I’ve mentioned before that stress tends to raise blood glucose levels. This is why stress management is one of the key parts of diabetes management. Keeping stress in check can actually help keep blood glucose levels more stable.
Getting up in front of a group is stressful for many people. I like speaking to a group; however, I do tend to get stressed. It definitely gets easier with practice and I’m always more comfortable if I know the topic better than my audience. There are several common recommendations for making public speaking easier or more comfortable: take deep breaths, visualize, picture the audience in their underwear, etc. Another one, for those of us with diabetes, is to be aware of our blood glucose level.
It’s never fun to have a low blood glucose event during a presentation. I don’t think this has ever happened to me, though, because I tend to run high. When I’m on top of things I even take an extra unit of insulin before a talk. When I’m on a pump I use the extended/square wave bolus and let that extra unit go in the whole time I’m up there. And sometimes I come out right where I want to be afterward! If my blood glucose is high beforehand, I will give at least a partial correction. If I’m low, I will treat, but perhaps with slightly less carbohydrate than usual. Just as practice makes presenting easier, practice also makes managing blood glucose easier.
The key is to know what your blood glucose level is – and not make the mistake of guessing. I had a very stressful experience at diabetes camp many (many!) summers ago. I was about to perform a trio in a Talent Show at the BOYS’ CAMP. Right before I was to go on stage, I felt low. I quickly sucked down a packet of Monojel (who remembers that stuff?) and headed into the spotlight. We sang our number and I checked my blood glucose immediately after: 300-something. Truth is, I hadn’t been low at all – just nervous. Did I mention there was a very cute counselor in the audience? Stress.