In sickness...
It was a week ago today, sitting right at my desk at work. Ugh, cramps. I popped a few Advil and tried to make it look I was working while I waited for the medicine to flow through my veins. 15 minutes later, nothing, in fact it was worse. The pain got so bad that I started walking around the building, wincing at every turn. When I almost passed out in the ladies room, I knew we had a problem.I made it back to my desk and checked, always trying to rule out some crazy diabetes issue. Nope, 178, that was just fine 2 hours after my breakfast. I finally admitted to my co-worker that something was not right. Fast forward 20 minutes, and I was in my co-workers car, on the way to the hospital.
My husband met me there and we got checked in. Eventually they confirmed what we had suspected. I had an ovarian cyst rupture. I had one a few years ago, but I don’t remember it hurting so much. I figured out that the only place to place my pump was on the neck of my gown, at least then everyone would know I had diabetes.
2 blood draws (neither of which had an A1c in there, I asked) 4 ultra sounds, an attempted IV and one shot of morphine later, they said there wasn’t much they could do. I was feeling better by that point and just wanted to go home. No problem.
My husband was the one that pointed out that not once the entire 7 hours we were in the ER did anyone ask or perform a blood sugar check on me. Not once. It’s not like I was hiding anything, my pump was on the front of my gown. I was astounded. I had heard that in hospital care of diabetes is shotty at best (sorry, to be punny). But this really amazed me.
I guess it’s true that you are your own health advocate, and have to know what is best for you. (And if you don’t / can’t hopefully you have a supportive friend/parent/spouse that can step in.) I did in fact need a correction as my blood sugar creped up. I checked to see what the morphine was doing, and if I needed to eat anything before they took me for the ultra sound.
3 nuggets that I picked up on in the ER.
- My am my own best doctor when it comes to my diabetes.
- My husband will try and tip anyone (I thought he was crazy tipping the Christmas tree guy, but when he was worried if he had to tip the orderly that took me to the ultrasound suite, I knew we had a problem)
- The flu. Yes, I ended up being sicker from going to the hospital than I was before I went.
(Feeling much better now, thanks.)
posted by caren at 11:01 AM
6 Comments:
I am glad you are doing better. So true about the ER/Hospital. I have had the experience more than once, but never with my pump.
That cracks my fat tush up about your husband tipping everyone.
Take care!!
Oh my goodness... that does not sound like a fun experience :(. It's amazing the things us diabetics and/or women have to go through and a lot of it is truly unenjoyable stuff.
As for hospital visits... I know it's really unbelievable how uneducated and uninformed the health care community can be regarding our disease. Hospitals are supposed to be a place where you go to get better, yet I'm not sure that one is always better off there. The fact that they didn't monitor your blood is disappointing, but I guess I'm not all that surprised. Like I said, a lot of health care providers just know too little about things.
In any case, I hope you are feeling better! Take care of yourself! :)
Yes I find it amazing that people DR have not clue at all most of the time. God! I am surprised that they did not test your blood and come in and say Gee did you know you have diabetes .. HELLO what do you think this thing is hanging from my gown a new necklace ugh!
Caren I tried to find you email on here I wanted to ask you your the same Care that went ot CBC right you where a CIT when I was a couselor?? we use to laugh and hook up our pumps to each other and say wondertwin powers activate? of course for a brief moment LOL and had a HUGE water fight it looks like you am I wrong ?
Caren too funny I have often thought about that time at camp laughing at the memory I saw you picture a few times on here and I was like that looks like Caren from camp then I read how you where just trying the pump not realizing that it was after 10 years and going back so I thought it was not you .. Glad I said something that is one of my favorite memories at camp I had a blast with you .. Sorry to hear of you situation in the ER and the pain you had to go thro.. I will continue to read you updates.. hope all goes well and thanks for the fingers crossing for my job.
So glad you're feeling better!
I've experienced an ovarian cyst rupture, and man it was excruciating-- I just winced as I read this post.
And so weird that folks at the hospital virtually ignored the diabetes... hmmm... thank heavens your husband was with you.
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