The scary experience of diabetic ketoacidosis

The Scary Experience Of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Today, we're excited to share with you another guest blog from Katie Janowiak, who works for the Medtronic Foundation, our company's philanthropic arm. When she first told me her story about food poisoning and Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), I knew others could benefit from hearing it as well. Thanks Katie for your openness and allowing us to share your scary story so that the LOOP community can learn from it. 
 
Throughout this past year, I've had the honor of sharing with you, the amazing LOOP community, my personal journey and the often humorous sequence of events that is my life with T1. Humor is, after all, the best (and cheapest) therapy. Allow me to pause today to share with you the down and dirty of what it feels like to have something that is not the slightest bit humorous: diabetic ketoacidosis.You are hot. You are freezing. You are confused. You are blacked out but coherent. You go to talk but words fail you. Time flies and goes in slow motion simultaneously. You will likely smell and look like death. In my instance, this was brought on by the combination of excessive vomiting and dehydration caused by food poisoning and the diabetic ketoacidosis that followed after my body had gone through so much. 
 
In hindsight, I was lucky, my husband knew that I had food poisoning because I began vomiting after our meal. But I had never prepped him on diabetic ketoacidosis and the symptoms (because DKA was for those other diabetics.) Upon finding me in our living room with a bowl of blood and bile by my side (no, I am not exaggerating), he got me into the car and took me to emergency care. It was 5:30 p.m. - and I thought it was 11:00 a.m. 
 
The series of events that led up to my stay in the ICU began innocently enough. It was a warm summer night and my husband and I walked up to a local restaurant. Prior to the walk, I tested at 132. Before eating, I was sitting at a pretty 101. I ordered a turkey burger without the bun with a side of veggies and a baked potato and bolused accordingly. 
 
Later that evening, the revenge of food poisoning ensued. Testing my blood revealed a 500+ reading. While out of the ordinary, it certainly has happened to me before - I changed my infusion set, and opened a new bottle of insulin just to cover my bases. I corrective bolused the crap out of my 500+ reading and even did an additional manual injection. Tired, and at this point with a terrible stomachache, I attempted to down some water and find a comfy place to lay down. Feeling terrible, and expending all of my energy and focus on controlling my vomiting, it didn't dawn on me the havoc my dangerously elevated sugars and dehydration from vomiting were ravaging on my body. 
 
You see, in this moment, and in the 14 hours that followed, I did the one thing I never (ever) thought I, of all people, would do: I stopped thinking about my diabetes. I work for Medtronic, for crying out loud, and I forgot about my diabetes!? 
 
I knew somewhere in my consciousness that I should be checking for ketones, but I kept telling myself "next time I get up to the bathroom, I will"...and making mental reminders to yourself when you are as sick as I was is all but a lost cause. My blood sugar often goes high when sick, and as I'd never (in my 15 years of being diabetic) ever faced so much as trace amounts of ketones, the concept that my blood was effectively poisoning me was foreign. 
 
The series of events that follow, I recall like an out of body experience. Clutching a stainless steel mixing bowl, with a wet towel wrapped around my neck and an oversized t-shirt, I collapsed to the floor in the ER. Thankfully, I vomited shortly after entering, which prompted the care team to triage me in advance of the full waiting room. Triage led to taking some blood work...and taking some blood work led to an influx of frazzled nurses and frantic doctors surrounding me. 
 
I recall hearing my husband being told that I could be in the hospital for months. I remember being told the drug they were administering was reserved typically for cardiac arrest patients. I remember someone gasping and saying my blood had the acidity of a battery. I remember the nurse telling my husband to go to the chapel. I remember the doctor saying, had we waited 30 minutes more, I would be in a coma. I remember waking up in the ICU with a doctor telling me I was lucky to be alive. I remember my amazing endocrinologist coming to visit me. More than a year later, these moments still bring tears to my eyes to think about, and I suspect they will for years to come. 
 
Until I was admitted into the ICU, I was unaware that I was going through life-threatening DKA. To be completely honest, DKA wasn't even on my radar as something that could happen to me. At that time, had I been the reader of this blog, I would likely be scoffing and judging the writer. I would assure myself this isn't relevant to me. He/She must not control their diabetes well. You'd have to be stupid to not see those warning signs. My husband/parent/fill in the blank would know what to do. I was wrong. I made a mistake. 
 
