Back to Normal
Well, the inevitable happened- had an ER visit this past Monday. It was back to business as usual for me – sugar spiked for no apparent reason, I did bolus, waited, rechecked – still high. We’re talking 400s high. Which means we’re also talking “I-feel-like-I’m-about-to-fall-over high” since (thankfully!) I hadn’t been like that in a while.
So right off the bat, I was thankful I was no longer used to that feeling and I was mad because… well – it was completely kicking my booty!!!
Off to the ER I went. Now. Keep in mind that I’ve basically been pregnant for the past two years and so every time I’ve had to go to the dr or the hospital I’ve been treated … well.
It was back to normal now though that my big ol belly was gone!
First doctor who came in to see me did the usual questions, asked about my basil rates, what did I eat, did I show any signs of infection, blah, blah, blah. They did some blood work and gave me a bag of fluids.
Theeeeenn, that second dr came in and I got smacked in the face with the harsh reality that I had become used to… but recently had been spoiled by not having…
”So! Are you not taking your insulin or what?”
Reeeaaally? C’mon man. I’ve said it before and I’ve said it again – WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I WANT TO FEEL LIKE THIS?!
I refrained from answering with some smart-ass reply and instead took a deep breath and explained how I was on the Omnipod, I changed the pump, changed the site, changed the insulin vial even and still couldn’t been the sugars down. She stared at me blankly.
Uhhh… I wasn’t sure what to do so I then proceeded to take her up on her staring contest…
I won.
She finally broke the silence (and obvious awkwardness) by telling me, “That’s weird. We’ve had 4 other diabetics in this afternoon saying the same thing”.
(Pause. Please now reread those last two statements with disguist and distain. Please read them while picturing a snide lip curl, an eye roll and a condescending look to accomplany her nasty tone. Action!)
My mama wouldn’t be proud but before I knew what was happening my smart-ass mouth opened up and replied with “oh good. They followed the plan. We all decided to bombard y’all today while we attempted to die”. (Sometimes my mouth forgets it’s supposed to wait for my brain to send these thoughts to this thing I’m supposed to have called a filter…)
Long story short: I was left for 3 hours without being checked on. No IV insulin was given and the one initial finger stick performed by the triage nurse (493). I kept pushing the “call button” for the nurse and of course no one came. Truth be told – I seriously contemplated peeing on the floor as I had to go so bad!!! (Y’all know how it is when your sugar is high- you pee a lot!!!)
I could attribute this severe lack of care and attention to my … perhaps not-so-necessary comment earlier to the dr, however, when the nurse finally did come to see me and I asked for the AMA paperwork since I could go home and have my husband (Moony) checking on me more, the nurse informed in it had only been 2 hours since I was last checked on and that (this is a legit quote. I couldn’t even make this up)
“Two hours isn’t that bad for no one to come in. You’re in the ER there sweetie”
Argh.
So, I left. Checked my sugars like crazy all night, got my sugar down and by morning was rocking between 110-140.
I’m not saying it’s smart to leave AMA. I am not saying other people should – all I’m saying is that after sooo much has changed in the past two years- it’s (almost) comforting to know that how we get treated in the hospital (in my 19 years experience) hasn’t changed.
I still get treated like a prisoner rather than a patient. And it STILL makes me furious.
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