Hypos During Exam

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eyeko

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Type 1
Hey all,
I was taking a catering practical exam on Friday and had 3 hypos during it. Treated each one with 4 glucose tablets but after some time my levels fell back down again. Was just wondering if anyone had experienced anything similar before? The hypos weren't all close together either, the exam took place over about 3 and a half hours. I was rushing around preparing things and getting ingridients and toing and froing to the fridge and feeling stressed and excited and etc. and wondered if this will of been what caused it? I feel like this could be pretty likely? As I have been told that thinking a lot (For example doing coursework or exams) can cause a hypo.
I also had a hypo tonight with a 3.6 but then after having 100ml of lucozade (17.2 carbs) and waiting 15 minutes to recheck my bsl were even lower at 3.4 so had another 100ml of lucozade and then after another 15 minutes was back up to 9.6. I have no idea what caused this hypo or this affect either. Could it just of been because the bsl was on its way down anyway? as i have been told this sometimes happens by a DSN before. Btw im on an insulin pump and have been since last friday and im absolutely loving it :D Also apologies for any spelling mistakes in this post and im really really happy because ive just managed to log back into this brilliant site after forgetting my password and not being able to get online for ages! whoo! :D
 
Hi, sorry i cant help with your problem - but i thought i would just say hello!
My son is on MDI so i dont know anything about pumps - but i know that anxiety can play havoc with your levels! perhaps it was that? :)Bev
 
Hiya Bev :D Thanks for saying hello :D
I used to be on MDI, but I switched to the pump, and I think it could well of been an anxiety/stress thing because well it was my exam and I reallly reallly wanted to do well lol! Thanks a lot and all the best to you and your son, look forward to hearing from you again :D
xxxx
 
Hi

This happens with lots of people in exams from young to old. The great thing about this is you have now found out this happens and because you are on a pump before the next exam, if you have one, you have put on a decreased temporary basal rate or even turn off the basal for an hour or two. It will be trial and error which is not the best thing during an exam but there is no other way unless you can recreate the same stress!!

Also bear in mind that sometimes glucose tablets may not work as effectively after some time. My daughter used to be able to have them but they have zilch effect now when she is hypo. It is also good to have a glass of water when you have glucose tablets, they absorb quicker.
 
oooh :D Thanks Adrienne your fab :D The pump is really amazing is it not? I'm so impressed by all this basal rate adjusting i just can't tell you! I will definately try the decreased basal rate and chat to the team about it on monday so they can show me how to set it up on the pump because i have yet to sit many GCSE exams! :D thanks again xxx
 
Hiya

What pump do you have?
 
Hi Eyeko

I'm going to send you a private message, if I can work it out. I've had a reply already with someone's MSN address and he's on it now chatting and is happy to chat.
 
and my pump is the medtronic minimed that ive affectionately named Carrie Allie! lol! :D
 
Hi

I am being totally biased but I think the Medtronic is the best in the world. I am presuming you have a 722 Paradigm. My daughter has the 522 which is just a smaller reservoir. It is the sensor pump. I wouldn't have thought you had sensors yet but eventually you may want them. My daugther has sensors full time. The pump is an amazing piece of technology.

I have a friend whose daughter has been trialling the next generation of pumps, the closed loop system, this week. Sounds fantastic but a long long way off yet.
 
Hi eyeko, just wanted to say I'm glad you found your way back here - was wondering where you went! Hope the rest of the exams go well, try not to get too stressed!:)
 
Just one thing to add re exams. I started my MSc only 1 year after diagnosis and was very concerned about potentially needing to eat during exams - no practicals, but did have several 3 hour long papers. So, I asked advice from the college disability officer, who said there was not problem taking sweets or other food / drink into the exam hall, and that she'd tell my course leaders, so that if I needed to leave the room, there'd be no problem - I could just walk out and someone would follow, without having to put hand up before moving. Extra time would be added to cover any I needed to deal with hypos etc. As it happened, I didn't have any problems, in part, I'm sure, due to the knowledge that I didn't need to explain anything. However, I reckon science practical exams would be more difficult, due to ban on eating / drinking in labs, but probably solvable by talking to staff. So, definitely worth alerting course / exam staff well ahead of time to reduce worry / stress.
Good luck to Eyeko for next exams - and you'll know how to adjust pump for that.
 
hi eyeko,
It sounds as if your basals are not set correctly.
You need to start basal testing and setting your basals to your own bodies needs.
Buy the book pumping insulin by john walsh this will help you know end.
Basal testing http://www.diatribe.us/issues/13/learning-curve.php
If you are going like that take some long acting carbs as well.
Also set a temp basal so you have a lower rate going through you.

Have you told the examiners/teachers you are diabetic? Explain what happens when you have a hypo in writing with back up from DSN. This will allow you to take a break and fix the problem. You will be given extra time to complete your exams too.
 
Hi

If you have only been pumping for one week then the team should be phoning you or in contact with you quite a bit until the basals are pretty much ok (till the next time they need tweaking and they will as you are so young and things change). If they are not intouch with you then give them a ring tomorrow and ask them to help you sort your basals. If they know their stuff they should have some sort of data sheet that you can fill in so they can look at it and know where to go. That is what our team do.
 