While I could not have prevented contracting food poisoning, I could have prevented the near-death experience that followed, had I done the diabetic stop-drop-roll (test for ketones - call your doctor - seek help), or had I prepared my husband to do the same. Yes, DKA can be avoided. Yes, symptoms of DKA can be masked by the illness that is causing it (in my case, food poisoning.) And, perhaps most importantly, YES - We are only human in the end. We will make mistakes. Even those who feel fully prepared to handle such an incident should review with their loved ones the proper steps to take. I share with you humbly in hopes that someone, somewhere is able to relate and perhaps spare themselves or a loved one from a similar experience. 
 
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION 
- Medtronic Diabetes insulin infusion pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems and associated components are limited to sale by or on the order of a physician and should only be used under the direction of a healthcare professional familiar with the risks associated with the use of these systems. - Successful operation of the insulin infusion pumps and/or continuous glucose monitoring systems requires adequate vision and hearing to recognize alerts and alarms. 
 
Medtronic Diabetes Insulin Infusion Pumps 
- Insulin pump therapy is not recommended for individuals who are unable or unwilling to perform a minimum of four blood glucose tests per day. - Insulin pumps use rapid-acting insulin. If your insulin delivery is interrupted for any reason, you must be prepared to replace the missed insulin immediately.
 
 

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Submitted by clay witherspoon (not verified) on

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Very touching and informational. i had a similar experience but i believe my symptoms were a bit different. i had gone in for a ct scan, for something i don't remember, and upon leaving my mother my niece and myself had gone to eat i remember my bs being around 150 or so. my bs runs normally high so i thought that reading was great. well we ate and left to do some shopping i wad so caught up in what we were doing i neglected to testest again. well on our way home i had to stop on the side of the road to vomit i though it was the food we had eaten not thinking about my bs being off the charts, it runs high anyway but i remember pulling into the er at the hospital and then remember waking up a day or so later in icu my case as it seems was so baffled that i had lost 24 hrs and don't remember anything that happened during that time.

Submitted by Sara Tilleskjor (not verified) on

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Melissa, I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. I imagine this must have been difficult for you. Our thoughts are with you and your family.

Submitted by Tim Lewis (not verified) on

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I went through the same EXACT thing in December!! Although, the first doctor in the ER came up with the diagnosis of a muscle disorder.....?????? It was the 4th doctor that got the diagnosis right, which scares me to death!!! 13 days in the hospital, unemployed and without insurance. One of the most aggravating experiences in my life, because everything I ate and drank came right back up, and NOTHING I did would lower my blood sugar level.

Submitted by Esther (not verified) on

In reply to by Tim Lewis (not verified)

Sigh! I feel ya! had 4 days in the ICU with doctors expecting me to go into coma and not recover! Meanwhile I was busy smiling and talking to the nurses and greeting worried people who kept piling in the hospital to comfort my Mom and brother!

Submitted by John (not verified) on

In reply to by Esther (not verified)

Nice. Way to hold your own and stay positive Esther.

Submitted by Joshua (not verified) on

In reply to by Esther (not verified)

My bs was 712 in DKA 8 hour in er then got sent home was bull shit so I went to different er and they did the same thing was 712 still got IV Went to 498 then got sent home I never knew I was that high for 2 Weeks yes 2 weeks I was over 700 never passed out

How are you now , my son age 12 had reading of 859,and day three 398 is he going to to recover very worried ....

