking after a youngster and trying to keep good control was a balancing act at times. My teen starts College in September, but it is local. Does your son know what to do in an emergency ?

 

[IanRA]

Hello,

I'm a Type 1 on 2-3 injections a day. Am well controlled, and have just had a night time hypo, my first in just over a year.

My 18 yr old daughter saved me but is going off to uni in Sept leaving my 9 yr old son.

So, how do other single parents cope with night time hypos? I rang Dexcom who said I could buy a CGM but the outlay and ongoing costs are too expensive.

I will not go on a pump, it's just not for me. No lectures about that please.

So does anyone have any tips they can share?

Thanks all.

I have had in the past the same issue. However I have controlled it by having a strict regime of pre bedtime testing. If I am below (in my case 6.5 mmol/l ) I eat 20 gms low gi food (in my case pasta which I have in the fridge). I also always keep a cordial with glucose handy. Since going on the pump my control over hypos has dramatically improved. Reason being is the abilility to set delivery profiles for various times of the day. I still get the odd low but no where as bad as before.

 

[Metalmama]

Thank you for your kind words.

I'm so sorry to hear of your birthday hypo, I hope you recovered well and you had a pleasant birthday, despite the horrible hypo.
When I had my baby, she was 7 weeks early, I was very ill and was in hospital for a while. I managed breastfeeding, but I had a massive hypo ( I was with my partner in the beginning) I wouldn't wake up when she was crying for a feed and eventually woke up to paramedics in the bedroom. I used to worry it would happen again and was frightened to go to bed sometimes, it has always been a worry, being a single mum like you. so looking after a youngster and trying to keep good control was a balancing act at times. My teen starts College in September, but it is local. Does your son know what to do in an emergency ?

Thank you for your kind words.

Sorry to read about the paramedics incident and can totally sympathise with you there.

My daughter is fab at spotting hypos and can tell if I am low by looking at my eyes,as says they change even though I am talking normally with no signs of hypo.

My son knows what to do but when the one happened last week refused to help at all(!) and cannot spot them either...

How did your daughter cope when she was younger? We have emergency key holder friends, and numbers programmed into the landline, but I am still worried after last week.

 

[Metalmama]

I have had in the past the same issue. However I have controlled it by having a strict regime of pre bedtime testing. If I am below (in my case 6.5 mmol/l ) I eat 20 gms low gi food (in my case pasta which I have in the fridge). I also always keep a cordial with glucose handy. Since going on the pump my control over hypos has dramatically improved. Reason being is the abilility to set delivery profiles for various times of the day. I still get the odd low but no where as bad as before.

Thanks for that.
I always eat some carbs if my sugar is below 8, and this is the first time I went during the night for a whole year.
I know what it was, I tested high before bed so took a correctional dose which was clearly too much.
Scary times. I just don't want to go onto a pump and am quite happy on my regime albeit old fashioned!