As the high school basketball season begins I have to take my diabetes care to the next level. The next level, shouldn't my diabetes care be the same day in and day out? Yes, it definitely should but for the next two weeks that transition will be very difficult. Being in a new coaching position, (I have gone from head coach of the freshmen to the head coach of the junior varsity) makes it a little bit tougher to deal with a low than when I was the only coach. The head coach of the varsity team knows all about my diabetes but the last thing I want is to be sitting on the side fixing a low while I should be instructing a drill.
This afternoon I had my first minor low as practice began, my blood sugar was at 71. I would have rather been at 50, a blood sugar of 71 feels like I'm at 30. I get very angry and tired, that is the last thing I want when at practice or during a game. As practice began I ran in to the locker room and grabbed a regular soda that I had saved in my locker just in case. As I ran back to the court, I was amazed that one of my athletes from last year asked if I was ok when he saw me with a soda. I said I was a tad loopy (loopy-aka I'm low) but would be back to normal in a minute, I'm shocked but impressed that the athletes remember what I told them over a year ago. I always tell my teams that if they see me with a soda to watch me and make sure that I'm ok.
A half hour later I tested quickly to make sure that my blood sugar was back to where it should be, as I tried to walk back to the court to prepare for the next drill the head coach and three athletes were around me. All of them wanted to know what I had just done and what my blood sugar reading was. After a brief explanation I got the "Wow, you have to do that everyday comment" I responded with "It is a lot like basketball, you have to work to get better, if you don't do the little things you won't get better" I then got the head nod that says I kinda get it but I want to know more. Coaches often say that they have teams that are like family, today I found out that I have a great basketball family.
This afternoon I had my first minor low as practice began, my blood sugar was at 71. I would have rather been at 50, a blood sugar of 71 feels like I'm at 30. I get very angry and tired, that is the last thing I want when at practice or during a game. As practice began I ran in to the locker room and grabbed a regular soda that I had saved in my locker just in case. As I ran back to the court, I was amazed that one of my athletes from last year asked if I was ok when he saw me with a soda. I said I was a tad loopy (loopy-aka I'm low) but would be back to normal in a minute, I'm shocked but impressed that the athletes remember what I told them over a year ago. I always tell my teams that if they see me with a soda to watch me and make sure that I'm ok.
A half hour later I tested quickly to make sure that my blood sugar was back to where it should be, as I tried to walk back to the court to prepare for the next drill the head coach and three athletes were around me. All of them wanted to know what I had just done and what my blood sugar reading was. After a brief explanation I got the "Wow, you have to do that everyday comment" I responded with "It is a lot like basketball, you have to work to get better, if you don't do the little things you won't get better" I then got the head nod that says I kinda get it but I want to know more. Coaches often say that they have teams that are like family, today I found out that I have a great basketball family.
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