to think shops and cafes should give free sugery drinks to diabetic people in emergency situations?

[ikeaismylocal]

I saw a mum with 3 children having what looked like the beginnings of a fit at a shopping centrer today, everyone else was walking past ignoring her ( whole other thread) I stopped and tried to talk to her but she was very confused and kept trying to tell me her mobile number. I ran into a shop and asked them to call an ambulance ( I had no phone or money, dp had all my things in ds's pushchair and I was meeting him at the car, I'd stopped to go to the toilet)

Her children were about 6 months, 2 and 5, the poor 5 year old was terrified and wouldn't say anything but I chatted to her and told her everything would be ok and after a while she told me her mum was diabetic.

I ran to the nearest cafe and explained there was a diabetic woman who needed a sugary drink and could I have a coke and come back and pay after as I had no money, the lady gave me a coke and I ran back, the diabetic mum drank the coke but was still shaking and sluring her words, I ran back to the cafe and explained and asked for another coke, the lady said no she wouldn't give me anything as I hadn't paid, I'm 7 months pregnant so running isn't something I look at ease doing, I also don't think I look like a kid trying to get some free coke.

I went to a shop further away and they gave me 2 cans of coke. The diabetic lady recovered quite quickly once she had drunk the coke.

Aibu to think that shops and cafes should give free sugery drinks if they are needed?

If you do have all this apparent experience then, goblinchild, I am even more amazed at how judgemental your statement was! Have you never been caught out in anything then? Do you never make a mistake in your life ever?

Of course you help and deal with the emergency, but surely you then wonder why the fuck it happened and how to prevent it occurring again?
Instead of blaming a retailer?

So the woman needs to speak to her diabetes consultant/specialist nurse and talk about that.

Perhaps once she is better, she'll realise that her hypo was because of the hot weather, her excellent tight control, injecting into a patch of lipohypertrophy, throwing up her breakfast this morning because she's pregnant, reduced hypo awareness because she is pregnant, injecting into her thighs rather than her abdomen and then marching into town...

It's a great jump to assume that she won't be working out how to avoid that happening again!

Not all diabetics carry sugary snacks/drinks. My mum was diabetic and beer carried anything as her diabetes was well controlled. She only ever had one hypo which was triggered by anaemia, after this she was prescribed glucose capsules.

So basically neither cafe got paid for the drinks they gave you, despite your assurances? I understand you were trying to help this woman, which is great, but sadly you've proven the cafes correct in not giving away more drinks when you promised to pay but then didn't. I can't see how the security guards would get round to paying if they were dealing with an emergency. So next time this happens, I doubt the cafes will offer one drink even...

Of course I have, but when I had two dependent children, one on the autistic spectrum, I realised that I needed to anticipate and plan ahead a lot more than I had when there was just me.
But perhaps you are right, she should rely on the kindness of strangers and the goodwill of others next time she passes out and hope for the best.
I know several people with diabetes that refuse to manage it, or eat sensibly or take precautions as a way of either denying the disease or manipulating their relations. It is their choice, but is it reasonable for their families to have to deal with the consequences?

I'm sorry but I don't believe you.
Anyone with any first-hand experience of diabetes knows that occasionally a hypo will come on suddenly and severely, no matter how well your control is or how prepared you are. It's rare but it does happen.

If your blood sugar suddenly drops like a stone you could have a handbag full of sugar right next to you and chances are you wouldn't even attempt to eat it.

How on earth do you know the lady in question isn't wondering 'why the fuck it happened and how to prevent it occurring again'. You're not speaking to her are you. The OP asked a question and you appear to be answering a completely different one.

I also didn't blame the retailer at all. I do think it would have been better if they had been more helpful in this instance but can completely understand why they wouldn't. I think the OP did a good thing and don't see the harm in her doing some idle musing after the event.

(Tries and fails not to mention that ICE numbers are pretty much useless due to most mobiles being pin locked)

Goblin, I feel really quite ill (and I don't mean diabetically) reading your posts.

Do you realise how offensive you are being to people like me?

Goblin Do you feel the same way about people who have epileptic seizures?

ikea I want to say having seen so many of your posts including this one, you are seriously a fantastic person. You acted rightly and it's so sad there are so many who wouldn't act/would be so suspicious/judgmental.

The shops can spare the colas. If I were a cashier in this situation I'd put my own money in the till. I can't imagine not; even if I were to doubt what you said, at worst you'd be a heavily pregnant woman without money desperate for a drink on a hot day.

You did well OP but I don't think it's the shops duty to be handing out drinks when somebody demands them for a medical reason. Obviously it's nice if they do but you can't make them dole stuff out for free.

We are a family of Type 1's although I haven't got it but nearest and dearest do and if I'm honest, I don't recognise the level of management most of you describe, possibly because most are on insulin pumps but even before they had them and injected it wasn't a constant battle to maintain levels.

I realise I've probably been lucky in that one of my family members is a diabetic specialist nurse who teaches the dafne courses and we all can calculate units at mealtimes as we've all been exposed to it for so many years, especially those pre-pump.

