New to diabetes and to forums

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sally43

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Hi. My son, 26 and still living at home, has just be diagnosed as a diabetic. Went off to docs feeling generally unwell and was sent for a blood test. That was a drama in itself as he has a bad needle phobia. However, all went well but we had a call from the doc at 9.30 that evening to get to A&E immediately. His sugar level was 26. Whatever that means. He was allowed home at 1.30am when it had come down to 17, feeling like a pincushion and thoroughly confused and worried. They said that they were not sure if he was a type 1 or type 2 diabetic as he presented symptoms from both! They told him they will make an emergency appointment with an endocrinologist - apologies if that is not the correct term - but to go home and to lay off sugar. That all happened on Wednesday night/Thursday morning and now it's Saturday and we don't know where to turn for advice.

We are keen to help our son but don't really know where to turn. The first thing anyone needs to know is if he is type 1 or 2. Obviously we don't know yet so the imaginations are running riot here!

I came across this forum and thought you guys seemed friendly and helpful. So can anyone give us any ideas on what to do now please? Thank you.
 
Hi Sally, I'm fairly new too and type 2 so don't feel it right to advise in detail, but sorry you find yourself in this predicament. Just thought I would welcome you.🙂

Some of the experienced guys will be along for sure to offer support, in the mean time have a read of the other posts for newbies for some general links and advice, and keep checking back here and dont panic Sally, it is very confusing at first but you will sort it all out before too long, in the meantime, try and relax a little and see what you find on the forum.
 
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Thank you for the welcome - and the advice! It is frustrating wanting to do something and not knowing where to begin. We keep trying to analyse the situation. But we are keeping our sense of humour.... yesterday David ended up with the chicken 'wish bone'. I heard him mumbling 'type 2, type 2, type 2' as he made his wish! Needle phobia 1, diabetes 0.
 
Hi Sally, How awful for you. I hope your son is feeling better. Did the hospital give you a meter so your son can check his blood glucose? What did they do at the hospital to get his levels down?

Your son doesn't need to avoid sugar but he needs to reduce the amount of carbohydrate he eats (this is sugars and food the body turns into sugar such as rice, pasta, bread and potatoes) and drink lots of sugar free drinks. Hopefully this will keep his sugar (blood glucose) at a more reasonable level. Non-diabetics rarely have a blood glucose reading above 8 so 17 and 26 are high readings.

Make sure you chase up the endo appointment on Monday and maybe make an appointment with your GP in case the endo appointment is a few days away.

Hope this helps. Good luck.
 
Hello Sally and welcome to the forums.

It must all be very stressful for you at the moment - hot having a proper diagnosis and worrying about his phobia.

The good news if he is Type 1 that there are other type 1s who post here, who have needle phobias and have slowly overcome it. If you aske to see a pen needle he may feel better - the needles are really tiny and probably not what he is expecting. There are also many people with type 2 who end up inhecting insulin.

Hopefully he will get a diagnosis this week - has he been given any medications to help him in the short term ?

Keep an eye on him - if his breath smells of pear drops, if he starts vomiting, seems confused or is having trouble breathing get him to a Dr straight away.
 
Hi Sally. Welcome 🙂

As PGCity says, carbs are the thing to keep to a minimum until you can get some medical attention. I'm amazed they didn't admit him until his BGs were down to below 10 at least.

If he show any signs of becoming confused or feeling nauseous, don't hesitate to get him back to A&E. And get him to drink plenty of fluids to compensate for the increase in fluid loss due to high blood glucose.

Other than restricting carb intake, there's not much more you can do without any advice, meds or a BG meter.

Normal human blood glucose varies between about 4 and 5 (mmol/l) before a meal and then peaks in the 6s or about 7 before dropping again. As a diabetic, there is a little leeway in the control but below 10 is preferable.

Rob
 
Thank you all for your help. I am feeling better about this already. David was just put in a room and they just monitored his blood pressure and oxygen levels, then came back every now and then to stab his finger for more blood! He was then sent home. He was given nothing, although they did say to go back to the hospital if he felt really ill!

