RH espisode, I think. Your thoughts??

For those who know me I'm pretty regeminted (understatement!).  Yesterday I had a Plastic Surgery consult in Detroit - 3 1/2 hours away.  I planned, packed lunch, protein snacks, fluids, etc.

10:30 am we stopped at Starbucks for potty break and I got a SF, decaf, soy latte.

12N I wasn't hungry - latte filled me up.  I ate my organic greens salad with boiled egg and organic nitrate free 2oz turkey and some fresh veggies.

1pm PS appt - 3:30 pm.  Long time - great appt - I will post about that later.

3:45 stop for gas - I get a light Muscle milk (160 cal 20gm protein) and ate a sm bag Kays Naturals protein snack ( 100 cal and 10gm protein).  Really fills me up.

5pm - Hubby ( brittle diabetic since age 3) says to watch for a Cracker Barrel - he needs to eat - I'm not hungry.

5:30 at Cracker Barrel I order 2 eggs, sour dough toast and grits.  I eat eggs, 1 slice toast and 3/4 grits with some Splenda.

Get home about 8pm - Now I'm hungry.  I had fresh diced fruit from my packed lunch, I didn't eat.  I always eat protein with a snack so had a light BabyBel cheese, berries & kiwi and 1/2 banana. (This is only 2nd time in 2 yrs I've had 1/2 banana because of high sugar content and this banana was RIPE).

I get out laptop to catch up on OH for the day.  At 9:30 I start getting jittery, shaky and befuddled.  I stand up and am weak in the knees.  I have trouble thinking and think my blood sugar must be low.  DH is in bed by now - I go to glucometer and can't think clear enough to make auto lancet work (I'm a RN for heavens sake).  I say heck with it.  Get out some whole grain crackers (gluten free) and some peanut butter.  Eat maybe 8 of them and the eat a Oh Yeah vanilla protein wafer bar.  My hands are shaking and I just can't think clearly.  In about 10 minutes I start to come out of it but still feel a little shaky - so I go to bed.

Think this was RH???  I realize with the toast, grits, banana and fruit (though OK carbs) - they were too many carbs in too short of a time span.

Never had anything quite like this.  It was a mixed up day and I wasn't on my usual regular schedule.  I didn't have any junk (candy, cookie, etc.).  I know I also didn't get in as much liquid as usual - though I did drink maybe 80 oz while I was gone.

I also work up several times during the night - not usual.  Could go back to sleep, just not usual.

Thanks for your thoughts and input. 

I am sorry that happened to you!  I have been that "bad" once and it felt absolutely terrible!  It does indeed sound like an RH episode to me, based on my experience.  I am learning that there is a very specific threshold of carbs that I can have at once, or within a few hours, and perhaps you exceeded your threshold.  It sounds like you ate mindfully and carefully, and I know from your posts that you are always quite aware and purposefull in your eating.  So, the good news is that you will be able to figure out precisely what caused it.

I had a tough episode a few weeks ago when I ate what I thought was a well thought out breakfast. I  ate 1/2 cup of 0% fat free Greek yogurt, 1 oz of fresh blueberries, and 1/2 serving of Fiber One cereal crushed on top.  I thought that the protein in the yogurt would work well with the fiber and carbs.  However, I had a terrible RH episiode just about an hour after I ate.  I tried the same breakfast a few days later (duh!) and the same thing happened again.  So, now I know that I need a better balance of carbs and protein (heavier on the protein), especially early in the morning.

One other thought, and I do hope it is not true, but sometimes if I am coming down with something, my RH tends to be more difficult to manage.  The fact that you woke several times in the night makes me wonder if perhaps you aren't fighting something off that has thrown your whole system out of whack?

good luck!!

RH ?

Reactive hypoglycemia.  Low blood sugar.

I'm not and never have been diabetic.

The symptoms sound like it to me. I am still learning the ropes about RH. Yesterday my snack was 1oz of salted almonds. 1 and a half hours later I felt the symptoms starting, by BS was 49, ugh.

I am seeing my nut soon to learn more about how to handle this. When I have a crash I start with a glucose tab followed by a 1oz packet of honey roasted peanuts. I gotta get a handle on this, I hate that feeling!!

Martha

Those of you who have RH, how soon after your surgery did you start to notice your episodes?  I used to have some issues with hypglycemia so I'm guessing this will be an issue for me at some point. I realize everyone is different, I'm just curious. Thanks!

For me it was about a year and a half out that I figured it out and started testing my blood sugar. Over the holidays it was terrible. I have never been a "sweet eater", but after a small slice of carrot cake I had a crash to a reading of 31 !!

Before surgery I never had any blood sugar issues in either direction.