Maybe it highlights the need for more insulin pumps if people are landing themselves in dangerous situations where they've possibly miscalculated etc?

Insulin pumps aren't an easy answer (as much I agree that they should be more widely available). They require the patient to still do a lot of calculation and are often more work than if someone is on a more basic insulin regime.

Proper closed loop systems (the pump completely calculating the dose of insulin needed without human input) are probably on the way and there is a huge amount of research going into them but I see too many people (both patients and GPs/non-specialists to be fair) assuming that an insulin pump can just be strapped on and forgotten and will then solve all their problems.

I agree that they can't be strapped on and left but they definitely do help with control, if people are given the right tools and knowledge to use it correctly.

Like I said, I've probably seen the easy side of it because in my world it's simply look meal (for e.g.), do a quick calc on carbs etc, take in to account alcohol (we love our wine!) or activity levels and click a couple of buttons.

I do realise that it's not as simple as that but it should be, in an ideal world. The level of management a lot of people have must be awful.

My XDH has had Type 1 since he was 13yo, he's now 43. In that time he has never had a hypo that has required medical assistance. That doesn't mean he's a master of diabetes control, it just means he's been lucky.

He's fit, healthy and knows what he's doing. His control is great and as such he has no complications whatsoever. There are no battles involved. It's barely thought about.

It didn't stop him having a completely unexpected and major hypo a couple of weeks ago. We were in a soft play and luckily, because I know him, I could see him going and was able to force him to eat. If I hadn't been there he could very well have quietly slipped into a coma without anyone noticing. He was completely disorientated, had no idea what he was doing, he looked and acted like a drunk person. Not what you want in a soft play!

It's the first time that has happened to him and it frightened both of us more than either of us admit to.

Shit happens. It's not always the fault of the person it's happening to. They didn't always 'miscalculate' or lose the 'battle'. Sometimes, it just happens.

I've seen patients with diabetes who have sat in my treatment chair and gone from chatting to rambling to just about 'gone' in minutes.

They are not rushing about , but most have over excerted themselves or been unwell ( when I'm talking to them, they might tell me, but some are very reticent to say "Oh my glucose levels are bad" )

I always keep a couple of sweets in the drawer.
And I was told "give the glucose, if they're hypo it;ll help, if they're hyper , theyll need help anyway"

Though she had three cans of coke, that's a load of sugar. (six teaspoons in a can IIRC . Her blood sugars are well out)

I was in WH smiths a while back, big queue, man recognised he was going hypo, I told staff,grabbed a drink and he got some down him, but he did go into a full hypo. They just stood there open mouthed, then one went "ahem, that will be xx, please"

I had an epileptic fit out and my friend ran to a cafe once I was conscious for some water so I could swallow my tablet. They umm'd and ahh'd and eventually handed over some water but refused a second glass when asked (I'd collapsed right outside the cafe and was very willing to reimburse).

I suspect the young/new/low-down-in-pecking-order employee was more worried about what their employers reaction would be, since that was closer to home for them than my fitting was.

So, Op did you go back and pay for all these cokes? or did the woman and since both cafes did give you free coke, YABU

So, Op did you go back and pay for all these cokes? or did the woman and since both cafes did give you free coke, YABU

Who the fuck cares? Are three cans of coke worth more than a woman's life? Should three little children grow up without a mother on that basis?

This thread is shocking.

Best is to find a pharmacy. They have glucose solution in case of such emergency , which is the best option.

Also a pharmacist will usually have basic emergency medical training on their supplies and which ones can be given in an emergency.

OP has said that the shopping centre security assured her they would sort out with the shops re the cost.

I am a bit shocked by the thread too.

Some people have a very simplistic view of how complicated diabetes can be.

Mine is chronic. Despite having a pump, the top consultant on the world and the best of everything available.

I work at it. Every second of every day, I think about it. monitor it, test, review. Discuss with pump socialist nurse.

Do any of you realise that sometimes you go low/ hypo for a reason. You can trace it back and learn from it.

But did you also know, that it is a FACT that some diabetics go low/hypo for NO REASON AT ALL.
Fact.

The judgemental views on this thread have been very upsetting to me.

I hope nothing bad ever happens to you: no epileptic fit, no heart attack , no stroke.

Because reading this, if you do, you're as good as dead!!!

I was close to fainting in Sainsburys once (I'm not a diabetic - I hadn't eaten enough and it was a hot day).

The first aider sat me down and gave me some cola which made me feel a lot better and I could then walk home. They didn't ask for any money.

OP, you did the right thing.

What I will say is that if a diabetic is having a hypo then a sugary drink like cola is ideal - then as soon as they feel well enough they should eat a starchy snack such as a wholemeal bread sandwich to maintain their blood sugar. (Speaking as a nurse).

Of course it's responsible for diabetics to carry glucose tablets / sugary drinks but how many of us are that responsible about looking after ourselves all the time really?