As I said before though, the family have not lost their sense of humour so we are all busy ribbing him about not being able to have a beer (not that he drinks very often) or his favourite pasta bake. Even the topic of needles has been mentioned. His phobia is so bad he had hypnotherapy for it as a teenager - which was amazing and helped so, so much. Ironic that now he may have to deal with it every day! 🙂
 
Hi Sally
I'm glad your feeling better. I know you are only teasing your son but he will be able to eat and drink normally once he is diagnosed and is getting the correct treatment. I am type one and eat a healthy balanced diet that includes the most important things, chocolate and jack daniels.

The needle phobia must be a worry. It took me 3 days to get the nerve to inject myself but it really is easy and painless once you get the hang of it.
 
I am confident we can crack this when we know exactly what is wrong! It just doesn't help being in the 'grey area'. I look forward to just getting it sorted - soon!
 
Sally hi and a warm welcome to the forum from me
 
Thank you all so much for your support and advice. Better get surfing for info.

I will let you know how we get on. 🙂
 
Hope your son gets an appointment with diabetes team / endocrinologist next week. In the meantime, laying off sugar and carbohydrates in general is definitely the right strategy. When young adults get diabetes, the onset is often much slower than in younger children, and there is often confusion about diagnosis of type and getting onto right treatment.

I was 30 years old at diagnosis (in New Zealand) By the time I got back to UK, several months later, a wise GP said to me - "don't be too surprised if you end up on insulin, as most young people do".

Took me a while to adjust to life, not least because of impact on things like driving minibuses & vans, professional SCUBA diving, working in Antarctica, serving in TA etc (all of which affected me), but I have found other ways to keep myself entertained / employed eg leader on a youth / science expedition to Chile, Falklands & South Georgia; competing in and marshalling on adventure races, mountain marathons, triathlons; gaining MSc (after BSc Marine Biology lost much of its value etc.

Not sure how much of that applies to yoru son, but the point is that there are wasy round most issues 🙂
 
Hi Sally

I'm a bit puzzled about what was going on in that Hospital - did they only take blood from his finger? - in other words no 'proper' blood test taken from arm? Can't understand what was going on and why they did nothing to bring down those blood sugar levels?

I think they think he is Type 2 but surprised they have made assumptions like that. Not fair on him or the rest of the family.

Only advice I can give (apart from keeping that sense of humour:D) is don't be afraid to push for appointments and pester til you get answers - make a nuisance of yourself it gets more done!

Good Luck to you and your Son
 
Hi Sally and welcome from another Mum.

My son too had a massive needle phobia (following an awful incident with a pre-school jab done by an inexperienced nurse when he was 4 1/2) but when faced with this just over a year ago, the first time he was due to have an insulin injection they showed him the needle (tiny 4mm long and so fine) they said they could inject him, but as he would have to do it himself for the rest of his life it would be better if he just got on with it, and as it was to be in his tummy I think he just felt more comfortable doing it himself. So, from day one, injection one, he did it himself (he was almost 16). We were amazed, and so proud of him.

This is the same boy who sobbed when having to have blood taken and that was done with the numbing cream.

I have to say, and I know I sound mad, but on the advice from another Mum I actually put a needle in my own belly, and I agree with my son, the finger pricking is FAR more painful than the pen needle - honest.

Fingers crossed for your son it doesn't come to that, but he may well amaze both himself and you if he has to deal with it.

As everyone has said though, any deterioration in his condition, and get him back to A&E quickly. I too find it amazing they haven't actually diagnosed it whilst he was there. My son went in between Christmas and New Year with a figure very similar to your son's and was immediately put on insulin. Well, an hour or two after taking blood, so I presume the results were back quickly, despite the time of year. So if they could do it then, I don't see why they can't now. Mad!
 
Hi All. On questioning my son further to try to get more info about the hospital visit I have gleaned a little more information. He is severely dyslexic so relating information is difficult for him. I was unable to go with him as I was not well, although my husband was with him but he's out at the moment. It seems that they did take another full sample of blood. He has the bruise to prove it. They had taken the original one at about lunch time and the second one was done about 10pm. It seems the insulin levels were very low - he thinks - and the glucose levels were very high (26). They did a urine test. They gave him a cup of tea! He doesn't take sugar. Then they just pricked his finger regularly. When the levels reached 17 they said he could go home. I feel that if it was really bad they wouldn't have let him out or would have sent him with a letter for the GP or medication or something.:confused: I realise that it may be difficult for them to decide which type when they are getting confliction symptoms. My son is a big guy; 6'2" and weighs 15 stone, so is a little over weight. He eats well and walks several miles a day (at a brisk pace!) which is good exercise. All in all I am frustrated at the wait for information from the medical fraternity.

