If you ever meet someone who claims they have never been hangry, then they're lying. Or a sociopath. I have yet to meet a sane person who hasn't had a moment of sheer and utter rudeness fueled by good ole' hunger.
Unfortunately for me, I'm not just hangry when I'm hungry, I'm hypoglycemic. For those of you who don't know, hypoglycemia is a fancy way of saying low blood sugar - but the kind of low blood sugar that makes your body go into fight or flight mode. When I get hungry, or my blood sugar drops, my body starts to deteriorate - and quickly.
No, this is not synonymous with diabetes. People who have diabetes are very likely to struggle with hypoglycemia, but not everyone who has experienced hypoglycemia has diabetes. So what does this mean? It means that I don't need insulin injections and I don't need to check my blood sugar levels regularly, nor have I ever been hospitzalized due to low levels. This is an important distinction because this in no way compares to people who are struggling (and managing) with a very serious medical issue.
For me, there are a few stages of hungry. There is the normal hungry - I could eat a snack but I won't die if I don't eat in the next few minutes. Then there is the beginning of hypoglycemia kicking in - which for me looks like a complete personality switch. Most of the time? I'm pretty postive. I'm outgoing and chatty and only complain about the important things (like how much I hate unncessary excercize). But when I get too hungry? I become Wednesday Addam's best friend. I'm gloomy, irritable, and just downright mean sometimes.
Next, comes the nasuea. Ironically enough, my stomach reacts to really wanting food by making all food look absolutely terrible - logical, right? By the time I hit this point I am usually just looking for quick sugar in the form of glucose tablets until I can get some more serious calories.
Finally, comes the shut-down. My vision blurs, my arms feel heavy, and it starts to feel like everything I am doing is underwater. I feel disoriented and overstimulated, which often makes me feel pretty anxious. Although this rarely happens anymore due to my knowledge about hypoglycemia (AKA literally always having snacks somewhere on my person), this part is just downright scary. It's no Snickers commerical where someone passes me a candy bar and I'm cheery again. And it's no sulky looks while I wait for someone to bring me a burger. It's almost passing out in front of the school nurse, it's people dragging me to chairs and forcing me to eat even though my stomach is rolling (done with love of course), and it's a very real fear that my body feels like it just isn't working with me at the moment.
Although I have figured out tricks to make my hypoglycemia more managable, it's something that's always in the back of my mind. Planning meals, packing extra snacks and always being constantly worried about being stuck in an event that ran long or a class that doesn't wrap up in time for lunch is tiring. Although I love #hangry memes as the next girl does, there's also a reminder that comes with them - I have to be aware and listening to my body at all times.
So the next time you see me walking around looking very, very grumpy - offer me a candy bar. :)
