Blog about diabetes

Hi. I meant to return to group earlier than today, but have been very ill since last Friday evening. Came on suddenly Friday between 7- 8 p.m. and was in er Saturday morning from just before 6 a.m. till few minutes after 11:00 a.m. They gave me two units of iv, shot and medication by mouth once they had me sip water for an hour to see if it would stay down. Would like to have admitted me, but Bill’s insurance is through where he works and the insurance company has chosen his plant to use for some pilot experimental insurance changes (none for the good), anyway due to the experimental changes the insurance company would not allow the doctors to admit me. I was sent home with prescription and told it would most likely run it’s course within 24 hours of me coming down sick. Wrong! Was still bad off Sunday and by Monday morning knew I was dehydrated too again. Luckily I was finally able to talk to my doctor (a guy I didn’t know was covering for all my doctors over the weekend)
and he sent me to the er again. Iv’s again, this time my blood work showed my electrolytes were starting to be effected, and they gave me several potassium tablets (thank goodness caught it in time to be able to take the tablets and not have to do it by iv or they would have had to sedate me to the point of being “out”). But my white count on Monday was better than Saturday so that was a good point. After another five hour stay and another refusal by the insurance company of being admitted, I was again sent home. With an additional prescription (to add to the one Saturday). Finally by Tuesday morning, things were staying where they were supposed to be, but I was so very exhausted and week from being so sick and no food since Friday. During that whole time I had a total of 4 saltine crackers, and not all at once. As for all my diabetic medicines; what a mess. The er doctor Saturday was all over the place about what he was going to do. First he was going to have the nurse give
me a 5 unit shot of regular insulin, then he was going to do no insulin at all, then he finally decided that when I got home I was to do a 10 unit shot of Lantus (my usual is 26 units of Lantus) and none of my oral meds. He also said to get 7-up and sip on that for sugar orally on my stomach so I would not go without any glucose. By Sunday I talked to the doctor on call (my diabetic specialist was being covered by the on call dr too) and that guy said to skip all diabetic meds, shot and oral. My regular doctor I talked to on Monday morning said to take my blood glucose reading and tell it to the er doctor and let the er staff handle my diabetic meds. They were as lost as the ones on Saturday and ended up sending me home with nothing. When I got home, my diabetic specialist was finally back and I called his office. It was Monday, 5:00 p.m. by then and last of any diabetic med I had was 10 units Saturday about noon. He had me immediately do a 10 unit injection, and do 14 units
a day until I could start eating food again. Once I started eating food, increase it back up to the 26 (slowly over the days, not all at one time) and after being up to the full 26 for two days, then add the oral meds. Today was my second day of 26 units, so tomorrow I add back the oral meds. Oh, for all the people I’ve talked with about loosing weight. I wouldn’t recommend it as a diet program, but my pants now fall off me. Don’t have a scales to weigh myself, but I guess I must have lost weight, do ya think???? I am eating, but it sure doesn’t take much to fill me up. Today for lunch I had a roll, and a piece of brocallli and piece of cauliflower and was full.

Hope you all have been ok.

Love and best wishes,

Sue