DKA aftermath

[Manicarrie]

Hi guys I recently got admitted with DKA for the second time since my diagnosis (first was 4 years ago lack of knowledge about sick day care as was fairly newly diagnosed, this time was a combination of poor control added to a kidney infection). The first time it took me about 3 weeks to feel 'right' again but that was mainly just pure exhaustion. This time, 6 weeks on I'm feeling all sorts of aches and pains in muscles and joints, almost like starting the flu. Exercise isn't helping, nor is rest. I've also got really itchy skin but no rashes. I'm only 36, and it's been since coming home from hospital. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I'm wondering if the DKA has done more damage this time, is that even possible? Or maybe my body got used to high BG and is not used to this. Im still not 100% back on track but i am having more in range tham high. I'm off to the GP about it tomorrow but would be nice to know if anyone else has been there.

 

[Dollypolly]

I'm not T1 but are you eating and drinking normally. Sod the exercise rest as you can and get answers from the gp tomorrow

I only get itchy if too high myself.

Remember if poorly follow the ill day guidelines for T1s

Hope you are better soon

 

[grovesy]

Welcome.

 

[Manicarrie]

I'm not T1 but are you eating and drinking normally. Sod the exercise rest as you can and get answers from the gp tomorrow

I only get itchy if too high myself.

Remember if poorly follow the ill day guidelines for T1s

Hope you are better soon

Hi, and thanks, I'm eating and drinking normally now, the itching has been since out of hospital and BG down from what it has been for months, that was high teens now I'm low teens to mid single digits. I read on another post could be nerve endings settling down to normal, so thought would ask x

 

[Dollypolly]

Hope you get answers then.
Let us know how you get on too
Oh and welcome to the forum to.

 

[trophywench]

Well it is true that healing nerves can tingle but they;d have to be damaged first (normally done by far too high BG for far too long) to start to recover - had they actually discovered, or had you noticed, nerve damage then?

If it were me (without nerve damage as far as I know) I'd want to know if it was a) something I'd picked up in hospital (bloody unhealthy places, hospitals - full of sick people all breathing in and out!) b) anything the kidney probs might cause and c) anything the different drugs or the drips I was on, could cause?

But - DKA is extremely traumatic for the body and not a thing that one recovers from quickly - but I would have thought 6 weeks would be enough to see some improvement. You don't happen to be on any other drugs do you? - particularly thinking of statins, notorious for muscle probs, here but I daresay other things cause side effects sometimes too ! (I know too well some of em do!)

 

[Manicarrie]

Well it is true that healing nerves can tingle but they;d have to be damaged first (normally done by far too high BG for far too long) to start to recover - had they actually discovered, or had you noticed, nerve damage then?

If it were me (without nerve damage as far as I know) I'd want to know if it was a) something I'd picked up in hospital (bloody unhealthy places, hospitals - full of sick people all breathing in and out!) b) anything the kidney probs might cause and c) anything the different drugs or the drips I was on, could cause?

But - DKA is extremely traumatic for the body and not a thing that one recovers from quickly - but I would have thought 6 weeks would be enough to see some improvement. You don't happen to be on any other drugs do you? - particularly thinking of statins, notorious for muscle probs, here but I daresay other things cause side effects sometimes too ! (I know too well some of em do!)

I am ashamed to admit I've had a few months of being in denial about my diabetes, my son is autistic and my husband was diagnosed with anxiety so I've let my bad habits creep back and concentrated on them . Drip wise was just saline and insulin, they couldn't get a sample to be sure that it was kidney infection but they thought my symptoms were (it sure felt like ones I've had before, I was prone to them years before diagnosis). I would have thought 6 weeks was enough too as I have been hospitalised with DKA before not long after diagnosis and I wasn't yet aware of sick day rules, the actual DKA symptoms were different then (rapid heart, short of breath, this time I just collapsed) and that took only 3 weeks to recover from the tiredness I had no other after symptoms. I've managed to get an appointment with GP for later so will see what they say, I'll keep you posted. I guess I was feeling more alone with it all last night when I posted and wondered if anyone else had been in the same boat x

 

[Manicarrie]

Oh and I'm on nothing else from the insulin apart from the odd painkiller here and there for general headaches and coughs and colds.

