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Showing posts with the label hypo

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...

Risky lunch with a sudden hypo

Just started to prepare myself for that beauty when a hypo hit. I managed two bites before I needed to take some dextro energy and breathe through the attack. I am used to it now but the first was very scary. In no information or talk was ever said that this could happen once in a while. Only when I mentioned it to my surgeon during a follow up appointment she shrugged her shoulders and said that this is normal and I have to deal with it.  Luckily this usually passes quickly with some sugar and a break and I could enjoy my tomato-halloumi-bagel. Some days it makes problems but I feel fine today so I was up for risking it.