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Some regular posters of this forum may have read about my adventures with my beagle/coonhound mix, Tonka. My husband and I adopted him 8 years ago from beagle rescue in Northern Virginia.
I'm a type-one diabetic (T1) and was diagnosed in college 13 years ago. If you or anyone you know is afflicted by this disease, you know how tiring it can be to constantly monitor your blood sugar levels. You also probably know that pretty much every choice you make, from what you eat to how much you exercise, impacts blood sugar control.
On Saturday, DH and I took Tonka for a nice long day hike at Lake Norman State Park. You see, Tonka just loves being out on the trail with us - he still scurries up steep hills and over fallen trees and roots like a much younger dog. Since he's probably 10 years old now, it makes me feel so good to see him get such enjoyment out of our walks out on the trail.
After our hike, DH and I killed our diets ( ) by having some pizza at a local joint near our house. After that, we decided that were were pretty tired, and would just spend the evening hanging out at home.
So let's see - Saturday - exercise: check! Dinner: check! Blood sugar: under control - check! Life was pretty good.
After all of that fresh air, I went to bed pretty early. I had tested my blood sugar before bed, and it was normal. Tonka turned in with me, and was soon fast asleep and snoring. My husband stayed up watching TV in the living room.
Around 11:30 PM, I woke up to Tonka pawing at me and licking my face. As soon as I sat up in bed, I realized something was wrong. In my haze, I stumbled out to the kitchen where I had left my glucometer, and I immediately tested my blood sugar. It had plummeted in my sleep, and my blood sugar was 29!!! Most labs will tell you that a normal reading is between 70 and 120. I was in trouble.
My husband grabbed my glucose tablets, which have the consistency of chalk but are the only things that get my blood sugar up fast. After about 30 minutes, my blood sugar was back up to 100. Crisis averted... until I looked down to find Tonka at my feet. All of the emotion just poured out of me, and I sat on the floor crying my heart out into his fur.
I really think he saved my life. I don't know how, but after doing a little research I learned that organizations like Dogs4Diabetics can train dogs to recognize how your scent changes when you are experiencing hypoglycemia. Here's a link to their Web site: All about Dogs4Diabetics
I guess the point of this posting is to express how grateful I am to Tonka for being so alert. I hope others will respond to this thread to tell stories of how their pets were able to help them in times of crisis.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Whoa!!!! That's an amazing story. I love it; I love that Tonka is so in tune with you (and your inner workings). Miraculous.
I have a little bit of a similar story ("a little bit" because it's to a MUCH lesser degree). A number of months ago (in the winter, I guess), I had a classic cold that just knocked the crap out of me. I spent a lot of time in the guest room bed, the only bed where Artie can lie with me (he's not allowed on our bed).
Anyway, my cold turned into a fever and I just couldn't get warm. I put a number of blankets over me but I was still shivering. Artie usually lies right next to me, but when I started shivering, he lay on top of me, length-wise, so that he could cover as much of me as possible. I fell more in love with him that day, if it's even possible to love him any more.
But I digress.
Tonka is a special boy. Clearly. And he loves you. Clearly. What a wonderful story. Be well; take care of yourself. Or else Tonka will.
We continue to hear about how many dogs are able to detect things at such subtle levels of change in our bodies. From what you experienced, to heart issues such as Mike L. had and tells the story of here:
to people with diabetes, cancer and other health issues. Don't you feel sorry for people who don't have even an ordinary lovable, loving dog in their lives? I do.
Let's hope that Tonka never has to issue such an alert again for you.
I certainly wasn't graceful, and I think I ran into a chair, but I made it.
I'm still in awe over Tonka... wish I could go home and give him a hug now. I'll have to wait until after I get off from work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah
I'm amazed you could walk at that level. I'm almost comatose at about 55. Hugs to Tonka for being such a smart boy!
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) by having some pizza at a local joint near our house. After that, we decided that were were pretty tired, and would just spend the evening hanging out at home. 