Always so good to read all this -- Adrienne, closed loop?! I know that Cambridge was trialling it at nighttime; is this in the day?

Can't wait to get to the pump... Today have had to send son off with level of 18 to four hour music rehearsal. Resistant to correction this morning after waking to 18 (after rice last night of course, which we didn't split because was only 100g and didn't have time to test two hours after second dose before bed. Never again...). Zero carb snacks in bag along with hypo correction stuff. Argh.

Glad you are loving pump, eyeko. Really does sound kind of amazing...
 
Thanks very much all! and Hello Northerner! You're all so lovely :D
Yes, thanks the school know that I am indeed diabetic and I sit my exams in the special needs room in case of hypos so that the extra time can be added on They were brilliant with me in the catering exam and I had a support assistant with me in case I needed to sit down or take my bsl or have glucose or whatever and she could make sure that things didnt burn! lol :D Have also alerted the college that I've applied for and they've come up with a very good entitlement package for me , that covers every day lessons as well as exams. I've been offered a "note taker" who will record notes for me in every class in case I go hypo and miss a bit and get all confused. They won't sit with me and will just place the notes in a file that I collect later, so that no-one will know. I thought that this was a brilliant idea to be honest. I am in good contact with the team :D and I am in fact going to see them tomorrow and quite probably getting a sensor fitted :D I'm really excited about this, as I am about most pump related things because they're just so fantastic! I'm currently on 3 different basal rates, which the team keep changing every time i go in to see them (every 3 days at the moment) or I can phone or call in for advice any time mon- fri between around 8 am and 6pm ish. Thanks so very very much all and once again apologies for any spelling and grammar mistakes! xxxx
 
eyeko said:
Thanks very much all! and Hello Northerner! You're all so lovely :D
Yes, thanks the school know that I am indeed diabetic and I sit my exams in the special needs room in case of hypos so that the extra time can be added on They were brilliant with me in the catering exam and I had a support assistant with me in case I needed to sit down or take my bsl or have glucose or whatever and she could make sure that things didnt burn! lol :D Have also alerted the college that I've applied for and they've come up with a very good entitlement package for me , that covers every day lessons as well as exams. I've been offered a "note taker" who will record notes for me in every class in case I go hypo and miss a bit and get all confused. They won't sit with me and will just place the notes in a file that I collect later, so that no-one will know. I thought that this was a brilliant idea to be honest. I am in good contact with the team :D and I am in fact going to see them tomorrow and quite probably getting a sensor fitted :D I'm really excited about this, as I am about most pump related things because they're just so fantastic! I'm currently on 3 different basal rates, which the team keep changing every time i go in to see them (every 3 days at the moment) or I can phone or call in for advice any time mon- fri between around 8 am and 6pm ish. Thanks so very very much all and once again apologies for any spelling and grammar mistakes! xxxx
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Wow that does sound fantastic eyeko. Congratulations on sorting things out. Also sounds as if you have a fantastic team behind you too.
 
Adrienne said:
Hi

I am being totally biased but I think the Medtronic is the best in the world. I am presuming you have a 722 Paradigm. My daughter has the 522 which is just a smaller reservoir. It is the sensor pump. I wouldn't have thought you had sensors yet but eventually you may want them. My daugther has sensors full time. The pump is an amazing piece of technology.

I have a friend whose daughter has been trialling the next generation of pumps, the closed loop system, this week. Sounds fantastic but a long long way off yet.
Click to expand...


Hi Adrienne,

Can I ask, what is a closed loop system? sounds interesting. The clinic I am with and trying to get my pump from, only use Medtronic.

Cheers.
 
Hi

The closed loop looks like the Medtronic pump with a sensor. You have the pump canula in you and you also have a CGMS with a small radio transmittor in you as well. My daughter has this already all the time.

The sensor (CGMS bit) takes readings every 5 mins and transmits to the pump screen. This doesn't necessarily mean less finger pricks. The sensors work differently for each person.

The closed loop is the same set up as this but with an added piece of machinary, a hand held computer (size of a mobile phone). The computor has had an alogarhythm written for it. The sensor takes the reading transmits it to the computer, the alogarhythm then works out if the level is too high, how much insulin is needed to be given to bring the levels back down and then tells the pump to give it. Or if too low, it works out how to stop something (no doubt put on a decreased temp basal for a while) and tells the pump to do that.

Its all clever stuff. One friend whose child was about 12 at the time trialled it overnight last year but the latest friend was a 6 year old again overnight.

I went to an advanced pump training course and the man that wrote the alogarhythm was there talking about it and of course we asked questions.

He said that it would only work if the sensors worked ok on the individual person - that rules my daughter out, we use the sensors for trends rather than readings. He said it would only initially be used over night as the person using it would need to not be doing anything or eating anything. I think he said in approx 10 years. I would imagine they are closer than that but it would only be overnight and there would be arguments from the PCT re funding. Look at how many hospitals do normal pumping......... what more can I say.

Its exciting stuff
 
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