[lemonadelife_blog]

When I was growing up, I had a variety of treatment options for a low blood sugar at my disposal.

First, there were the good old fashioned white BD glucose tablets which were, in a word, HELL. I am certain that it was some sort of sadistic joke created by the folks at BD (whom I’m sure are lovely folks in reality, but this was an 8-year-old having to choke these things down). First of all, they taste terrible. They are chalky. And they are difficult to chew. When I’m low, it should not take extra work to treat it.

In elementary school, I was subjected to the infamous Tang orange juice mix. We used Tang because we could buy it in bulk. Mix some of that powder with a little water and you were good to go, and that jug would last half the school year. It was watery and gross, but it did the job.

In middle school, I revolted against The Tang, and I started using juice boxes. All kinds. Mostly Juicy Juice. Sometimes Minute Made. It was not always the smartest choice for a child to carry around a juice box in her bag though. One time, the juice box exploded in my backpack, crushed by my textbooks.

The smell? Not pleasant.

I occasionally used the CVS brand of glucose tabs – preferably in raspberry, but watermelon would do if I had to. They were also chalky, but smaller and easier to crunch down on. I always had a difficult time figuring out how many to take to get my blood sugar to go up. Sometimes it would work, but other times I swear I could eat a roll and still be low. But glucose tablets are great when I travel, because they are light and last much longer than a juice box. I always make sure to bring a long a bottle of glucose tabs in my suitcase, and a smaller roll of tabs that I keep in my purse. Refill as needed.

Sometimes I just wouldn’t carry anything. I almost always had access to regular soda, either at the mall or the vending machine at school. But I despise the taste of regular soda, and I can’t keep that up for very long. It’s too sickly sweet. Right now, I don’t have anything in my purse, but in a city of two million bodegas and thirty million restaurants, it doesn’t take long to find something to eat. I try not to make this a habit, though. There are no vending machines on the subway.

At home, I’m a fan of orange juice. If I had my choice, I’d grab a nice glass of OJ. Not only does it treat a low, but it has nutritional content. For the most part, I’m a fan of Juicy Juice boxes. Despite the fact it reminds me of being a child, it’s consistent and tasty.

But not so much fun when the straw wrapper gets stuck to my feet.


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