Matthew Peabody, a diabetic, won’t get behind the wheel of a car anymore.
That’s because on May 25, the 37-year-old Wisconsin resident slammed into an oncoming pickup truck while having a diabetic reaction, according to the GazetteXtra in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Now, he’s worried. "I may hurt myself, or I may hurt somebody else," said Peabody, 37, who’s had six operations to repair damage to his legs, ankles, and feet."
Peabody is the latest of at least a dozen diabetics since 1983 who got into collisions and caused injuries while having diabetic reactions near the Janesville, Wisconsin area.
The recent Wisconsin car accidents pinpoint the urgent need for diabetics to take good care of themselves so that their blood glucose (blood sugar) doesn’t get too high or too low.
iIn fact, if you have a diabetic reaction, you could become dizzy, sleepy, confused, have blurry vision, lose consciousness or even have a seizure. according to Driving When You Have Diabetes, coordinated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), American Diabetes Association, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Traffic Safety Administration.
So, if you’re a diabetic who drives, make sure to monitor your blood sugar regularly and eat well. Doing so could save you and others from harm.
One thought on “Drivers With Diabetic Reactions Collide in Wisconsin”
I know how this guy feels! It’s scary how fast a hypoglycemic reaction can sneak up on you and how normal you can feel before it hits.
Normally my hypoglycemic reactions are when my blood sugar drops from ‘high’ to ‘normal’, but a few weeks ago I had my first documented true ‘hypoglycemic’ episode and I’d been driving which scared me in retrospect. I got home from a few hours at the farmer’s market, felt a little ‘iffy’ and took my blood sugar. It was only 64!
I felt more normal with my 64 than I ever did with my other ‘hypos’. But, it definitely was a bad idea for me to be driving. I didn’t realize just how impaired I’d been until I went out in the car later and I couldn’t remember which route I’d driven to get home earlier!
I can only thank the universe that I didn’t hit something or someone. It has definitely made me more cautious and I test my blood sugar much more frequently, and I carry my blood sugar monitor with me everywhere. I also take a snack and sugar tablets just in case I get a hypoglycemic episode while away from home.
I’m glad that I came to this realization before I felt forced to turn in my car keys. Before anyone got hurt.
Diabetes is not something to take lightly.
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