Relative Lows

In talking about the feelings of low sugar, I need to put out the reminder that with my system, it is a matter of relative lows. My numbers run consistently high, but almost daily I feel the effects of lower-than-it-should-be levels. These hit me at home meter testing numbers that would suggest it impossible for me to have low sugar or insulin shock sensations.
In feeling out symptoms over the past twenty years and more, I operated on not letting myself feel high. It’s an uncomfortable feeling, and more importantly, all the complications of sugar come from the sugar being too high. To me, a daily low was a good sign overall.
Most often, the low hits when the first spurt of time release insulin kicks in, usually three to four hours after taking the morning dose. I have found this to be an almost unavoidable and inescapable part of the day, whether twenty years ago or today. I used to take my coffee with extra sugar just to beef up against the coming low. These days I will try to eat full meals; a truly full meal will overcompensate, making the sugar feel higher for a short time, even more than the sugared coffee ever did. Eating in short grazing spurts often will not fully ward against the coming low, and has the effect of expanding the stomach. When eating multiple small meals as a diabetic should, I am usually hungry all day. The likelihood of overeating at one of those multiple mealtimes increases.
The many meal day is difficult to follow through with. I’m almost always home now, but the preparation of six meals a day can absorb enough time that nothing else gets done. A day with errands can completely shatter the plan. Especially with other people always driving, there is an unstated pressure to get done what the help is helping with, to the expense of following meal planning. In working times, this was often more difficult, because everyone wants any "perk" granted to someone else for whatever reason.
A busier or more physical workday than normal can also wreak havoc into the blood sugar balance. The unexpected exertions will absorb the food intake faster and leave the body wanting. Supervisors or coworkers can be very quick to raise speculation of laziness when the body’s reserves get used up and further nourishment is required. Whether working low end or respectable jobs, I always gave everything I had when I had it. This almost never seemed enough to compensate for genuine times of need. Too often, the end result was political workplace failings. Too often, I would push past the physical limitations, which exposed the psychological failings of the condition. This has cost me several jobs over the years. The best recourse was to work independently whenever possible, so I could surge ahead when able and recharge when necessary.