dreadful ketones, hospital...

Status
Not open for further replies.
Just reading this thred now and so glad that E is back home and better very quickly. I'm sure he'll pick himself up and get back on with things. Well done to you and dad your quick action and decision making prevented DKA. Hope the whole family has a restful day.

Thanks to katie and AM, this is why I love this forum
 
Thanks all -- everyone but me sleeping now! Ack.

I think what was most shocking was how unwell he felt. Even when he was high over Easter on MDI, lots of high teens and 20s then -- he *never* felt like he did last night. Suspect this is because he always had background insulin then...

We've learned that numbers that high (went as high as 27!) mean only one thing: no insulin going in. Some of what we felt nervous about was gee we've just given him four units, how can we give him five more? What if he completely crashes? But we have to assume that no change (in fact, a small rise) over 45 mins or an hour indicates no insulin. We needed to pull the plug and inject/change set right then.

In fact we *did* inject right then: 5 units. Then when he began to come down, re-connected in new set for basal to stabilise, and under-corrected a little when he was at 16. SO actually everything was 'right' when it came to the amount of insulin once delivery was cleared: only 2 units more needed than the numbers said, and this is to be expected with resistance.

Anyway. Phew. I'm still racing a bit, you can tell. So much to think through now. We've always taken a pen away with us for weekends and things, and on holiday, but not for a day trip, for instance. This needs to be done!
 
Someone sent me a youtube video about canulas kinking. It was an american site and the chap said to put the sets in the fridge - makes them cold and therefore less likely to bend apparently!🙂

So glad your all feeling back to normal again. You must have felt desperate. Now go and get some sleep or try to relax!🙂Bev x
 
Hi Patricia, I have to confess that i dont - mostly because i forgot all about it! I think we need to ask Adrienne - she's the expert on this sort of thing!:DBev
 
Hi Patricia,

Im really sorry I missed al this last night, I was about as well. I m glad almost though to read to the end and see things are ok now (even though I am sure you are very exhausted).

Perhaps sometime later on when the dust settles, someone can do a little explanation on the thread for me about this 'de-gassing' sets. I must confess I havent a clue.

I am so sorry to hear of this happening and we will talk more soon. In the mean time, love to all you and yours and take it easy.

Lots of love and hugs, Lou xxx
 
Sugarbum said:
Hi Patricia,

Im really sorry I missed al this last night, I was about as well. I m glad almost though to read to the end and see things are ok now (even though I am sure you are very exhausted).

Perhaps sometime later on when the dust settles, someone can do a little explanation on the thread for me about this 'de-gassing' sets. I must confess I havent a clue.

I am so sorry to hear of this happening and we will talk more soon. In the mean time, love to all you and yours and take it easy.

Lots of love and hugs, Lou xxx
Click to expand...

Hi Lou here's the degassing explained on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwbelFCNGz4

Patricia, i have only just caught up with the thread 😱 How are things now??

We had a bent cannula on the first night of pumping 😱 Rose's levels were high in 20s but as the basals had been readjusted we didn't know if it was this as she had no ketones. However, through the night her levels did not shift despite corrections and ketones finally appeared after 12 hours - up to 2.6 We corrected by pen and changed the set (it was a batispm of fire to the pump!!) and the cannula was bent and like you said it was like a scratch mark where it had gone in.

Like Bev, have heard about the sets being put in the fridge. Someone on CWD does it i'm sure, that might help?

I hope things are improving. I know it was the cannula but sometimes bugs do happen and there is nothing but a hopsital stay will do. Rose was in at the end of Easter due to a stomach bug, we can normally cope at home but this one was awful. We couldn't get her above 4 for a few hours and anything sugary was coming straight back up. She was on an insulin and glucose drip all night. It really hits then how you hate diabetes......I 'tortured/ myself with what i could have done, but in reality there was nothing i could have done.

E is a brave boy, blood gases are horrible and those stay with me more at Rose's diagnosis and her screams than her first injection. So, well done E 🙂

Hugs
 
bev said:
Hi Patricia, I have to confess that i dont - mostly because i forgot all about it! I think we need to ask Adrienne - she's the expert on this sort of thing!:DBev
Click to expand...

Hiya

Can only say the same as Becca I'm afraid. I have emailed the other group, which you will see Patricia and Bev, as I know someone does but don't know what effect it has.

We have been pumping for almost three years now and have never had a bent canula in all that time and we do not keep them in the fridge.
 
So glad E is fine now 🙂 I hope your daughter feels ok about it all when she wake up too!

Glad we were of some help last night :D I think it's time for you to get some sleep now too hehe xx
 
Thank you Becca and Adrienne -- okay I'll check the email group and see what comes up there. Good idea.