 

[Manicarrie]

Well it's looking like anxiety at the moment I've been ordered off for blood tests and she noted my heart rate was on the high side so I have to go back for an ECG and general look over next week when results are back

 

[Dollypolly]

At least they are looking at the problem and the raise heart rate will be raising the blood sugars
Now you need a kick up the arse and need to get yourself well for you and the family.
Is your lad non verbal can you get respite for him at all or is he at school during the day.
Is your husband anxiety maybe caused by the dx of both you and the lad just saying. I was dx years ago with it and it was because of 2 of my lads being Autistic but they are talkers and then some. Both now adults and still talkers think of the ad for the batteries.
I know us women want to look after folks but there is a time we have to just say no more and take care of us.
Take 5 minutes and recharge even in a locked loo been there done that
If struggling talk to someone a trusted friend or even on here someone is always around usually.
Keep us posted now.

 

[trophywench]

@Dollypolly - I've given you a like for that post - but 'helpful' or 'informative' or 'empathetic' would be better words to use.

Just - thank you !

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

I felt really unwell for a couple of months following my DKA when I was diagnosed. I totally get how you feel, I have twins who were diagnosed with high functioning autism a week after I came out of hospital after diagnosis.
It's very stressful caring for them, one is incontinent and both can present with challenging behaviour, however, this has got a lot better since I deregistered them from school and now home educate them, a challenge in itself but my sugar levels are better as the stress of trying to get them to school and the epic meltdowns and high anxiety have ceased. Because they are happier so am I and so is my body 🙂
Raising disabled children can be very lonely and isolating, I've found these helpful:
www.autism.org.uk
www.familyvoice.org.uk
http://www.cafamily.org.uk
Take care an I hope you feel better soon x

 

[Manicarrie]

At least they are looking at the problem and the raise heart rate will be raising the blood sugars
Now you need a kick up the arse and need to get yourself well for you and the family.
Is your lad non verbal can you get respite for him at all or is he at school during the day.
Is your husband anxiety maybe caused by the dx of both you and the lad just saying. I was dx years ago with it and it was because of 2 of my lads being Autistic but they are talkers and then some. Both now adults and still talkers think of the ad for the batteries.
I know us women want to look after folks but there is a time we have to just say no more and take care of us.
Take 5 minutes and recharge even in a locked loo been there done that
If struggling talk to someone a trusted friend or even on here someone is always around usually.
Keep us posted now.

Thank you so much for that, as you know sometimes having a SN kid is lonely in itself as regular activities aren't always an option, and then the diabetes is another thing people just don't get lol. My son is verbal, very verbal lol. I don't have respite as in himself he's actually very easy to have around, he's not tearing the place up like his mainstream cousins do, he's happy to just sit and play games. He is in full time school too so I cherish the time I have with him. What I find hardest dealing with him is the fixed routines (i forgot his school bag one morning, we were nearly at school and yes I had to go back) and the sheer amount of appointments as apart from the autism he has a fair few other issues such as overgrowth, developmental delays etc.
The husband is a different kettle of fish, he was diagnosed in October which is when I started falling off the wagon. His anxiety is mainly caused by his job, he works in a call centre, though most of his family suffer from it as well, including his mum and sister.
The hospital admission was a kick up the arse I needed, I actually collapsed in my sons school at home time which was kind of embarrassing, but at least his teachers all know I'm diabetic now 🙂
I'm keeping tabs on my heart with my phone app, I know it's not for medical but at least I'll have something to go back to Dr's with, see if there is any pattern to the highs and lows. At the appointment itself I had had a major stress over trying to park, I'd left 35 mins before (gp is 5 mins away) and ended up with only 5 mins to spare. But it has been high since. Since I came home I have been trying to put myself first more as you say us women look after the others, and being the only driver, I'm the only one that can go shopping (yes I drag hubby but sometimes that is more stressful, and he costs me more than the child), pick them up from school and work etc etc.
I guess I've just been feeling a right Debbie Downer the past few days, but now I know things are being monitored I feel happier. Now to recognise between anxiety symptoms and hypo symptoms I've nearly missed a couple of hypos if it hadn't been for regular testing x

 

[Manicarrie]

