Because of the upcoming holidays, I had to schedule an allergy shot smack dab in the middle of my work day.
I had been running around like a mad woman all morning. When I got to my clinic, my blood sugar was reading 75 with a double down arrow on my dexcom.
I thought, no big deal. I went to the pharmacy and just picked up some nasty glucose tabs. Then I went over to my allergy shot appointment.
I thought everything was fine. I didn't feel off or notice that I was acting differently. But apparently, I scared the people in the allergy shot clinic. I was clumsy and slurring my speech.
I explained to them that my blood sugar was a little low and that I had had a glucose tablet. It would come up shortly. All my symptoms were just temporary. And I wasn't on drugs or anything like that.
I was informed that my behavior was inappropriate for the children and other families who were in the shared allergy shot room. And asked not to come in, if I couldn't keep my blood sugar under control and my behavior in order......
Pardon me? I'm so confused as to why they are mad at me. It's not like I was loud and disruptive. I was just stumbling and slurring my speech a little bit. But I didn't knock anything over or run into anyone. I also didn't expect them to take any responsibility for looking out for me. I do that for myself 24/7.
Thinking back on it, there was a woman that was glaring at me the entire time I was there. Another allergy shot patient. Maybe she complained about me. I have no idea.
Has this ever happened to you? I've been diabetic since 2002, and I've never had anyone unwelcome me because of a low blood sugar. Yet alone try to shame me for having one happen.
I'd be lodging a complaint if I was treated like that when having a low. They also need to be educated when someone has a diabetic emergency.
I agree . This is totally unacceptable!
I find most doctors and nurses around here have little to no education regarding type 1 diabetes. It's not worth complaining about. It hasn't changed in the 20 some years since I was diagnosed.
I would nevertheless lodge the complaint. I am optimistic. If you don't, the staff will never be exposed to the information of what happened. This way, they might learn and then stand up for someone else having it happen. If you don't, then there's no chance of that, even if that is unlikely.
See I used to think that way. But then I have filed complaints and gone through patient support. Only to have them get back to me a month later and say well we don't think our staff did anything wrong.
I am sorry you have had such bad experiences.
All the more reason to file an official complaint. Time for them to learn.
That would require someone with much more power than me.
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I certainly won't be making any promises to them that my blood sugar won't be low when I have an allergy shot. No type 1 diabetic can make a promise like that. How silly.
Spiteful me would leave an upper decker in their bathroom. Non-spiteful me would too, but for different reasons
I'd be more pissed that this was a medical facility. Once you said low blood sugar, they should have reacted and assisted. Anything less than that is just unacceptable. I would complain, and if there is no apology. Make the experience more public, if nothing else than for the safety of others who may one day face a similar problem. God help them if someone has anaphylaxis from an injection and they get upset with them for the patient's behaviour.
You got Karen'd. Sorry that happened.
Sorry that happened to you! I get that lows can look as if someone was drunk but you said clearly what was going on and the appropriate reaction would have been to at least let you sit there for a while or maybe even offering something to drink.
Had something similar happen to me a while ago at a pharmacy- I asked if it was ok if I would just sit down for a while and eat a few sweets and everyone was ok with that.
Oh, I wish they would have given me some juice. Those glucose tablets from the pharmacy were disgusting. I was rushing around like a mad woman this morning and I forgot to put extra fruit snacks in my bag.
It happens. Don't worry, you did nothing wrong. Hope the next low is in front of nicer people!
And without those nasty tablets. I usually have a pack of gummibears or something on hand - at least they don't dry your tongue out that much and taste like something
I was an EMT years back and this ladies story just boils my blood. But I digress. One of the things I learned was to use cake frosting that comes in the toothpaste tubes. Squirt it under your tongue and let it dissolve. It’s safer for someone with an altered mental state and less of a risk aspirating. It’s basically oral glucose gel without the price tag
Oh yeah, that would last a while. But oh man, that would be so gross. Sucking on that when you come to. 🤣
Thank you for caring!
Isn’t that an ADA violation. Would they tell someone who stutters they can’t come on if they can’t control their stuttering?
A bit different. A stutter isn't going to make you fall flat on your face.
would they tell someone prone to seizures that their behavior is inappropriate if they had one randomly? because that one is the same thing
I'd understand not administering the shot. But telling them to leave is crazy
Rig, to punish a t1 for a low is just horrible of any doctors office.
I see 2 significant differences, neither of which validates their position.
It is "theoretically" possible to manage your blood glucose well enough not to have a low.
A low dose looks a lot like drunk or drugged; you need to be educated to tell the difference. And some people have a problem with exposure to anything even similar to drug use. You have probably experienced this while taking insulin in public.
