Hospital protocol

It's been a while since I was an inpatient at the hospital (obviously doing something right) but a fellow diabetic mentioned her latest visit and found it quite shocking that things haven't changed. Baring in mind we don't live any where near each other and that the protocol at both hospitals are exactly the same bad! Most diabetic type 1s have at least suffered once with DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) it is a potentially life threatening complication in diabetic patience mainly type 1s. I have had this quite serious 3 times always ending in intensive care ( yes exactly) while I've been in ICU I was monitored really well going straight into a sliding scale (don't be lazy look it up) blood sugars taken every hour changing dosage ect the last 2 times I was admitted i was on the insulin pump and was always told to disconnect that was fine. However once I'm moved to a normal ward I become the rare breed diabetic (ooh you have an insulin pump how does that work) so I explain (I think they understood? wrong!) the nurse asks more than once how many units do you have per meal my reply it depends what I eat? She doesn't understand. It appears that no ward nurse has heard of Dafne (again look it up I had too) and they also don't understand how a pump works I don't blame the nurses times change and medical equipment and understanding changes but for saying how many diabetics there are theres still not enough support in hospitals or understanding of the methods used.

Insulin pump facts

Whenever a new patient wants to go on an insulin pump there always told to go and speak to someone who is already on one and have had it a while. The first few things I say are crucial not because I want to put them off but because they need to be prepared for all those awkward embarrassing moments. So this is what I tell them for the first few weeks at least and probably for the rest of there lives you will do all of these.

1. Watch for door handles they are lethal there great for grabbing you at every oppotunity
2. If your pump is attached to your trousers when you go to the toilet never just drop your trousers it will do the lethat and painful bungee cord affect (and it hurts)
3. Never put your ear phones and pump in the same pocket unless you want spaghetti junction
4. Night times are always good fun mine loves getting ravelled up sometimes it even ties me up, it likes to dig into every bone possible just to let you know there still there
4. Awkward timing you can always predict it going off in the quietest of moments like meetings or in a queue ect but just don't giggle when it vibrates specially if  it's in the same place of mine ssh!!
5. They are very demanding drama queens the battery will always need changing in the middle of the night, your reservoir will never need changing the same time your cannula is due and if you end up ripping it out in the middle of the night (like me) then there's nothing worse then having to puncture another needle into you specially at 3am
6. Bedtime antics (wink,wink) you can find that one out for yourself.......