Crystal Bowersox finally explains how she landed in hospital on ‘Idol’
precious stone Bowersox at an “Idol Gives Back” party with fellow Type 1 diabetic Elliott Yamin from season five in April. Photo by Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup/FOX)precious stone Bowersox finally detailed how she finished up in the hospital during “Idol” with a diabetes website. She had ketoacidosis, caused by elevated high blood sugar levels. It’s often caused by a combination of stress, too much food intake and not enough insulin. Insulin brings sugars to cells. No insulin at all means your cells will literally starve. The body starts burning stout for energy at that top, releasing ketones. High levels of ketones start to poison your body. (This happened to me at age 12 before I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.)
One day I woke up and I wasn’t feeling excellent. My sugars were in the 400s. [For you non-diabetics--that's really terrible!] I told the staff I didn’t feel well, and they took me to the hospital. I plotting I’d just be treated real instant and be out of there, but they made me spend the night. My bicarbonate (ph levels) were so low, that they said on paper I really should have been in a coma.
Ken Warwick, the executive producer of the show, came into the hospital to see me, and he said, with his cute British accent, ‘I’m sorry darling. You’re off the show.’ I plotting it was a joke! But he wasn’t laughing.
Bowersox fought to stay on. Fortunately, the “Idol” producers were able to swap the guys and gals during the semifinals so she could perform.
She also talked about how she had to play in subways and beg for cash just to pay for insulin to survive. And how she once forgot some insulin injection equipment for her pump and used a special network to get some for free.
- Oh, and tomorrow is the day of the “huge announcement.” I know. We’re all staying up all night waiting, aren’t we?