We are discussing the possibility of needles. I think it helps him knowing he isn't alone with his fear. Since the hypnotherapy, as a 14 year old, he has made fantastic progress. The thought of trying to hold down a 6' 16 year old to have a vaccination at school was not amusing! So self help was essential.

I am still looking at the sites to try to decide what we are having to eat over the next few days. I am paranoid I may make things worse for him by dishing up the wrong food. Perhaps I should log myself in as 'neurotic mother'!
 
You're not neurotic, just a normal caring mum like the rest of us! How does your son seem now? Is he drinking loads/peeing loads? They can tell what type he has from a simple blood test, as long as they look for the right things. It is as easy as that, they just need to have done it and ordered the right tests. Then, and only then, will they know how best to go on and treat him.

As a consellation, my son was unwell for quite some time before we finally got him to agree to see a doctor, but it did escalate in the last few days before diagnosis. In those last few weeks he kept on eating the same as normal, it was just the drinking and visiting the loo that became ridiculously frequent. Has your son lost a lot of weight in the very recent past? Another indication of type 1 if the weight loss has been rapid and dramatic.
 
My son is, naturally, worried. Physically he seems about the same, so not too bad, thank you. He is still drinking loads of tea and water, but he always has drunk lots of water. He has a urinary problem that requires him to keep his system flushed, so to speak. All this started with me, in desparation, sending him to the doc because he was complaining of aches and pains and always sleeping. If your aren't well; go to see the doctor! I told him to stop staying up late at night so he didn't sleep during the day. Very sympathetic!But he was sleeping at night and during the day! He was always thirsty and needing the odd fizzy drink. He generally doesn't drink much fizzy stuff. The doc diagnosed stomach troubles and gave him antacids and laxatives. So he drank loads of fruit juice, ate fruit to help, as we thought- all of which, I guess, didn't help at all. The doc then sent him for the blood test. I think my son has lost a little weight recently. Probably about half a stone, but when you're big anyway it's not see easy to notice.

We are sat here watching the cooking channel.....talk about torture :D
 
If you are worried about food until you have diagnosis keep him away from the carbs as much as possible - this may be very hard if he had a big appetite 😉

So Meat and fish - no coatings batter, breadcrumbs etc, preferable no sauces. Not sausages, unless they are really good quality (ie v meaty).

As much cheese as he can eat. Eggs.Most vegetables are OK (most do have a few carbs in but for your purposes they will be OK)

'sugar free' anything usually OK (don't buy special diabetic things IMO)

Steer clear of (for now, not permanently, and a little now OK too)

Potato, rice, pasta, bread, pastry, large portions of fruit, sweets Choc and cake. Sugary drinks

Not forever but if you are trying to be 'good' til he gets his diagnosis the above is what I would recommend (given the proviso that I'm no doctor, of course:D)

From what you say I'm guessing they think T2 because of age and (forgive me) size. They shouldn't be jumping to that conclusion - if you can advise him to drink lots of sugar free liquids to help flush out any high sugars, and keep an eye out for symptoms above.

Sure you will be fine, you are bound to be worried, we all go through it🙂
 
Thank you so much for that advice! That has made him feel better, he says. :D He has a healthy appetite and eats just about anything so more veg and less carbs shouldn't be too much of a problem. I think it's just getting into the correct frame of mind.
 
Portion size will help at this stage Sally, cut down on the main carbs like potatoes if you dont want to cut them out and this will help his BS to come down slowly too,also I fill up on broccoli and caulli, and try to keep to small slice of wholemeal bread, definitely not white bread.

Breakfast was a problem for me, as I was more sensitive to carbs then, a common situation, so maybe ham and eggs for breakfast, or some bacon, very tasty. I couldn't have cereal or toast, but now can manage a slice of Burgen Soya and Linseed bread, with some ham.🙂
 
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