Hypoglycemia’s Dangerous Enough

Dear Eric.

What a tragic and sad story. In Canada you would be promptly Tasered and if that doesn’t kill you the fall to the ground could. I hope that the poor man’s injuries were caused by his fall and not the police beating him. Hope that they win the law suite so that this problem gets the proper attention from the police for the future. A Person who teaches our Mounties (i.e. Federal Police force) said to me that the arm to arm combat skills of the police force are appaling. Leaving them no option but Tasering or shooting. Guns are not cool in Canada since the NRA does not have the political power. But Tasers still kill, like the poor Polish visitor to the Vancouver airport. Wonder if he was a diabetic too and disoriented by low BG.

I had a similar situation I have had diabetes for 39 years Type 1 and was taken to a local hospital semi concious. The attending dr assumed I was a drug user and did everything but treat my diabetes. Dispite the fact that the emt who I grew up with and my boss were telling him different. When an old time nurse did a check my gluclose was 15 .The dr could have killed me and my unborn child because he said he had never seen anyone with a sugar that low . Needless to say we have never been to that hospital again and the administrator and the dr got an ear full. On any employment app I also direct them not under any circumstances take me to that hospital.

HOW DO WE PROTECT OURSELVES FROM EDUCATED PEOPLE WHO THINK THE WORST???????????

1. Keeping the peace is a technology that involves a blend of psychology, medicine, EMT, public relations and combat. The best applicant is a highly intelligent, compassionate, empathetic and educated individual who can also kick your ass. People who fit that bill likely become leaders in various fields. They are in demand. So you take the best of what you can to fill the ranks of law enforcement.
2. Most of the EMT guys I have talked to in the last year admit to having “check if he’s a diabetic” at the top of their list when encountering an accident scene or something like this fellow in the article. They all have glucometers in their kit. I also ask cops and one for one they are oblivious. So I don’t think the EMT side of an encounter, or how it can relate to the “incident”, is even taught in a polcie academy, or maybe only as a half day sidebar. This is apparent in the admission that one of the officers saw the insulin pump but took no action to check for a diabetic condition. She exhibited no evidence of even knowing what a diabetic condition is.
3. There is a huge bit of missing data. I didn’t read anywhere that this man was beaten, except in the allegations. But that wasn’t based on evidence. The cops may have mishandled him. They may have treated him roughly. They may have been responsible for him hitting his head on the ground and thus his brain condition. But beating is another thing entirely. It is a rage filled punishment. It is a felony.
4. In my talks with law enforcement officers, mabye two dozen total, they feel it is unavoidable to profile citizens as potential threats whose physical appearance and/or ethnicity indicate the likelihood that they come from the same groups as those the majority of street crime come from. This is a tough one. The best approach in my opinion is for street level reform of ethic communities by its own citizens. It really is a shame that it has to be that way and it is a tough thing to accomplish, but it has been proven to work in many urban areas. Building better community relations with law enforcement, commerce and local government, rather than waiting for THEM to do it (won’t happen)puts a ball in your court you can make a play with.

I know someone who had an episode of low blood sugar leading to having an accident with his car. The police just threw him in the back of the cruiser and were just going to haul him off to jail. Luckily for him at that time, an ambulance had been sent due to the accident and they checked him blood sugar when he again told them that he was diabetic.

One issue to watch out for is the effect of alcohol on your diabetes. You may be legally sober without question, but the alcohol can affect your blood sugar. My doctor had warned me about this possibility. I don’t seem to have a problem with beer, although my father does. However with liquor I have found that it does drop my blood sugar and wine does sometimes as well.

I’m Type 2 and don’t normally have a dangerous low such as described. However, you never know when one could happen. I did test myself at 35 once. Thought, no way. Tested again… 32?!?! And I was still coherent enough to get my glucose tablets. Will i be that coherent if it happens again? Who knows. Do I get belligerant when I’m low. Oh, yes. Just ask my family!

I’ve considered getting a tatoo on my wrist. Right where they’d be checking my pulse. Has anybody else considered this? I’d love some feedback and ideas.

I experienced a hypoglycemic episode while walking two blocks to my home. I was unable to remain standing, severe muscle cramping, unable to make eye contact, unable to remain still, thrashing around on the grass next to the sidewalk. I walk shouting and talking but making no sense.

Police were called. Four police officers decided to handcuff me. They had difficulty doing that so one officer put all of weight with a knee into my back while the others held me down. This happened 11 months after quintuple bypass heart surgery. I survived and tried to communicate with the police department. They did an investigation and exonerated all officers involved. I requested to meet with those officers to discuss what happened so someone else may not have to go through what I did. The police department refused to let me speak to the officers. I was determined to find out how and why I was handcuffed and injured. In order to hear those officers I filed a civil rights lawsuit in Federal Court. I had my meeting in the form and lengthy depositions off all officers involved and conducted by my aggressive and highly skilled attorney. This lawsuit was settled out-of-court.

That what happened was the result of a combination of “cowboy” police tactics and lack of education/traing. Training has been implemented in the local department. I would like to have input into how effective education and training can be achieved.

Intoxication of alcohol/drugs, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, side effects of prescribed medications; all can cause unusual, erratic or combative behavior. Many skilled law enforcement officers know how to effectively deal with such conditions. How some officers use such behavior to set up license to use force. Little can be done to prevent these individuals from re-victiming the victims. The “blue wall of silence” prevents effective intra-department discipline. Negative publicity and lawsuits are neccessary to address these destructive and criminal actions.

However, many officers simply lack the rraining to identify the medical situations mentioned above. Yes, alcohol/drug intoxication is a medical condition. Refer to the Diagnostice and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Asociation if you believe otherwise. Officers need to be trained to identify medical siturations that may appear otherwise. Please post any suggestions you may have about ideas for such training.

I have found that this disease demands education of self, family, friends, coworkers, teachers, employers, physicians, nurses, other medical professionals, dieticians, technicians, government officials, bureaucrats, law enforcement and most of all, self. No one can do such an enormous task effectively. As a group each of us can do our “piece”. If each of our pieces are large enough, such a task can done with some success.

I dream of a dvd training tool to be used with other teaching techniques and tools to form a curriculum to train law enforcement to identify and deal with medical situations that may appear to be something else.

I apologize for the multiple typo’s and mistakes in grammar and syntax in the above comment. Some of it is difficult to read. For instance: the last sentence of the first paragraph should read, “I was shouting and talking but making no sense.” Thank you for the post.

I feel so bad for the diabetics! Its not their fault they are chronically ill and have to self manage their disease. It is not right that people do not give the diabetics their proper sympathy and respect. I think they are entitled to drive without having to add on the worry of getting into an accident if they go hypoglycemic and for GODS SAKE, police, PALEEZE. First be sure you are dealing with a dangerous punk before you taz people. HOw is that poor diabetic who went hypoglycemic (most likely thru NO FAULT of his own)going to explain to police that he is just sick not drunk and violent. But for the sake of argument, lets say the diabetic gets sick and tired of monitoring his blood sugars. He is in the privacy of his own car. He should not have to test before driving. It is his choice. It is his right to test or not to test. People, you better stay outta my way. You can not discriminate against diabetics. Whether they are compliant or not. It is their right to decide how to manage their disease. PERIOD.