I am the mom of TWO t1 sons. The older one was diagnosed 15 years ago and does not manage his insulin at all. He has been in the ICU several times with DKA. As I am writing this, he is lying in bed and has been sick for at least a week. Just prior to this had been taken by paramedics to the hospital because he had a seizure. Last night he collapsed while trying to urinate, the paramedics came and he refused to go to the hospital. He looks like a skeleton I am terrified he is going to die and he absolutely refuses to go to the er for medical attention. I am afraid of what is to come. I am not exaggerating when I say he has had dka at least 30 or more times in the last 5 years. Can anyone tell me how long a t1 person who has had dka so many times can be expected to live? His a1c was already above 14and that was 5 years ago. I HATE this disease. Watching while my precious child is suffering from this condition is tearing me apart. And I have TWO sons with t1. Any advice would be great. Thanks for listening

My Heart goes out to you ❤️I’m 62 and was diagnosed and put right on insulin,Diabetes had already taken a toll on me! I can’t even believe Drs could not have known after they knew of all my symptoms! I lost so much weight,I don’t see me anymore and I’m in terrible pain all the time now because diabetes type 2 is now attacking my nerves, and to much else to mention! I explained that as soon as I took my insulin I passed out, I have children and grandchildren that are scared because I was strong,outgoing and beautiful.i was in Nursing and just all so happy and full of love.Now after complaining about my symptoms and nothing done about it I, truly feel like I’m going to die. I told my Doc that I want an MRI and will hopefully get it soon, I know diabetes is taking over a lot more than just my body! Thank you for your time and I wish you,the very best with your journey ❤️

Submitted by Marilyn (not verified) on

In reply to by Tim Lewis (not verified)

I’m going through the same thing... what was the diagnosis called?

Submitted by Charlotte (not verified) on

In reply to by Tim Lewis (not verified)

I am 28 years old I went thought something so similar the difference is I wasn’t aware I had type 1 diabetes.y weight dropped to 5.10 and I was constantly sick. I couldn’t bath alone as I used to float! I was in and out of hospital for 3 years and the last time was October this year when ambulance came as I was throwing up blood and bile for 34 hours! I couldn’t move without being sick and when I walked to the ambulance I could not breathe I thought I would die there and then! I was blue lighted as my ketones were over what they should be by far! Scared as hell but half unconscious I empathise with you all but 3 years undiagnosed for me I think is awful I’ve nearly died 3 times! What do you think xxx

Submitted by Michelle Guillen (not verified) on

In reply to by Charlotte (not verified)

Lori,
How is your son?
I had a similar experience with my twin brother. He eventually did pass away of DKA sadly.

Submitted by Maria Dejesus (not verified) on

In reply to by Michelle Guillen (not verified)

Im 15 years old ive had DKA. A lot /nearly dka. And when i say a lot i mean about 20 times in a matter of 2 years. From 13-14 i jept going to the hospital every 1-2 weeks. I actually had to go about 1 and 1/2 months ago because of other problems too. It sucks. But. What can ya do

Submitted by Joyce Finn (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

Wish I had a pump again.

Submitted by Julie (not verified) on

In reply to by Joyce Finn (not verified)

Do you have a similar continuous monitor for someone who gets severe hypoglycemia regularly? My number tonight was 49. It woke me up. It’s been a roller coaster up and down the past few weeks. My doctor thought I wouldn’t go below 70 so he said I should monitor it a few times. I did. And went from 95 to 125 to 81 then 79, the 49...

Submitted by Nicole (not verified) on

In reply to by Julie (not verified)

Julie, our Guardian Connect CGM is approved for use by those with diabetes, but this is a good conversation to have with your healthcare team. They can make the best recommendations based on your individual needs.

Submitted by Debbie (not verified) on

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My son went in to work the night shift as a CNA. His blood glucose level was 150 before he ate around 3:30 am. Within an hour, he started vomiting and by 5:30 am, they sent him home. He checked his BG at home and it was only 119 but he woke me, said he felt awful, and just wanted to go to bed. He was negative for ketones. By 9:30 am, his BG began rising though he was vomiting violently and then the diarrhea started. I said that's it, time to go to the ER. His last BG at home was over 300 and by the time we got tested at the ER it was just around 400. They hung insulin and started fluids by IV because he was already so dehydrated. They admitted him to ICU for the next day, and he spent the next two days on the med-surg floor. That was our first experience with DKA. Putting the pieces back together were easy enough yet surprising.