I once tweaked my back getting out of bed to treat a hypo. Saw the GP because it hurt that badly, GP said I was obviously a bad diabetic because I had a hypo. I was rude. Not very rude, but I told him he probably shouldn't talk about things he doesn't understand, and then to take it up with my endo when he doubled down. I didn't swear or raise my voice. I did not get pain relief. I'm still pissed off about it and it's been about a decade.
I've had doctors like that. Google maps! Leave them a review.
I would find another allergy clinic. They're allowed to think whatever they want, but you don't have to put up with it.
I'd probably file a complaint for future customers, as well.
Not quite that easy. Unless I want to travel an hour or two out of my way, this is the only place that does immunotherapy.
Yeah, looks like you just developed an allergy to their attitudes unfortunately 😆. Move on to another clinic and happily!
You have lawsuit on your hands. Talk to an attorney. You just got discriminated against, because of your PROTECTED disability. In a medical setting no less.
I thought about doing that. Not for this instance but for other ones. It can be really scary to be a diabetic in the hospital here. They just have no clue how to take care of me.
Unfortunately, that's true of everywhere. T1D is so very individual, and hospital workers are trained to Follow The Rules, not to think. I once went in when my water broke and had to wait about seven hours to get into the OR for a c-section. In the meantime I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything, because what if they had to put me under? (Right there, that rule is at least 50-60 years outdated.) In the meantime, my bg fell to 52. I spoke up. I kept asking. People kept leaving the room to "find out" and just never coming back.
After more than two hours with a bg at a steady 52 I finally got someone to get me iv glucose. When I asked how much, they cited a measurement I wasn't familiar with, so I asked how many carbs equivalent it was, they didn't know. They left the room again. By the time they came back over ten minutes later, I had already looked it up on Google. "I have been very low for over two hours, this is the equivalent of ten carbs, which isn't enough to begin with, and you said you'd going to drip it over the course of an hour. That is not enough." They doubled the speed, which I still wasn't satisfied with, but at least ti was something. Looking back, I'm kind of astonished I survived that visit. Praise God the child lived and he's been thriving for years now!
Non diabetic here but work in medicine. It’s absolutely disgusting that they framed a diabetic emergency as a moral failing on you or “disruptive,” instead of, you know, something that is an unfortunate thing that happens no matter how much control you have over your BG overall. But unfortunately even some providers still think like that. Diabetes can be unpredictable. It needs treatment, not shame, and you were already treating it. I would complain. I’m sorry this happened
That’s ridiculous! I could see if someone was a little off if they thought you were intoxicated, but they knew it was low blood sugar. They should have been concerned and trying to help, not scolding. I hope there’s another clinic you can go to next time.
There's only one allergy shot clinic around here.
Tell them to fuck all the way off and get your shots. The medical professionals there should have known what was going on.
This is not ok. I am so sorry that happened to you. Plz find another clinic!
I remember when in the early 2000s my mom would take insulin anywhere and boy the looks she got 😂 like come on
Good! She should be allowed to take insulin wherever she wants.
Woah. Absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary. Don’t go back there. Absolutely none of their business how you manage your diabetes.
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I don't know what you're talking about.
Apologies I had taken some medicine, I didn't feel like it made me drowsy but it seems it had and I was typing nonsense
That's okay, I was just confused.
Please spare me the lecturing me on how I need to report this. I'm not going to do that because patient relations does not do anything to make a difference here. I'm wasting my time and energy. I've done this before in the 20 years that I've been dealing with this disease.
I'm too depressed to care anymore. No one listens to me anyway.
Nope, not okay at all. Anyone who works in the Healthcare system, ought to know better than to assume!
I'm so glad that both my allergist and my endocrinologist are a married couple who have their own practice, whether I'm there for my allergy shots, or my 3 months follow-up for endo, they all know me and know that I have *multiple issues.
Just the other day, when I was at work ( I work at a smoothie place) the girl at the front desk of Dr. Neagu's office popped in for lunch lol she said ,"do you NOT recognize me? I work for Dr. Neagu!" I was honest and said, "No, girl, I only ever see you at YOUR workplace, and I couldn't recognize you all dolled up." She had gone to church earlier and she looked SO DIFFERENT.
Anyway, yeah, no, that's not right at ALL! Assumptions can get a totally harmless person in trouble. DO. NOT. ASSUME!
Complain to her manager. Make sure to wear a karen wig.
I'm really sorry that happened to you, personally I would file a complaint with them and let them know that that not only was that unethical but a liability on their part.
Please sue them
Yep. Toooooo maneeee times
haha idk dawg maybe you were actin a lil otta line cuz 75 isnt even hypoglycemia and ive been in public many times in the 40's, 50's, and 60's and never made any kids uncomfortable 😂
I do not appreciate this comment. My experience was not funny.
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I don't think you read my post correctly. Please don't comment any further.