I felt really unwell for a couple of months following my DKA when I was diagnosed. I totally get how you feel, I have twins who were diagnosed with high functioning autism a week after I came out of hospital after diagnosis.
It's very stressful caring for them, one is incontinent and both can present with challenging behaviour, however, this has got a lot better since I deregistered them from school and now home educate them, a challenge in itself but my sugar levels are better as the stress of trying to get them to school and the epic meltdowns and high anxiety have ceased. Because they are happier so am I and so is my body 🙂
Raising disabled children can be very lonely and isolating, I've found these helpful:
www.autism.org.uk
www.familyvoice.org.uk
http://www.cafamily.org.uk
Take care an I hope you feel better soon x

Thank you so much as you say it can be isolating, even though he's in a special unit in mainstream schools the mainstream parents don't bother much with us SN parents. But I have an awesome friend whose son is in my sons class and the kids are as good friends as we are so I'm lucky there. Thanks for the links, I don't know if you know but there are a couple of fab pages on Facebook, one about parents with kids on DLA sharing experiences much the same as this forum and one for family days out sharing advice on places to go, discount and queue jump options etc, I've found this page particularly useful x

 

[Dollypolly]

You keep talking @Manicarrie get it all out I know this is a club no one wants to join but join we have.
It's good to talk even when we are crapping our panties at the same time.
Thanks @trophywench I'm not a wishy washy kind of gal and if you need a kick in the arse I'm your gal.
I was in denial too but I took the bull by the horns after new year there. I want to avoid medication for as long as I can. I want respect from the nurse I see and the doctor too and not brushed off as an inconvenience either.

Appointments are hard at times and if 5 minutes away walk to it less stress over parking and make them when son is in school even less stress in theory. State at the hospital too that you can only do appointments at certain times too.
Now for husband can he change his job or is he stuck the now. Can he not get the bus sometimes or is that not cost effective in the long run. I don't take the hubby shopping as he buys c**p lol!!!! I go in with list and out again. He loves to browse a lot. He does the butcher run though which I leave him to it as he loves a blether bless him.

 

[Manicarrie]

Lol when it comes to walking there it's over a mile which seems horrendous with these aches and pains but 5 mins by car. Next time I will leave even earlier and park in the residential area and have a leisurely stroll (the surgery is in a business area hence problems parking). I do try and schedule when times are best there are just a lot of appointments and they all seem to bunch in the same 2 or 3 weeks. To be honest buses for hubby are neither cost nor time effective, especially on an 8pm finish, I don't actually mind though as I don't work. It's more logistics when I can't do it if that makes sense. To be fair his work have been amazing with helping him, extra breaks, equipment etc, and his meds are working. And as of next week when my weekly money goes in the bank rather than post office I will be doing click and collect shopping, it's easier to keep track when the total is on the side of a screen 🙂 and no trolley rage either hee Hee
Now for a massive problem...... euro vision or britains got talent??

 

[Amberzak]

Hi.

A few things. Firstly, non diabetes related. I'm autistic. I'm a female though so it's slightly different, but I'm high functioning, very verbal, like your son. So if ever you want to talk about the autism I'm always here 🙂

Secondly I've had DKA twice, once when I was diagnosed and once when I went through a severe depression after seeing a traumatic event and didn't look after myself. It took ages to recover. Mainly because my body had been so busy fighting the high sugars that my immune system was rubbish. I got every bug going.

But I also got anxious about controlling my sugars. And I always get really itchy when I'm stressed and anxious. No rashes. Just itchy.

I also remember when being diagnosed. I'd been high for so long, it took me ages to feel better. I got a lot of false hypos too, as my body had been used to high sugars for so long. i went through a stage where I didn't look after myself. Injected but never tested. In my early 20's. Had high sugars then. And when I got them under control again I had the same thing. So that could also be a contributor.

Don't be so hard on yourself. You have had a wake up call, you've realised you need to look after yourself. Now look forward at doing so. Don't look back. Don't feel guilty about not looking after yourself in the past and being in denial. That happened. You can't change the past. But you can act in the present.

I think it's common for people to go through a phase where they want to ignore their diabetes and don't give it the care it needs. It's got a name for it. Diabetes fatigue. but you've taken a very crucial step. 🙂