Submitted by nancy joslyn (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

dka as a mother of a type 1 diabetic those are 3 letters i have to say that strike terror in my heart it strikes so fast and furious an er trip then icu waiting for blood values feeling the disease owns you

Submitted by Adrianne (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

So sorry to hear this. I as well went thru this 3 years ago. I had the stomach flu and was nursing my 3 month old...a horrible combination to stir up dka for a type 1! Although the experience was scary it makes you realize you never want to get that sick ever again! To this day I stay keenly aware of everything...maybe too much but I'm proud of it!! Take care!!

Submitted by naomi.kingery@… on

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Thank you so much for sharing your personal stories and encouragement for Katie since she so openly shared such a difficult experience in her life. You are each so special and strong in your own unique ways!

Submitted by Wendy (not verified) on

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So sorry you have had to go through this. It is one of the scariest times of your life. I know....been there. Nov 2010, I had sudden onset of diabetes.....diagnosed as type 2. BS over 500. Placed on oral medication with little result...BS 300's. Added an injectable prescription medicine 2 weeks later and became sicker over the next 2 weeks. One nite ...just a month after being diagnosed as a diabetic, I was so sick that whatever conversation I had with my mom on the phone that nite had peaked her mother's intuition ....she knew something wasn't right & she came to my home to find me a lump in my bed.....so sick I could barely move. Mom took me to the ER......where they found that I was in DKA & about to slip into a coma. Spent 9 days in ICU....most of which I don't remember. Further testing showed that I was really type 1 diabetic....not type 2. But it was all very new to me....I didn't know a thing about DKA...didn't know what signs to be aware of. And who would have thought type 1 new onset at age 38. Scariest time in my life. I still shutter to this day knowing how close I was teath. All I can say is stay strong sweet girl. Katie. Education is our best prevention!! God Bless!!

Submitted by Steve (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

I haven't suffered from DKA, but I recently had my blood sugars go higher and higher until they were two points short of 500, and no matter what massive doses of insulin I took, it did no good. Finally reached my doctor who suggested I try a different bottle of insulin, and that worked. I dropped 160 points in the next hour and a half. Apparently, I had some "bad insulin." DIdn't know that could ever happen but I guess it can.

Submitted by Tina Stessl (not verified) on

In reply to by Steve (not verified)

I am a diabetic and an RN and I never knew about the "bad" insulin. Thanks for putting it out there!

Submitted by Karen Graffeo (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

Thank you for sharing your story (I'm sure it was tough) and for raising awareness! I too went through a similar experience. I was in DKA for the first time since my diagnosis (about 24 years earlier) and it didn't even occur to me what was happening. My then-fiance, now-husband, tried everything he could to help me while I refused to go to the hospital. (It's funny how when you are in it, you seem to lose all sense of reason). Luckily, my mom came over and immediately insisted on calling an ambulance. In the end, it was the kick I needed to start taking better care of myself, to find a new endo (mine was terrible) and it ultimately led to me being a much more engaged patient and to finding the Diabetes Online Community. Yes, even now DKA can happen to me, but at least I know what to look for and the importance of getting help at the first signs of DKA.

Submitted by Karen (not verified) on

In reply to by Karen Graffeo (not verified)

Hi my sister was type 2 diabetic who died last year of dka.. we had never heard of dka in type 2.. She lived alone .. The thought of her going through this alone breaks my heart.. we nursed our dad for year and then he died of an unrelated illness in June 2017 then in the August 2017 my sister was found dead in her flat. I can only think missing insulin and stress over our dad lead to dka

Submitted by Heather (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

Thank you so much for sharing this. We all like to think we are "above" such scenarios, but the truth is things can go so wrong so fast, and in the end we DO have a disease that doesn't always do what we think it should. Highs that make no sense, lows that have no reason, we just keep responding and reacting and trying to stay ahead of it. What a great reminder that at times the ONLY thing to do is to SEEK COMPETENT HELP! So glad you made it through and can live to fight another day! And yes, a good endo is worth their weight in gold, I drive almost an hour to see mine because she is WORTH it!

