What is a hypo?

 A hypo or hypoglycaemia attack is one of the side effects of an oesophagectomy that every patient experiences at least once at some point after the surgery.

The first sign is shivering or shaking even though it's not cold. On the contrary you might feel very hot especially in the head, the heartrate increases suddenly and you could feel dizziness or faint. Those are the first symptoms. When you feel like this you better eat some easy processable sugar like fruit sugar (fruit juice or juicy fruits like orange, watermelon or pear) or dextrose (icing sugar, glucose or dextrose tablets and sweets) and sit or lie down. 

I always find it more comfortable to sit because when I lie down and have this faint feeling where the whole world turns I am scared I could get sick and this is easier when sitting. When it happens the first few times it can be quite scary. It is important to not panic, it feels dangerous but it is actually not too dangerous. Eating sugary things will help to ease the symptoms and after 10 to 15 minutes you will feel normal again.

A non-medical explanation for this is, that during the surgery the whole plumbing of our intestines has to be cut off first and then reconstructed again. Not everything will go back to the specific spot that it was in before which is difficult anyway when you take away parts of the anatomy that it was connected to. The pipes from the pancreas, gallbladder and spleen who are delivering all the juices that are needed to process food properly might come in earlier that the rest of the digestive system would expect it. Or even far later. In this case it is insulin, that is left over and wasn't used from our last meal. So it just sits in the stomach and waits for the next meal. And if there is no meal, than it causes those hypoglycaemia attacks. Amateurishly spoken.

The best way to avoid those attacks is to watch the sugar intake and not eating the most sugary things at the end of the meal. 

• One of my favourite rules from all of this: start with the dessert (if you dare). 
• Combine Protein rich foods with carbohydrates (good bye food combining diet!). 
• The earlier you sit down, breathe and suck some sweets when symptoms show - the faster the attacks passes

How is a hypo for you and what are you doing to prevent it or when it hits you? Please leave a comment and let me know!