Arden Describes a Low Blood Glucose Seizure

March 23, 2008Scott Benner

I had the camera out for something unrelated when Arden suddenly began to talk about a seizure that she experienced over a year before this was recorded.

Arden is three and half years old in this video, it's both heartbreaking and fascinating when you realize that she has a clear recollection of much of the event. Even more interesting is how she interprets the information. Hearing Arden describe the grunting noises that she made as her "turning into a monster" is particularly chilling.

Arden was temporarily blind and unable to speak during the seizure that she is describing. We were able to stop it in a few minutes with glucose gel.

Added 2015:

That was Arden then, this is Arden now. She is healthy, active and about as far from that little girl in the video as you can imagine. — **That was Arden then, this is Arden now.** She is healthy, active and about as far from that little girl in the video as you can imagine.

I'm revisiting this post as a part of my podcast journey to relive Arden's Day from the beginning. Remembering the way that Arden's account of a low BG seizure (I've seen two and refuse to call them 'incidents') makes me realize why it took me so long to act boldly with insulin. I'm quite certain that as I move forward with this process of reliving the blog, I'm going to find that getting a Dexcom CGM is what allowed me to bolus with certainty while striving for closer to normal blood glucose readings.

Please don't use this video as a reason to be scared or a way to convince yourself that fear is a righteous endeavor when living with type 1. Please watch young Arden and remember that while this was once our reality, it no longer is.

I desperately want your take-away to be...