Submitted by Lane (not verified) on

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Hi Katie! In our times together in India and Minneapolis over the past year we always had other things to talk about besides DKA, so thank you so much for sharing this eye-opening experience now. We've had our own brushes with DKA at home when various factors have combined in a "perfect storm" kind of way. Your experience serves as a reminder that you can't ever turn your back on the diabetes beast - you never know when it will bite. I was at a diabetes conference in Spain last year during which one of the presenters asserted that DKA kills more people than extreme hypoglycemia. Peril at both ends of the glycemic spectrum. Thanks again for sharing, keep well. Lane

Submitted by Megan Scala (not verified) on

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I went through the same thing about 3 weeks ago. I was sick for a couple of days with a virus and when I checked my sugar it was about 200 (which for me wasn't anything to go crazy about) then I became so weak I could barely get up to vomit. I stopped checking my sugars for about a day because I wasn't eating, unfortunately I also wasn't able to keep water down either. I was in so much pain, my whole body ached and I was unable to climb the stairs in my apartment. When my fiancee found me he rushed me to urgent care. They gave me fluids because my body was so dehydrated but found I was getting worse. My sugars at this point were around 550 and my acidic gap was around 23. They put me on a paramedic and sent me to the icu for a couple of days and after four days there I recovered. They also told me I was lucky to be alive. You're story was a great read!

Submitted by Stan (not verified) on

In reply to by Megan Scala (not verified)

Got shingles which masked some of the symptoms of diabetes like DN. Ended up in the ER with a BG of 1172 and I had always had LOW BG. It can happen really fast and if you don't have someone to get you to the hospital DKA will kill you.

Submitted by LOOP Blog Editorial on

In reply to by Stan (not verified)

Stan, I’m sorry to hear this, and can imagine it was a scary experience for you. It’s great to hear you’re doing okay now. As we both know, DKA is very serious and the more awareness it has the better.

Submitted by naomi.kingery@… on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

It sounds like many of you understand what Katie went through. Thanks for commenting with your own experiences and offering her reassurance and support!

Submitted by Matt (not verified) on

In reply to by naomi.kingery@…

Not my first experience with DKA. As a matter of fact I think I caught food poisoning this past Saturday night because in the middle of the night I woke up vomiting etc... I had taken my Long Acting Insulin before bed like normal and a shot of fast acting close to the same time of injecting the Long Acting and so I should had been in no room to be facing high blood sugars, but I was, and it happens fast! Once the unlovely number two starts occurring in the restroom while you're vomiting in a bucket at the same time, you know something is wrong. And of course I was so thirsty but couldn't hold water down. I didn't take myself to the hospital which I know a lot of you would scold me for, but what I did do was monitor myself the best I could with how tired and weak I was Sunday and just kept pumping myself with insulin to where I finally was able to keep some fluids down and the vomiting etc..., stopped. I am a 34 almost 35 year old Type 1 Diabetic, diagnosed at age 19. I do not recommend trying to fix it yourself first because it’s always usually too late by then, meaning you need to be in a hospital hooked up to IV bags and maybe even some morphine for how painful your stomach muscles will be from throwing up for hours. This isn’t my first rodeo unfortunately with DKA and most of you understand that it can pop up in an instance masking what we’re possibly ill from with something else such as food poisoning. I live by myself too, so I had an alarm on my cell phone on top of the alarms set in my CGM waking me up every 30 minutes to look at my continuous glucose monitor as well as actually poking my finger and actually checking. I did that because I wouldn’t want to be passed out tired from violently vomiting and my condition just becoming worse. I was out of work yesterday trying to rehydrate and get some food back in my stomach etc… I went back today and other than still being a little tired and weak because it takes you a while to rehydrate properly, I had a good day. Of course calling my Endo, they were not pleased I didn’t go to a hospital but also realize I am a Diabetic Veteran who has went down this path before and so I knew what I was starting to face and what I needed to accomplish to get myself healthy again without having to be rushed to the ER. But I also gave myself a time frame that If my sugars and the way I was feeling wasn’t any different by a certain time, then I would be calling 911. Again I NEVER recommend doing what I did, GO TO A HOSPITAL if you have DKA signs, take no chances. God Bless you all!

