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fee75uk

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Type 1
My daughter is currently on holiday in the Caribbean. She was undergoing tests before her holiday and the doctor ensured her that she was ok to travel. She received this message yesterday. Please can you advise what she should do. I called NHS but they won’t advise due to data protection. Thanks. Message below:
I tried contacting you today regarding your latest sugar results and subsequent antibodies test. Your results indicate that you need to be reviewed in A&E as soon as possible. Please attend A&E immediately. If possible please attend Guys and St Thomas' A&E as I have discussed your case with them today. However, if you are unable to attend Guy's and St Thomas's A&E please attend a local A&E and explain your sugar (HbA1c) is high and you have raised GAD antibodies.
 
I know you'll be getting answers from the T1s here but just wanted to say that I hope things resolve OK. How long is your daughter in the Caribbean for? Could she get to a local hospital (having been sent her results on from the UK) if it really is that urgent?

Could she claim on her travel insurance if there is a cost involved?

I hope she is able to contact the UK NHS directly herself and get clear answers about what she needs to do at this moment, and how urgent it all is.

Only a thought, but I wonder if she's being told to go to A&E as a 'shortcut' into prompt treatment. As in, it is not 'actually' an emergency, only a gateway that the overstressed NHS has to increasingly resort to in these sorry times??

(I use the analogy of doctors increasingly using the 'Two Week Wait' pathway to get 'potential' cancer symptoms checked fast, because if they don't press that TWW button, it can take months of queuing. As in, it's not that they 'really' think it's cancer, but they want it checked faster than months and months.....)
 
Hi. A message like this indicates your daughter needs to be seen immediately. Please speak to your daughter and let her know about this message if you have not already. This is not something that can wait- she needs to be seen as a priority.
 
Thanks Calista. She is due home Thursday and she has insurance. She is unsure if she should go to hospital in the Caribbean as doesn’t know how reliable. She is feeling absolutely fine, no symptoms or anything unusual going on. She called St Guys Diabetes clinic yesterday and they were closed.
 
Saoirse said:
Hi. A message like this indicates your daughter needs to be seen immediately. Please speak to your daughter and let her know about this message if you have not already. This is not something that can wait- she needs to be seen as a priority.
Click to expand...
Thank you Saoirse. I will contact her just now and let her know.
 
I suspect that her GP is concerned that she may be at risk of diabetic ketoacidosis @fee75uk - and suspects type 1 and need for insulin. It may be that if she goes to a hospital on the Caribbean island where she is that they will just check for ketones and if ok advise her to be seen on return to UK. But if she has ketones then she may need urgent treatment.
 
fee75uk said:
She is due home Thursday and she has insurance. She is unsure if she should go to hospital in the Caribbean as doesn’t know how reliable. S
Click to expand...
Based on the message that you have been sent I think that she needs to go to the equivalent of A&E urgently, even if only to get tested for ketones which can be very dangerous and develop very quickly. This is not something that can wait until next Thursday. As the message says she needs to attend an A&E urgently. Please call your daughte.
 
SB2015 said:
Based on the message that you have been sent I think that she needs to go to the equivalent of A&E urgently, even if only to get tested for ketones which can be very dangerous and develop very quickly. This is not something that can wait until next Thursday. As the message says she needs to attend an A&E urgently. Please call your daughte.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your help, it’s much appreciated.
 
SB2015 said:
Based on the message that you have been sent I think that she needs to go to the equivalent of A&E urgently, even if only to get tested for ketones which can be very dangerous and develop very quickly. This is not something that can wait until next Thursday. As the message says she needs to attend an A&E urgently. Please call your daughte.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your help, it’s much appreciated.
42istheanswer said:
I suspect that her GP is concerned that she may be at risk of diabetic ketoacidosis @fee75uk - and suspects type 1 and need for insulin. It may be that if she goes to a hospital on the Caribbean island where she is that they will just check for ketones and if ok advise her to be seen on return to UK. But if she has ketones then she may need urgent treatment.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your help, it’s much appreciated.
 
Callista said:
I know you'll be getting answers from the T1s here but just wanted to say that I hope things resolve OK. How long is your daughter in the Caribbean for? Could she get to a local hospital (having been sent her results on from the UK) if it really is that urgent?

Could she claim on her travel insurance if there is a cost involved?

I hope she is able to contact the UK NHS directly herself and get clear answers about what she needs to do at this moment, and how urgent it all is.

Only a thought, but I wonder if she's being told to go to A&E as a 'shortcut' into prompt treatment. As in, it is not 'actually' an emergency, only a gateway that the overstressed NHS has to increasingly resort to in these sorry times??

(I use the analogy of doctors increasingly using the 'Two Week Wait' pathway to get 'potential' cancer symptoms checked fast, because if they don't press that TWW button, it can take months of queuing. As in, it's not that they 'really' think it's cancer, but they want it checked faster than months and months.....)
Click to expand...
Thank you for your help, it’s much appreciated.
 
Sorry to hear about your daughter @fee75uk

Unfortunately @Callista - undiagnosed T1 can quickly develop into an emergency situation, so I think it would be wise to seek urgent medical attention to be assessed, even if it disrupts her holiday :(

Hope everything works out OK for her. Let us know how things go.
 
Only the T1s here will know!

I hope the daughter can be seen locally and swiftly, and head off any emergency before tackling the long-haul flight home. Not many places to make an emergency landing midway across the Atlantic alas. The Azores, perhaps??
 
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