I'm very relieved that this isn't something that happens all the time! I know it sounds daft, but I was sort of preparing myself for high alert.

I'm also relieved to know someone else it's happened to! Though sorry it happened Becca; I can't *imagine* the confusion and awfulness of the FIRST NIGHT. Sheesh.

I take your point Becca about sometimes a hospital stay is just necessary. I guess I've just been blithely going along thinking we are working so hard, all is well, we understand it...And have been completely ignoring the possibility that sometimes stuff happens. It's like an extension of the denial I felt at diagnosis: firstly, I thought, maybe they're wrong. Secondly, I thought we could protect him from all hypos and swings. I actually *asked* the dietician if he was certain to have hypos. She looked at me rather pityingly...All denial. And having to go into hospital is from the same place: if we're careful, it won't happen.

Wrong.
 
Patricia said:
...And having to go into hospital is from the same place: if we're careful, it won't happen.

Wrong.
Click to expand...

Bu thanks to your knowledge and dedication, those occasions will be far, far fewer than they might otherwise be. I do wonder sometimes what happens in families where understanding and support is lacking, for whatever reason.

I, too, remember talking to a friend about what number to put on my emergency card. I was asking her as my family live too far away, but told her 'I can't imagine it ever happening, because I know what I'm doing...'

Since then I've had maybe one really scary hypo that really did panic me and taught me that I'm not invincible.
 
We cross-posted Katie: thank you so much! Everyone awake now and quite cheerful. Except that cat seems to have killed tiny baby rabbit 😱 -- now in shoe box awaiting burial. Raining and pouring spring to mind...
 
Patricia said:
We cross-posted Katie: thank you so much! Everyone awake now and quite cheerful. Except that cat seems to have killed tiny baby rabbit 😱 -- now in shoe box awaiting burial. Raining and pouring spring to mind...
Click to expand...

Oh no :( Let's hope you don't have a ceremony like Karen from Outnumbered burying the mouse....

"dust to dust; for richer or for poorer; in sickness or in health; may the force be with you; because you're worth it; amen; and out"
 
Northerner said:
Bu thanks to your knowledge and dedication, those occasions will be far, far fewer than they might otherwise be. I do wonder sometimes what happens in families where understanding and support is lacking, for whatever reason.
Click to expand...

It is worrying isn't it. At our old hospital, a boy that had been diagnosed 2 years went into DKA and the parents didn't even know what that was....😱 they hadn't been told and blindly listened to everything the 'medical professionals' said...
 
Patricia said:
We cross-posted Katie: thank you so much! Everyone awake now and quite cheerful. Except that cat seems to have killed tiny baby rabbit 😱 -- now in shoe box awaiting burial. Raining and pouring spring to mind...
Click to expand...

Anytime xx

aww poor little rabbit! My cat used to be an assassin, but he hasn't bought anything in for years. We once found a baby rabbit hiding behind the freezer shaking :( we took him back outside but i'm sure he must have died from shock :(
 
And *we* cross-posted Northerner! Yes, you're right: we feel invincible because we feel we know what we are doing. That's why I think my cousin in the States (southern!) is right (he's a doctor as well) when he says that diabetes is a 'mean' one. I'm trying to think of a British equivalent...sort of 'unnecessarily unkind'. Nasty for nasty's sake. Diabetes doesn't seem to give us a break just for trying, as it were. No time off for good behaviour or good intentions...

I think Adrienne and Becca in particular have seen how people *don't* cope. We've seen some of this at clinic too. And I know of stories too where parents have been in the deepest denial, so children are nearly dying...It's pretty awful.

It's a hard road to tread, for everyone, regardless of what they know and don't know, believe or don't believe. There are harder of course, and I know we are all of us thankful for what we aren't having to contend with... But the old rug out from underneath you prank is...already getting old!
 
Patricia, I'm so glad to read that all is well today, after last night's panic.

xx
 
Crikey Patricia - I've only just caught up on all this! I'm glad everything worked out OK and that it's back to normal - ish and well done to you and the family for coping so well. Sometimes I dont realise how lucky how I am....
 
Hi Patricia

So glad all is ok now. What a relief!

I know how you feel though because we went through a similar experience a couple of weeks ago. We had a bent cannula (90 degrees). My son's blood went up to 24 and he had 2.4 ketones, headache and chest pains. Very frightening. We injected with pen and within 4 hours all was back to normal but it certainly shakes you up a bit. We spoke to the hospital but did not actually have to go.

We were advised to put cannula in fridge to stop the kinking and we always do this now. I think the cold stiffens them up so less likely to bend.

Well, I hope you are slowly getting over your experience and that you finally get some sleep.

I send you, E and your family a huge hug.

Take care xxx
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top