Submitted by Jack (not verified) on

In reply to by Matt (not verified)

Do not take chances, I too am a diabetic veteran 25 years type 1. About a yr ago I had my first DKA episode. Prior to that I did not even know what DKA was. Pretty scary considering I am well educated , have good doctors and have maintained excellent control of my type 1 diabetes. Last October the perfect storm hit . I had a stomach ache and felt tired so I went to bed and did not take my insulin. I was woke up in the middle of the night vomiting. It was more non stop . I tried drinking water and would just keep vomiting. I was getting very dehydrated. Like most type 1s that have maintained good control u develop an attitude that nothing can take you down . It's sort of badge you wear. So as I am vomiting non stop I continue to tell myself that this will pass. I am a runner and my t was not until my breathing got to the point where I felt like I just find finished sprinting 3 miles that I knew I needed help.
I finally went to he ER. Blood sugar over 500. Stomach flu and urinary tract infection. My body was completely out of sync. I had six I'Vs in me at once. I spent 5 days in the ICU. As ERs and intensive care units go you have multiple doctors and nurses really rotating through. What while I was completely annoyed to be stuck in the ICU what struck me was that ever single dr and nurse (and there must have been at least a dozen ) all said the same thing "If you waited another hour to go to the ER you would be dead. Aftert the first Dr sa D that to me I was like ok he is being dramatic. Then when all the others said nearly the exact same thing ..it hit home.
Point is of all of this is don't mess around get medical attention right away if you suspect DKA.

Submitted by Jerry (not verified) on

In reply to by naomi.kingery@…

I’m a 62 year old male with type 2 diabetes I’ve been diagnosed since age 22. Just recently I lost approximately 50 lbs. Over a short period of time, I lost the weight and developed a constant pain in my lower belly. I’ve gone to the er twice and to my regular practitioner all to hear; there’s nothing wrong with my organs or body other than the effects of out of control diabetes. What can I do for this stomach pain and perhaps regain some of my weight as I’ve gotten so under weight

Submitted by Nicole (not verified) on

In reply to by Jerry (not verified)

Hi there, Jerry, we appreciate you reaching out. Unfortunately, situations like this require evaluation from a licensed healthcare provider, as we are unable to provide medical advice. We hope you're feeling better soon.

Submitted by Deb (not verified) on

In reply to by Jerry (not verified)

Research gastroparesis.

Submitted by Lance (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

I got diagnosed with type 1 on January 7, 2014. The doctors told me I've had it roughly since the end of September of 2013 and had no idea. In the middle of November I noticed that something wasn't quite right. I was always tired and started noticing a slight weight loss and I thought nothing of it and thought maybe I had a bug and it would go away. After hunting season got over and got my buck something didn't feel right. I didn't want to eat and had a hard time sleeping and when I finally passed out I only slept for a few hours at a time. Before Christmas I was thinner, my vision was terrible and always thirsty and constantly going to the bathroom and I still couldn't figure out what was going on. Well the last few weeks were the worst, couldn't keep anything down and was being 15+ times a day and couldn't really function at work. The day before I went to the ER I was vomiting uncontrollably and having bad abdominal pain and felt like I was going to pass out. Well early that morning my cat must've sensed something was wrong and woke me up and at that point something was terribly wrong and felt like I was going to die (not exaggerating) I went upstairs to attempt to eat something. That's when I noticed how thin I had actually gotten, a muscular 200 pounds now a 154 pound pile of skin and bone. That point I drove myself to the ER and there found out I was a diabetic. Stayed in ICU for 5 days, the nurses and doctors said it was a good thing I came in when I did because I wouldn't have lasted much longer. I'm very fortunate to be alive and healthy again I never want to go through that again in my entire life. Thought I'd share my DKA story!

Submitted by john lindus (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

i am thankful to both the article and many of the comments- i can relate to lance above his comment , say that is almost identical to what happen to me november last -the sudden weight loss and falling apart , mine too was caught just in time - the thing is i live in Greece and i feel somewhat information deficient in how to deal with diabetes, other than monitor and injections -when my doctor first told me this is serious i shrugged more through ignorance than anything else -what i am slowly discovering diabetes is a house with many rooms -my problem is ,i do not know the contents until i enter -last night i entered one such room waking at three n the morning in a sweat, the room spinning wildly ,nausea feet and hand pains, with a feeling that i had just been run over by a tractor, i tested and my blood sugar was high i injected -this morning on reflection i thought how like food poisoning and began a search -which led to the above article -of which i am thankful to have read -it gives another piece of missing information which will allow to understand diabetes -the up side to being a diabetic in Greece - a network where people hand in their unused insulin-haveing moved to tablets , the doctors redistributed to those in need -or without medical insurance -this a thank you note to Amanda

