Diabetic Seizure, Return to game?

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by chayce
Well, I finally can speak authoritatively on this one! I am a diabetic referee and can tell you that this was not a diabetic "seizure", this was simply a case of low blood sugar which is very commonplace in the life of a diabetic. The remedy is very simple: eat or drink something with sugar in it. I normally slip glucose tablets into my mouth during games just to make sure that my blood sugar doesn't get too low during games.

I realize that you can not expect all refs to understand every disease that is out there but in this case the parents obviously are fully aware of the kids condition and the easy remedy for the problem because this is something that happens several times a week. Let him play. This is different than an injury or physical reaction that occurs during the course of play.

Chayce, if you are having low blood sugars several times a week, not only your health, but your very life are in jeopardy. Talk to your doctor about how long it takes your liver to regenerate adequate store of glycogen. If my son had low blood sugars several times a week he most definitely WOULD NOT be playing basketball until we had better control of his blood sugar.

But even if the kid only has them once a month, it still takes about an hour or so for the glycogen in the liver to be released, taken up and distributed. Which means that for an hour or so, he is still subject to another low blood sugar which can hit very quickly and cause him to lose consciousness quite suddenly. Even if he is taking large amounts of sugar orally.

As a parent who has dealt with a child who has Type 1 diabetes and participated in sports, I encourage all of you to respect the rule about not letting kids play after an episode of seeming unconsiousness. It is definitely not worth the risk.