# I pit homicidal killers who also lie about their blood sugar levels **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 21, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667 "2006-04-21T18:29:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/21 "2006-04-21T20:10:12Z")
Ask him to not just think of himself. Ask him how his friends and family will feel if he isn’t around anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/22 "2006-04-21T20:11:46Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Ask him to not just think of himself. Ask him how his friends and family will feel if he isn’t around anymore. Relieved? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/23 "2006-04-21T20:13:56Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Ask him to not just think of himself. Ask him how his friends and family will feel if he isn’t around anymore. Okay, that one made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/24 "2006-04-21T20:20:26Z")
I tried, but honestly I can’t manage to feel concerned in any way by a murderer sentenced to many decades behind the bars who lies about his sugar level in order to eat more… ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/25 "2006-04-21T20:26:10Z")
I realize your system probably doesn’t run to spending this much $$ on equipment, but I know a friend’s husband who’s pretty noncompliant with his blood sugar readings has a type of meter that he has to take to his doctor’s office and they can tell exactly when he read his blood sugar and what the number was for the past six months. That might be a good option if you really care about keeping this guy alive. Of course, if you tell the family of his victim about it, they’ll probably just thank him for what he’s doing. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/26 "2006-04-21T20:36:00Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > IOf course, if you tell the family of his victim about it, they’ll probably just thank him for what he’s doing. Send him a case of Snickers without a hacksaw in it? ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/27 "2006-04-21T20:38:46Z")
Does his mood alter with blood sugar levels? Is he perhapse self medicating by running a high sugar count? (Just thinking cos I know a diabetic guy who goes quite psycho when hypoglycemic.) ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/28 "2006-04-21T20:48:57Z")
It’s probably an ingrained habit with the guy to lie to The Man. Um… you are The Man, aren’t you? ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/29 "2006-04-21T20:50:59Z")
I nominate this for thread title least likely to apply to any other doper. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/30 "2006-04-21T20:54:22Z")
There is no honor amongst theives and murderers? Say it ain’t so! ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/31 "2006-04-21T20:59:46Z")
If he keeps lying, why is it still on the honor system? Can’t a nurse or someone get a sample and do the reading? Or does it have to be done really often? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/32 "2006-04-21T22:04:58Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > If he keeps lying, why is it still on the honor system? Can’t a nurse or someone get a sample and do the reading? Or does it have to be done really often? For that matter, isn’t an honor system pretty, um, antithetical to the whole “being in prison” thing in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/33 "2006-04-21T22:09:04Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > If he keeps lying, why is it still on the honor system? Can’t a nurse or someone get a sample and do the reading? Or does it have to be done really often? He should check 4 times a day, refuses to do it more than twice a day, the machine stores all his readings, which is how we busted him and how I know just what his actual values are since January when he came in. We’ve got hundreds of diabetics. It is a pain to have to make an inmate show us the machine, rather than report the result. But for him we’ll do this now. And yes, **Sal**. I am the Man. Why do I care? Besides it being my job, it’ll cost the state a lot more to care for him with his diabetic foot disease, renal failure and heart attacks. And **Bippy** , I know of no patients who try to run high sugars to feel good. I have had some patients who enjoy the low blood sugar state, and got a thrill out of keeping their sugars under 70. Drawback there were the seizures they’d have when they got down to 20. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/34 "2006-04-21T22:14:02Z")
I’m kind of depressed about the penguins. Not so much about the…uh, homocidal people killer guy. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/35 "2006-04-21T22:15:23Z")
Does he understand that high sugars are silent killers? Eyes, kidneys, heart, feet? (need shaking head smiley) I have heard that some diabetics (usually young girls) mess with their blood sugars to lose weight–not taking the insulin makes them lose lots of water and lose weight (but sadly, not fat, just muscle). Never heard of a grown man doing that… I bet your job is interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/36 "2006-04-21T22:17:17Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Does he understand that high sugars are silent killers? Eyes, kidneys, heart, feet? And the head…the shoulders, too, I think…knees, yep…don’t forget the toes, they’re the first to go… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/37 "2006-04-21T22:20:38Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Does he understand that high sugars are silent killers? Eyes, kidneys, heart, feet? I usually start my spiel by telling my diabetics that one of the first consequences of not taking care of their diabetes will be that they’ll lose their ability to get erections. Of course, my language when speaking to them tends to be less technical but more easily grasped by my patients. > [@](#): > > I have heard that some diabetics (usually young girls) mess with their blood sugars to lose weight–not taking the insulin makes them lose lots of water and lose weight (but sadly, not fat, just muscle). Never heard of a grown man doing that… That’s not a common feature in my patient population. Mostly my guys are in denial. If they ignore the bad results, they can ignore the disease > [@](#): > > I bet your job is interesting. Yes. Yes it is. ---
**Author:** ![gommsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@gommsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gommsn)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/38 "2006-04-21T22:42:58Z")
In my experience, here in Canukistan, monitoring blood glucose levels is a nursing procedure and would never be delegated to the patient…_for all the obvious reasons._ I’ve done a lot of health teaching to patients for their use upon discharge but as l long as they’re a patient in my facility, the procedure is done by a nurse. I’m surprised your system leaves something so simple, yet so important, up to the patient. As you no doubt know, we use a different grading system here in Canada. Since 4-7 mmol/l is considered normal before bfst. and over 20 requires a call to the attending physician, how far above normal are these readings? How do you treat unverifiable readings and what does this do to your liability? I don’t envy you. I would be just a bit concerned about my license as a nurse. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/39 "2006-04-21T23:33:53Z")
> [@gommsn](#): > > as l long as they’re a patient in my facility, the procedure is done by a nurse Ahh, but they _aren’t_ patients residing in a medical facility. They’re inmates in a correctional facility whose primary care doc happens to be conveniently located in the same building. Maintaining inpatient-like levels of care for the whole population, most of whom are reasonably healthy, would be hella expensive for a prison. …unless your facility is a prison. Then never mind! > [@gommsn](#): > > how far above normal are these readings? Check out [this site](http://diabeticgourmet.com/Tools_and_Calculators/convert-sugar-readings.shtml) to convert. ---
**Author:** ![GythaOgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@GythaOgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GythaOgg)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667/40 "2006-04-21T23:34:26Z")
> [@gommsn](#): > > In my experience, here in Canukistan, monitoring blood glucose levels is a nursing > > procedure and would never be delegated to the patient…_for all the obvious reasons._ > > I’ve done a lot of health teaching to patients for their use upon discharge but as l > > long as they’re a patient in my facility, the procedure is done by a nurse. I’m > > surprised your system leaves something so simple, yet so important, up to the > > patient. I think the difference is Qadgop works in a prison, not a medical facility. The ‘patients’ aren’t hospitalized any more than any other diabetic not in a hospital. They may see him once every three months or so for a checkup, but otherwise they’re not under a nurse’s or a doctor’s constant care or in a medical facility and thus perfectly capable of doing their own checks. I would be more concerned about sharps disposal or control for these guys out in the prison population - out of curiosity, how is that managed for their fingersticks? Qadgop, there was a really interesting article in one of the professional diabetic educator magazines last year regarding followup and treatment of diabetics in the prison system and many of the problems. Did you get a chance ever to read it? I know I read it in November. It’s probably still hanging around our magazine rack at work - I could probably dig it up if you’re interested. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-homicidal-killers-who-also-lie-about-their-blood-sugar-levels/353667.md?page=3)