Submitted by Sara Tilleskjor (not verified) on

In reply to by john lindus (not verified)

Thank you for the comment, John. I’m sorry you don’t feel like you have all of the information you’d like to manage your diabetes. We’re the US Team, but if you’d like to connect with your local Medtronic team to see if there is anything they can do to help. I have pasted the information below for your convenience.

Submitted by Melissa Pennington (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

My husband just died from this Easter Sunday at our ranch. I couldn't understand what they were saying til I read this. He was good at taking care of his diabetes but I was told he was sick throwing up the days before his death. His tox showed his sugar levels at 540 to 560.

Submitted by Sara Tilleskjor (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

Thank you for sharing your DKA story with us, Lance. I imagine that was a very frightening thing to experience, but glad to hear you are doing well and are healthy again!

Submitted by Justin Haines (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

I have been diabetic for 32 years and had never had DKA until just recently. I too was vomiting up everything including a bit of blood by the second day. The E.R. didn't know what to make of it, It was my primary M.D. that figured it out. It was all caused by a broken connection on my pump rite on top of the resivuere that I discovered on my second day in the hospital. No one thought to check my pump at all. I wonder why it is we use technology to help control our diabetes but yet the people that are supposed to help us when we can not on our own (Doctors,Nurses, PCA's) have absolutely no training or knowledge about insulin pumps.

Submitted by LOOP Blog Editorial on

In reply to by Justin Haines (not verified)

I’m sorry to hear about this experience, Justin. I imagine it was very scary for you, and I hope you’re feeling better. I’ll have a member of my team reach out to you to learn more about what happened. If you’d like, you can share this reference guide for nurses about insulin pumps with the hospital staff that may help educate them: http://www.loop-blog.com/back-to-school-reference-guide-for-school-nurs….

Submitted by tonya (not verified) on

In reply to by LOOP Blog Editorial

Hey I have been having really high blood sugars and can't seem to ge them down. I finally took a shot and watching my sugars tonight as we speek. Seems to be coming down now. I am thirsty and checked my ketones and they were negative. I feel a little nauseated should I be concerned to go to ER NOW or just wait for when dr office opens?

Submitted by LOOP Blog Editorial on

In reply to by tonya (not verified)

Hi Tonya. I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your blood sugars. If you haven’t already, change your infusion site, infusion set, reservoir, and insulin, and troubleshoot your pump. I recommend contacting your healthcare team as well, so they can provide you with the best advice to meet your needs.

Submitted by tatiana r gonzalez (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

It saddens me that I didn't know about this DKA. My brother passed away from DKA last January. If I would have taken the time to really get to know diabetes, he would have still probably be alive today. My brother was only 26. He passed a month before his 27th bday.

Submitted by LOOP Blog Editorial on

In reply to by tatiana r gonzalez (not verified)

Tatiana, I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your brother. You and your family are in our thoughts.

Submitted by Cathlyn (not verified) on

In reply to by Commenter (not verified)

Thank you for sharing your experience. I believe this is what my 3 year old son was experiencing but we didn't know. When I got to the hospital, the doctor told me his blood what extremely acidic. I didn't even know he was dehydrated. He was drinking fluids all day. He complained of a stomach ache the night before but it didn't seem too serious, I thought he might had just been constipated. We didn't know he has Type 1. Only type 2 runs in the family. I wish I would have known. Now he is gone forever. I hope you continue to spread awareness. Keep blogging. It looks like you posted this 2 years ago so info is our there. But the awareness needs to grow. I never even heard of keloasisdosis but my friend studying to be a nurse was familiar. This info needs to be out there for everyone.

Submitted by LOOP Blog Editorial on

In reply to by Cathlyn (not verified)

Cathlyn, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your son. Our hearts go out to you and your family. We work hard every single day to spread awareness, advocate for people with diabetes, and to make life easier for those living with and caring for people with diabetes.


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