Friday, 15 November 2013
Emma's blog: ICU and DKA
Emma's blog: ICU and DKA: Career So after getting my rubbish GCSE results I decided on an apprentiship at Access training doing animal care NVQ level 2 they found me ...
ICU and DKA
Career
So after getting my rubbish GCSE results I decided on an apprentiship at Access training doing animal care NVQ level 2 they found me a placement at Derby and DIstrict RSPCA. I was so excited to be starting my adult life to begin with I was doing Monday and Fridays 8am to 5pm and do the paper side of my NVQ in the week up in Ilkeston. I had told the manager I was diabetic (not through choice) just thought that I should. My blood sugars were still quite stable but I wasn't sure how they would react to my new activity as it's not like I would be sat at a desk all day like school. So I loved this new job it's working with animals which was my plan I was getting a qualification for it and earning £30 a fortnight and all travel expenses were paid back to me. My blood sugars were also fine with this new life style however I had contracted a water infection (which is quite common in diabetics) I was put on antibiotics and my blood sugars were a little higher than usual I put it down to the infection (at the time I didn't actually know this but when a diabetic has an infection the insulin you take for your food actually goes to the infection rather than the food you've eaten and that's why your blood sugars are higher so your suppose work out how much insulin you need for the food and than for what your blood sugars are). However Thursday night in 2003 I came home from work (I was now pretty much full time) I felt extremely thirsty and urinating a lot which I thought was probably the infection but then I couldn't keep any thing down not even water I kept getting a sharp pain in my side which I thought was probably from heaving. I was so tired so I went for a nap (which I shouldn't have done so it seams) but when I woke I felt 10 times worse my mum rang NHS direct as was now after hours for the diabetic clinic they told me to eat toast even after telling them I couldn't keep anything down. A few hours later I could hardly breathe (tack cardiac) my blood sugars were in there high 20s (should be between 4-8) so we decided to go to A&E (it turns out I should have called an ambulance) but when I arrived they sent me to resus by now I was really ill I actually had DKA diabetic ketoacidosis a potential life threatening complication in type 1 diabetics (I had never heard of it) all I remember was a lot of doctors around me putting drips in me a oxygen mask and chest pain. I had so much acid in my blood I was taken into ICU I was extremely ill and was then put on a sliding scale to try and regulate my blood sugars this would be a combination of insulin and dextrose. I was in there for a few days until the acid was no longer in my blood stream in was then moved onto a ward with my continuous sliding scale. My blood sugar was checked every 2 hours if it was high they would give more insulin bringing my blood sugar back down to normal I was in hospital for a week. Going home the following Friday I felt so much better I now knew what DKA is and symptoms of it and hoping it won't happen again. I returned back to work on the Monday to everyone surprise but I loved my job!
So after getting my rubbish GCSE results I decided on an apprentiship at Access training doing animal care NVQ level 2 they found me a placement at Derby and DIstrict RSPCA. I was so excited to be starting my adult life to begin with I was doing Monday and Fridays 8am to 5pm and do the paper side of my NVQ in the week up in Ilkeston. I had told the manager I was diabetic (not through choice) just thought that I should. My blood sugars were still quite stable but I wasn't sure how they would react to my new activity as it's not like I would be sat at a desk all day like school. So I loved this new job it's working with animals which was my plan I was getting a qualification for it and earning £30 a fortnight and all travel expenses were paid back to me. My blood sugars were also fine with this new life style however I had contracted a water infection (which is quite common in diabetics) I was put on antibiotics and my blood sugars were a little higher than usual I put it down to the infection (at the time I didn't actually know this but when a diabetic has an infection the insulin you take for your food actually goes to the infection rather than the food you've eaten and that's why your blood sugars are higher so your suppose work out how much insulin you need for the food and than for what your blood sugars are). However Thursday night in 2003 I came home from work (I was now pretty much full time) I felt extremely thirsty and urinating a lot which I thought was probably the infection but then I couldn't keep any thing down not even water I kept getting a sharp pain in my side which I thought was probably from heaving. I was so tired so I went for a nap (which I shouldn't have done so it seams) but when I woke I felt 10 times worse my mum rang NHS direct as was now after hours for the diabetic clinic they told me to eat toast even after telling them I couldn't keep anything down. A few hours later I could hardly breathe (tack cardiac) my blood sugars were in there high 20s (should be between 4-8) so we decided to go to A&E (it turns out I should have called an ambulance) but when I arrived they sent me to resus by now I was really ill I actually had DKA diabetic ketoacidosis a potential life threatening complication in type 1 diabetics (I had never heard of it) all I remember was a lot of doctors around me putting drips in me a oxygen mask and chest pain. I had so much acid in my blood I was taken into ICU I was extremely ill and was then put on a sliding scale to try and regulate my blood sugars this would be a combination of insulin and dextrose. I was in there for a few days until the acid was no longer in my blood stream in was then moved onto a ward with my continuous sliding scale. My blood sugar was checked every 2 hours if it was high they would give more insulin bringing my blood sugar back down to normal I was in hospital for a week. Going home the following Friday I felt so much better I now knew what DKA is and symptoms of it and hoping it won't happen again. I returned back to work on the Monday to everyone surprise but I loved my job!
