T1D here, and you explained the experience of hypoglycemia very well. This is very close to what I get as well.
> Then comes an incredible desire to eat sweet things - once you start eating, it can actually be difficult to stop!
This sucks a lot with diabetes. The survival mechanism kicks in and tells you "eat something, anything, everything", which can subsequently cause your blood sugar to skyrocket, which you then have to correct with more insulin...it can send you on a blood sugar roller coaster than can ruin your entire day. Diabetes sucks.
Yeap. There were blood sugar test strips and lancets in every nook and cranny of the house. Yo-yoing all over the place and developed a phobia about going anywhere in-case "something happened."
My dad was using low blood sugar as an excuse and insulin as an enabler to eat crap, and gained a lot of weight.
He eventually got an insulin pump and cut down on simple carbs.
Diabetes, especially T1 diabetes, is so unbelievably mentally taxing. It's a constant source of cognitive load and stress, as your conscious brain is being forced to take on the functions of your pancreas. A lot of diabetics develop mental health issues and unhealthy habits as a result of it (which is what it sounds like happened to your dad).
For me, a CGM was the biggest game changer, by far. Second was cutting down to eating one (larger) meal per day.
> Then comes an incredible desire to eat sweet things - once you start eating, it can actually be difficult to stop!
This sucks a lot with diabetes. The survival mechanism kicks in and tells you "eat something, anything, everything", which can subsequently cause your blood sugar to skyrocket, which you then have to correct with more insulin...it can send you on a blood sugar roller coaster than can ruin your entire day. Diabetes sucks.