Learning about type 1 diabetes and hypoglycemia after a careless use of words.

Hi guys,

It's my first time posting here. I am writing this to ask if hypoglycemia is really a terrifying day-to-day experience that type 1 diabetics have to encounter daily.

I am not a diabetic myself, but a university colleague who is always nice to me is diabetic, yet no one knows that because he has never disclosed it. I knew about his condition unintentionally. He doesn't know that I am aware of it.

The reason I am asking is that I was a little bit tired and I said I am feeling hypoglycemic (I immediately realized that this could hurt him, but the words were already out. It was a slip of the tongue) I am a medical student so I am used to using these expressions but I should have been careful, especially because I feel he is sensitive to this experience. I noticed he got a little bit absent-minded when I said that, but he got back to the conversation quickly. We were a group, and I wasn't directly talking to him, but we could easily hear each other because we were in the same place, sitting with each other.

After that happened, I literally searched every single video and post about t1 diabetes and hypoglycemia. Honestly, although I am a medical student and studied diabetes before, I didn't know that having T1D is such a traumatic experience. I watched videos people filmed while they were in their hypos, and I have read posts here about people not being able to have continuous sleep due to their hypos, and others passing away during sleep due to hypos.

I literally cried and got frustrated. He's been going through this for years, and I recklessly used "hypoglycemia" as a casual expression while smiling because I was just feeling a little bit tired due to exams.

I mean, does he really go through all of this? Is every person with diabetes like that?

It's been many days since this happened, but I literally can't forget how mean I was. I have been blaming myself ever since, and I honestly cannot forgive myself for using the most frustrating thing in his life as a funny thing.

I just want to know if his life is in danger daily while sleeping and in normal daily activities due to hypoglycemia. He is a very kind and nice person, and I can't forgive myself for doing this, especially since I know about his diabetes, and I really deeply feel the guilt and the shame.

I don’t think he uses a CGM, and I’m wondering whether that makes his experience even harder.

I would really appreciate your answers. Thanks.