I am 31 and have been taking three shots a day since I was ten years old. For four years (high school), I wore an insulin pump, which led to a two inch needle that ran into the top layer of skin on my stomach area.
I agree completely with the above two posters, but would like to stress what shaderon said about trusting them on whether they can train or not. Listen to them and trust them on how they are feeling.
As for what level their blood sugar level should be, that is a tricky question. Glucose (blood sugar level) should always be between 70-120, give or take ten or so, but if they come in and is 100 (for example), they also have to factor in what they just ate, how much insulin they took, the temperature of the room, and the stress they just had all day.
Temperature (in the room) is my enemy. High temps cause my blood sugar to drop hard and fast. 21 years have given me the ability to know how much insulin to take and how my body is feeling. I carry Reese Cups everywhere I go (peanut butter is the best thing ever made for low blood sugar). If I get a low at work, I just drink a soda and take a piece of candy.
Also, stress causes me to go low or sometimes high. Stress is terrible and unpredictable.
Exercise will cause it to go low for me.
Here is something you should know though: if someone gets low and eats a piece of candy or soda, their glucose will go up, then the body will break down those "simple sugars" and drop again, causing a yo-yo effect. If they eat a starch based food, like peanut butter, the glucose will go up more smoothly and will take longer to break down, causing a smoother drop. Still, too much starch and the glucose will go up and stay up, causing high blood sugar problems.
If someone goes into insulin shock, don't force feed them, but try to get them to eat something and call 911. Read Frank's post above this. Orange juice is great becuase it is a complex sugar and will jack the glucose up and keep it up fairly safely. Still, OJ is not something a diabetic can casually drink (ever).
I would watch your diabetic student's habits carefully. In my experience, most diabetic are idiots. They drink that sugar coca-cola and eat cake and candy whenever they want without any care of what their glucose is. I am the ONLY diabetic in my family that takes his medication. Note: all the rest are now having amputations, blindness, and dying early, but they are sitting there with a mouthful of cake while complaining that they can't feel their feet or fingers (I am not exagerating).
This is a disease of personal responsibility. It is not my fault that at ten years old my pancreas shriveled up and quit, but it is my responsibility to take my insulin, drink diet coke, and avoid dessert. Still, I have a lot of lows, so I get my share of candy/sweets, but I can't just eat it when I have the urge.
Now, I am in good health, run a martial arts school, and my family can't figure out why I can see farther than ten feet and walk a mile, while they have had their diabeties for half the time I have. The workouts I give my students are well known: 200 jumping jacks, pushups, situps, cardio--all hitting about thirty minutes. I am not sitting in my recliner stuffing my face with oreos and crying becuase I can't see the tv across the room.
Wow. I am sorry that all came out, but dang it felt good. I think that is the first time that I have ever broke down and wrote how I feel about my fellow diabetics.
I hope I didn't offend anyone, but if I did, read what I put and then look to see if there is a Snickers bar in your left hand.
AoG
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