Monday, 7 October 2013
Emma's blog: New shoe
Emma's blog: New shoe: It was time for my foot check up well orthopaedic appointment hoping my new shoes were here well other wise it would be a pointless appointm...
New shoe
It was time for my foot check up well orthopaedic appointment hoping my new shoes were here well other wise it would be a pointless appointment. I was shouted in by My doctor I was allowed to wear my right show and right only :( however it's a start. The shoes weren't as bad as I was expecting them to be they were black with like a puma stripe on the side made out of soft leather but were more like trainers then shoes. And they are the comfiest shoe I have ever worn I was allowed to wear it for 20mins a day and when walking but only around the house other wise it's the wheelchair still. If I'm seated them it has to come off this is to stop it swelling although some swelling is normal. At my next foot check up if my foot is the same temperature as it was before the shoe and if not swollen I will be able to drive an automatic car (how exciting bearing in mind I've never driven an automatic so that will be interesting). My left foot is still in an air cast 23hrs a day boo! However my last scan said it is healing and new bone is growing I have another scan in 6 weeks time I'm really hoping it will be healed by then and be able to wear my other shoe and begin weight bearing on that one too. It's so nice to have flexibility it my right foot specially as it's been in cast for the last 5 months and I can sit half comfy and it's so much lighter and also wonderful not to have to pump it up who would have thought that wearing a shoe would feel so strange had some other great news in the post today I've had my disabled blue badge confirmed so know more being stranded in the car park waiting to get run over. I'm starting to see a little light at the end of the ever long tunnel my journey continues....
Fresh start
So I was now in year 8 of secondary school with no friends and a ridiculous illness. After discussing with my parents that I was no longer happy at school and feeling alone because of it. So we decided to change secondary schools a fresh start well that's what I thought? I knew one person at my new school who I had been friends with since 5 we were both very excited to be going to school together we hadn't seen much of each other over the years because we decided on different schools but we hadn't changed one bit. However on my first day there she phoned to say she was ill and wouldn't be coming in today great! I can see a pattern forming oh well off I went. First lesson was fine the headmaster introduced me to my new form and my first class whilst talking loudly to the teacher that I was diabetic and needed to have a snack at 11am what?! Here's me thinking I could get away with not telling anyone. 11 o'clock came and I went to the nurses office to have my banana a lot of kids thought it was brilliant getting out of class to eat food but it wasn't there education that was suffering. Along came dinner time I was no longer on pack lunches I got to eat real meals great till I got to the end of the queue and all that was there were cans of full sugar pop great! I asked the dinner lady if there was anything else? Just water she said so that's what I had but I told her my predicament that I needed sugar free pop with me being diabetic and she said she would get some in for tomorrow thank you. Next day went down the dinner line to find a carton of pop just for me lime cordial! Is that the only flavour they could find I know those days there wasn't much choice of sugar free delights but I'm pretty sure orange or apple and black currant were available. Anyway my friend was back at school now so I no longer felt alone apart from the diabetes. Next lesson was P.E I like sports specially football and rounders but I was alway anxious about my blood sugars dropping at the time I had to eat a snack size chocolate bar half an hour before my lesson (which I always thought pointless if the whole point of exercise was to burn off sugar) I learned from my mistake at my old school to take my own lucozade to school with me I case of a hypo I didn't bother with my blood machine as my symptoms were very strong. I did have a few hypos at school but it never bothered me then I don't no why? my blood sugars were quite stable at school. I'm so glad I changed schools even with the little moments of awkwardness now all I had to deal with was boys, periods and what career I wanted normal teenager stuff.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Emma's blog: The beginning
Emma's blog: The beginning: Aged 12yrs old 14 days till my 13th birthday looking forward to becoming a teenager and all the drama that comes with it. However at the beg...
