Passing Out from a Low Taught Me This About Treating Blood Sugar Safely
If you’ve ever brushed off a low blood sugar because you were busy, embarrassed, or convinced you could “power through,” this episode is for you. In this one, I tell the story of the only time I’ve ever passed out from a low, on the floor...
The episode, word for word
So I passed out in a Bob Evans once.
The floor is tile. 0 out of 10. Do not recommend.
It was the first and only time I ever passed out from low blood sugar. And honestly? Once was enough.
Today, I'm gonna tell you that story. It's embarrassing. It's funny now. And it taught me something I'll never forget about low blood sugars, and what happens when you ignore the warning signs.
I'm Neil Greathouse, and this is Your Best T1D Year.
Welcome to Wednesday. We're halfway through Week 1, and we're building the case for why the way you treat lows matters. Monday, we talked about the science of glucose tablets versus food. Today, I'm gonna tell you a story that made all of that science real for me.
And look, this story's a little embarrassing. But if I can't be honest with you about the messy parts of living with T1D, then what are we even doing here?
Let's do this.
It was a Sunday afternoon in the summer. I'd stayed late after church unloading chairs from a semi-truck. I was sweaty, wearing a tan triple-button suit that I thought made me look like Miami Vice, but really gave off 1990s youth pastor vibes.
Gina was with me. Blue sundress. Gorgeous. And way too good for me.
We jumped into my pearl white Honda Prelude, flip-up headlights, moonroof, Huey Lewis & The News playing, and headed to Bob Evans for lunch.
But here's what I didn't know: my blood sugar was dangerously low. And I didn't check.
This was the Wild West, CGMs didn't exist yet. Lucky if anyone checked their blood sugar three or four times a day. And it was my first year with T1D.
I felt shaky. Sweaty. Brain fog. But I chalked it up to the manual labor. Rookie mistake.
We got to Bob Evans. Line at the hostess stand. Families everywhere. Kids running around. And I'm standing there, zoning out, when I felt it.
"My arms feel funny," I told Gina.
She looked at me. "What?"
And then I was gone. Like a corporate retreat trust fall activity gone wrong, I just tipped backward like a tree. No warning. No slow-motion fall.
BAM. Right onto the brick-colored tile in front of the hostess stand.
Gina lunged for me, but there was nothing she could do. The sound of my head hitting the floor? She told me later it was terrifying.
I woke up to her face hovering over me. She looked scared. Really scared.
A manager rushed over. Gina told them I had type 1 diabetes and needed juice. A waitress appeared with a glass of orange juice. Gina shoved it into my hands. "Drink."
I drank. My body absorbed it like I'd been wandering the desert.
And then, like a total lunatic, I said, "Let's just eat."
She gave me a look. But we stayed. We ate. Right there. In front of everyone who'd just watched me pass out.
That was the first and only time I ever passed out from low blood sugar. And once was enough.
Looking back, I made three critical mistakes that day:
Mistake #1: I ignored the early warning signs. I felt shaky. Sweaty. Brain foggy. But I convinced myself it was just because I'd been unloading chairs. I didn't stop. I didn't check. I just kept going.
Mistake #2: I didn't carry any fast-acting glucose. Nothing in my pockets. No glucose tablets. No candy. Nothing. I was completely unprepared. And when the low hit, I had no way to treat it quickly.
Mistake #3: I didn't tell anyone what was happening. Gina had no idea I was going low until I said, "My arms feel funny." And by then, it was too late. If I'd said something earlier, "Hey, I think I'm going low", she could've helped before I hit the floor.
So what happened? I passed out. In a Bob Evans. At lunchtime. In front of a room full of people eating biscuits and gravy.
And it didn't have to be that way.
You ever see Jurassic Park? There's that moment where Dr. Grant and the kids are hiding from the T-Rex, and he says, "Don't move. He can't see us if we don't move."
And then the lawyer panics, runs, and gets eaten.
That's me ignoring the low. I panicked. I didn't trust my body's warning signs. And I got metaphorically eaten by a low blood sugar in a family restaurant.
Here's what I want you to think about this week:
"Have I ever ignored the early warning signs of a low because I didn't want to deal with it right then?"
Maybe you were in a meeting. Or driving. Or trying to sleep. And you thought, "I'll just wait a few more minutes."
How'd that work out?
Just notice. No judgment.
By the way, if you're just joining us, welcome. This is Week [X] of the Low Blood Sugar Challenge. For the next eight weeks, we're gonna completely change the way you treat lows. Not just what you eat, but how you think about it.
And yeah, it's gonna feel uncomfortable at first. But that's the point.
If you want to join the challenge, head to yourbestt1dyear.com. Sign up. Get the guide. And follow along. We're doing this together.
Friday, we're talking about the Rule of 15, and why almost nobody actually follows it. It's the rule everyone knows and nobody listens to. And we're gonna figure out why.
By the end of this week, you're gonna have the full picture. You're gonna understand why the way we treat lows matters. And then we're gonna do something about it.
Here's something I've been thinking about, what if someone had stepped in at your hardest moment with type 1 and actually helped? That's what Blue Circle Health is doing. Their virtual care is free and built around you: insulin adjustments, CGM support, mental health resources, insurance navigation, peer coaching, all of it. If you live in one of their 20 states plus Washington DC, go check out bluecirclehealth.org.
Type 1 diabetes is relentless, but managing it doesn't have to be. New episodes drop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Nobody remembers easy.
// Year 33 Day 12394 #YourBestT1DYear
Jan 9 - 142
This is the script as read on the mic, lightly tidied for reading. Education, not medical advice. Talk to your care team before you change anything about your insulin.