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!

Crazy

You know when you spend to much time at the hospital when the doctor asks you are you here again? (Always I've moved in). After seeing the diabetic nurse which is always fun as she's not actually that much older than me but brilliant. My last hba1c was 15.1 in may (don't no what the average is in other countries but the UKs is between 4-7) I had my latest blood test last week and its come down to 10 OMG which is really good for how much shit I am dealing with at the moment. After the nurse I went to see my shrink who thought I looked really well? (I'm a good actor) who then said he would wheel me (still in a wheelchair) back to the main entrance what I wasent expecting was him to literally run down down the corridor pushing me! I was scared to death bearing in mind that my wheelchair likes to stop for no apparent reason I thought I was gonna be fired out of it. But luckily I wasent.

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.