Being alone can be scary

So it isn't often that I am scared but unfortunately I had a moment that actually scared me greater than any horror movie could and I honestly believe that if it wasn't for the little device that sits on my hip 24x7 then I wouldn't be able to tell this story today.

So in my job every now and again I have to leave my family and travel interstate to attend meetings and conferences. I know what your thinking, tough life being able to fly around the country stay at nice hotels and eat at nice restaurants at the company's expense, and your right it isn't tough however when traveling with T1D is can be easy or it can scare the hell out of you.

In this instance I was staying in Melbourne alone in my hotel room and it was the first night of a 4 night stay. I and my colleagues had been out for a quick bite to eat and I had also had a pear cider which went down really well. I calculated the carb intake and bolused for what I thought I needed. Something that I have done day in and out for the last 9 years. Everything seemed to be going fine and I retired to my room to ensure I got a decent sleep before the big conference started in the morning.

As always I checked my BGL both on the CGM that I wear and also do a blood test. Both were about the same and was in the 8's which is perfectly normal. I also check to see if there was significant insulin on board as if there was I would have to be wary of what may happen in an hour or so if my BGL was to drop. Once again nothing out of the ordinary. I prepared for be and for the following day.

Now I didn't know the time during the next event however I look back and  realize it must have been around 4am but I woke to sever alarms and vibrations from my 640g insulin pump that was running the SMARTguard technology that predict lows from happening and shuts down the pump. I had obviously been having a drastic low in my sleep and missed the meek and mild alarms that note that something is going wrong. I remember I woke hallucinating that someone was in my room and yet I couldn't move in my bed for some reason. After what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes of trying to work out what was real and what wasn't I was able to get up and stumble around the small room. I do note that in the beginning I continued to hallucinate and dream to an extent because (and I recounted this to my friend later that morning) that he had broken into my room and for some reason I had been able to force open my sliding door and force him out and almost push him off the balcony. I know scary huh???

After coming back to reality and the alarms continuing to sound I finally realized what was happening. I was having a severe night time hypo. My 640g had predicted that I was going low and had suspended delivery of insulin of my pump when I was in the 6 mmol's. Now what happens with the prediction because your body still processes what you have the prediction software shortens the curve of the low but can't stop it all together. With out the device alarming and doing its job perfectly I would envisage one of 2 things happening that night -

1. The night time hypo would have continued  and the drop would have been even more sever and an ambulance would have been needed to ensure I was ok and awake
2. And this is the scary one. I don't think I would have survived and never have awaken again.

This sound melodramatic to someone that doesn't live with this disease but I can tell you those that live with or lives around this disease knows that people still die from the complications of T1D and the unknown piece that a lot of general people don't know is that a lot of the death that occur is at night when you have no idea it is happening.

I thank god that a company that I have trusted my life to for many years with their technology on my side have created the 640g which allows you flexibility and security so that life can continue.