For those of you who have been diabetic long enough to have caught a
cold, virus or stomach bug, you will have realised that diabetes throws a
curve-ball into trying to stay well and get better.
For
non-diabetics, when they are sick or don't feel like eating, this
generally is not much of a problem as they can go a while without food,
as long as they're drinking and not dehydrated. However for T1D's it
isn't always that simple, particularly if we are vomiting before any of
the carbohydrates get into our system. Equally, if we are not absorbing
food or drinks properly this can have a detrimental affect and we may
find ourselves visiting A&E 😕 to be put on to a drip!
Last
week I started having a lot of kidney pain. Something I am used to
having due to a kidney issue, but not as severe as this was. After a few
visits to the doctors I booked another appointment as the tablets I had
been given were not working and I felt worse each day. I hoped they
would be able to give me something stronger if possible. What I wasn't
expecting was to be sent to hospital 😞 my blood pressure was elevated
due to the pain, and I was sick during my time with the doctor. I was
referred to hospital and was admitted onto a ward for over a week.
There
I had numerous scans and blood tests, but other than the operation
which they could not do, it was felt that pain management was the only
option they had.
Despite being discharged from the hospital, I am
still awaiting my operation. I am currently taking a concoction of
painkillers, antibiotics and anti-emetic tablets. While I wait for the
operation, I am trying to control my elevated BG's with the Temp Basal
function and to try and rest when the pain allows me to. Annoyingly my
BG's randomly drop so I am also having hypos which is keeping me on my
toes. Despite some of the Heath Care Professionals stating that pain
itself does not affect my BG's, through my BG monitor I was able to show
them it does have a great effect on them. When there is a surge of
pain, there is an obvious rise/ spike in my BG as the pain gets stronger
(and I'm sure it is at this point that the adrenaline kicks in) then
after a while, as the peak of the pain start to drop slightly, the
adrenaline wears off and my BG drops very quickly - from 14.3 to 3.4 in
just under an hour one day. This means I have to keep a monitor my BGs
very closely and frequently and to adjust the insulin with the pain
increases and decreases, despite never being out of moderate pain at the
moment 😕.
So what am I trying to say?!? Believe it or not, I'm
not after sympathy. I just want you to be aware of your own diabetes
patterns when you're ill or in pain as we all react differently and so
treatments should vary too. Equally, we may find that different
painkillers and antibiotics may have a range of effects on our BG's and
so it is essential that you monitor them closely and take note of the
impact they're having on you and your diabetes. Only you can tell the
health care professionals what you're feeling and what patterns you're
seeing with your diabetes...don't dismiss your own knowledge!!
Finally,
I would like to highlight that it can take us a little but longer to
recover so we need to have patience 🙈. We may not only be recovering
from an injury or virus, but also from the added issues with our
diabetes. This may result in us being on more or less insulin for a
while after we are 'healed' or 'no longer sick' as our bodies slowly
return to normal and our immune system recovers.
So for those of
you who may be feeling under the weather, please monitor your diabetes
even more than normal and do not avoid going to the doctors or A&E
if you're not improving after a few days or are having frequent hypos.
Equally, you need to be patient with your diabetes as it is unlikely to
stabilise until you are fully-well again. Lastly, remember that you know
what is 'normal' or 'not normal' for your diabetes, so share this vital
information when you see a Health Care Professional (HCP) as this may give
them a far better indication or diagnosis or treatments than a simple
examination. You know your own diabetes!!
So while I lie in bed and dose myself up, make sure you all keep injecting 💉 or pumping 📟 insulin!
Look after yourselves... 😊 x
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