Understanding

Well…. this post comes to you live from the ICU. Ugh.

Been in the ICU for about 16 hours now… after finally heading to the ER after 3 days of sugars being wonky. Annnnnd by wonky I mean,  i would go from a good ol sugar of 127 and then BAM drop down to 27 in the middle of the night.  Then I’d shoot up to 300s *even when* I wouldn’t gorge on candy and carbs like I wanted to.

So now, here I sit. And wait. And wait. Annnnnnd wait. And it’s frustrating!! I try to be patient, especially when I’m a patient. But what’s been going on here today – is too much for my little brain and body to take right now.

I’m currently on an insulin drip and it’s taken 6 people to come in and have me talk to them to try to get them to understand a pump. I guess there was some confusion on why I couldn’t start taking a 24 hour insulin, fast, and then “slowly introduce food and fast acting insulin while on” my pump. Errrrrr. Nooo.  I explained multiple times how the pump replaces the need for a 24 hour insulin because I’m constantly getting some into my system. I explained it’s the closest thing to a working pancreas I could get.

Six. People.

What makes it more frustrating for me is the fact that I’m in a teaching hospital. Which is great. Grand. Sure, learn! But… right now I feel like it’s the blind leading the future blind. When the “leader” of the gaggle of minions comes in (very obviously on their high horse) and starts telling me the plan, and I see the students taking notes and nodding and trying to learn – NOOOO! No no no. Don’t learn that. That is not correct. You will send so many diabetics into severe hypoglycemia with those antics!

Of course, me trying to explain to this big-headed-leader-of-the-pack that, in fact, that plan is completely asinine – they don’t like that. They get defensive and then call in bunches of other people who equally don’t truly understand T1D, or pumps and then it just becomes a really frustrating conversation. (In my defense, I didn’t call the plan “asinine” to him. I simply stated how Lantus isn’t needed when on an insulin pump….but you better believe in my head – I was saying alllllllll kinds of colorful things!!)

My nurse is a sweetheart and has been trying to understand and fight for me – which is awesome – considering by the 6th person telling me I needed to take Lantus once I went back on my pump,  I was ready to lose my cool.

I understand that nurses/doctors/residents all of them! Need to know a million things about a million things. I truly dont expect every single person to know diabetes the way that I (unfortunately) do. But don’t stand there when I’m at my weakest telling me that you’re “impressed” I knew the different between an arterial and a venous blood gas and then turn around and tell me I need 24 hr insulin, plus a drip, plus an active pump.

(Smacks head against wall here)

#t1d #hypoglycemia #diabetes #typeone #diabetic #blindleadingtheblind #Hospital #ICU #doctors #ER #nurses #insulindependent #insulindrip #Lantus #sendhelp #insulin