The One where Firemen Rescue my Diabetes Supplies

Here's a fun diabetes tip to remember:  When evacuating your work building due to a fire alarm, make sure you grab your diabetes bag (a.k.a. my purse) before exiting the building.  Otherwise, it will end in an awkward situation of asking a fireman to rescue your bag because you're having a low episode in the middle of the parking lot.  

A couple days ago, around 10:30 AM, the fire alarm starts blaring in my building at work.  I was in another part of the building at the time, away from my office.  I should have gone straight outside in case it was a real fire instead of walking back up to my office to grab my coat, but I was not standing outside in 30F weather without it.  Normally fire alarms in our office only last for 5-10 minutes tops.  But after 15 minutes in the shivering cold, we realized that this was no drill--something was really smoking or on fire.  Then the rumors circulated that someone saw smoke in the A-wing of the building and that we would be outside for awhile.  

By this time, it's getting close to lunch (yeah, NASA people have lunch at 11 AM) so people began getting in their cars and leaving.  A couple of my officemates proposed the same idea, but as soon as we got in the car to leave I got a BZZZ-BZZZ-BZZZ from my pocket.  "59 mg/dL" heading southeast.  "Crap!  I can't leave.  I'm low and my stuff is still in my office."  At this point, they weren't letting anyone back in the office yet, so I had to put on my pitiful diabetic face and ask the firemen to rescue my diabetes supplies.  

I walked up to the first firetruck where a fireman was leaning on the bumper.  

Me:  "Hi, I left my diabetic supplies in my office.  Is it possible for someone to go get them for me or escort me in there?  I'm in C-wing, so I'm away from the danger zone."  

Fireman:  "Well, they're going to start letting people go inside in 5 minutes.  Can you wait?" 

Me (feeling sweaty at this point):  "Ummm, I'm having a low blood sugar right now . . . "  

Fireman:  "Just a second." 

The very nice fireman got into the truck and radioed his captain (I'm assuming) and agreed that 2 firemen could escort me to my office.  So it must have been a sight:  a pregnant woman being escorted by 2 firemen into a building wailing with fire alarms.  I retrieved my purse and starting chomping away on my glucose tabs, and one of the fireman asked, "Are you OK?"  "Yeah, just having a low blood sugar.  I'll be fine in a few minutes."  

The alarm went off.  My officemates and I went to lunch.  My blood sugar came up.  Crisis averted. 

I kind of wish every time I had a low that I could be surrounded by such nice firemen.