The beginning
Aged 12yrs old 14 days till my 13th birthday looking forward to becoming a teenager and all the drama that comes with it. However at the beginning of January I had lost quite a bit of weight my family and I just thought it was down to pubity. But I had also had this incredible black hole for thirst I had managed to drink 12 bottles of 2lt fizzy pop in the space of a week. My eyes also began to blur and found myself constantly on the toilet (the never ending pee) so off to the doctors me and my mum went. After taking a blood test ( blood sugar was 22.0mmol average blood sugar for a non diabetic was between 4-7) and urine sample (ketotic) the results were in I was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and booked into the hospital the next day where my life would change forever. I wasent scarred I think when your a child nothing can bring you down you think your invincible to everything I had heard of diabetes as both my Nan's were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later on in life and yes there's 2 types.
* Type 1 is often referred to as juvenile diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a form of diabetes mellitus that is most common in children but can be diagnosed at any age. The cause of type 1 diabetes are different than those for type 2 diabetes though the mechanism for development of both diseases are unknown. Theories include the possibility that a virus may stimulate the auto immune response. As more insulin producing cells in the pancreas are killed off, the body can no longer control it's blood glucose levels and the symptoms of diabetes begin to appear. Type 1 inability to produce insulin.
* Type 2 diabetes is a globally common metabolic disorder affecting over 2 million people in the UK alone. Type 2 is normally diagnosed in adults however the ever growing of obese children is can now also be diagnosed in children too. Type 2 resistance to insulin
And for goodness sake get them right unless you want to make make us type 1s angry!
And back to the hospital I had to watch a video (yes I know an actual VIDEO) explaining this to me (it didn't make sense) information over load. I did my first injection myself it didn't hurt but the pen was actually quite heavy to hold and the insulin smelt revolting back then it was pig insulin it was really cloudy (I remember thinking hope I don't turn in to a pig.) I always had to take it half an hour before a meal I was on a small fixed dose then (as they call this the honeymoon period as your pancreas is still producing insulin if that's the honeymoon period I now want a d'ivorce) I had to dial it up myself and I only had to have 2 injections a day can still remember the name mixitard 30. At the beginning the only thing I really hated was checking my blood glucose pricking my fingers hurts a lot. and still does to this day I would much rather have an injection rather than do this 4-6 times a day. Like today I can prick my finger and blood would come out of a totally different hole I some times feel like a professional pin cushion. I had to grow up faster than other children my age as this illness was a huge responsibility I knew there was no cure just management but I was a child the constant questions of why me, why now I didn't know anyone else who had it and who was my age I was the only child in secondary school who had it. Unfortunately my grandad was diagnosed with liver cancer the same day and passed away just under a month later it was quite a hard time for us all but I managed to get my blood sugars under control and went back to school on the Monday and that's when it all began I'm different.
* Type 1 is often referred to as juvenile diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a form of diabetes mellitus that is most common in children but can be diagnosed at any age. The cause of type 1 diabetes are different than those for type 2 diabetes though the mechanism for development of both diseases are unknown. Theories include the possibility that a virus may stimulate the auto immune response. As more insulin producing cells in the pancreas are killed off, the body can no longer control it's blood glucose levels and the symptoms of diabetes begin to appear. Type 1 inability to produce insulin.
* Type 2 diabetes is a globally common metabolic disorder affecting over 2 million people in the UK alone. Type 2 is normally diagnosed in adults however the ever growing of obese children is can now also be diagnosed in children too. Type 2 resistance to insulin
And for goodness sake get them right unless you want to make make us type 1s angry!
And back to the hospital I had to watch a video (yes I know an actual VIDEO) explaining this to me (it didn't make sense) information over load. I did my first injection myself it didn't hurt but the pen was actually quite heavy to hold and the insulin smelt revolting back then it was pig insulin it was really cloudy (I remember thinking hope I don't turn in to a pig.) I always had to take it half an hour before a meal I was on a small fixed dose then (as they call this the honeymoon period as your pancreas is still producing insulin if that's the honeymoon period I now want a d'ivorce) I had to dial it up myself and I only had to have 2 injections a day can still remember the name mixitard 30. At the beginning the only thing I really hated was checking my blood glucose pricking my fingers hurts a lot. and still does to this day I would much rather have an injection rather than do this 4-6 times a day. Like today I can prick my finger and blood would come out of a totally different hole I some times feel like a professional pin cushion. I had to grow up faster than other children my age as this illness was a huge responsibility I knew there was no cure just management but I was a child the constant questions of why me, why now I didn't know anyone else who had it and who was my age I was the only child in secondary school who had it. Unfortunately my grandad was diagnosed with liver cancer the same day and passed away just under a month later it was quite a hard time for us all but I managed to get my blood sugars under control and went back to school on the Monday and that's when it all began I'm different.
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