Updates and Blood Sugars

It's been a week since being discharged after the long 63 day stay in hospital. The first 2 days at home were great! I managed symptoms with zofran, nabilone, domparidone, and medical marijuana. I had energy but most of alli was feeling great! The next couple days at home were pretty rough. Very nauseated with pain and of course some vomiting. It wasn't letting up and I figured I had a bladder infection since all the symptoms were there. So I went to a walk-in clinic and sure enough I was right it was a bladder infection. My immune system is completely shot especially since getting a bladder infection puts me in the hospital almost every time I get one. So that brings me to today, Thursday March 21, 2013 and I'm in hospital...again...Ugh!! But I'm feeling pretty good today and the plan is too send me home tomorrow. They loaded me up with some antibiotics, nausea meds, ans pain meds.

My sugars through most flare-ups are pretty stable, that's one positive thing about not tolerating anything by mouth. I usually run about 8-12Mmol or 145mg/dL - 220mg/dL. That way I'm not running to low when not tolerating anything by mouth.

One thing that really affected my sugars was being on TPN. There were measures that could have been taken by putting insulin directly into the TPN bag but they (doctors and dietary) didn't do it, why? I have no idea. My sugars for one entire week ran in the 30's Mmol or 630mg/dL ...this is dangerously high numbers and could have caused a coma or some serious damage. This includes my diabetic retinopathy in the eyes. It could cause blindness or temporary blindness which I have had numerous times.

I was adjusting my basal rates on my pump everyday trying to get enough insulin. I began having low sugars, sometimes as low as 1.4Mmol or 25mg/dL. This was happening every morning at about 6am. It didn't matter how much I decreased my basal rates on my pump my sugars were still drastically dropping. I fell a few times because of my low sugars which can be very scary and very scary for your loved ones trying to help. I fell on my left side a few times one night and for the next couple days I was hurting. I actually thought I had sprained or broken a bone in my foot but I had it checked out and it turned out to be badly bruised. After being on the TPN for a week I got them to stop it because it was causing to much discomfort and just feeling gross on top of the GP. It really played havoc on my sugars. Unless I get insulin in the TPN, if I ever need it again, I will refuse it. Trying to control sugars with GP is very difficult to say the least.

Happy tummy days to everyone! :)

It's been a long 63 day hospital stay

This stay has been my longest in the 6 years I've had GP. I believe part of the reason it's been so long is because I was healthy for 15 months prior to getting sick. From reading a lot of other GP''ers stories, I've noticed that after being healthy for a long time and then getting sick for the first time it comes back with a vengeance ...unfortunately! Thankfully I've had really good doctors that are giving me everything I need, keeping me comfortable, and doing everything they can to help.

This stay for me has been a tough one. More so on my mental state than anything. Don't get me wrong it's been tough one looking at every aspect but, emotionally, yes! I've realized for the first time that I have pretty bad anxiety issues that I really need to learn to cope with, especially while going through bad episodes. So I am now doing research on coping skills and techniques plus I am starting to talk to a counsellor about this anxiety of mine. It will only help my situation when I am having GP flare-up. One thing I think everybody should do , no matter the health situation, is talk to a therapist. It really makes a difference on ones mental state.

This 63+ day episode has been different then any I've experienced before. I keep having set backs without even making it home. Usually I can get home for a bit and then have a set back and end up back in. I was getting sick off of pretzels which is weird for me. All I've been able to handle pretty much this entire time is a clear fluid diet. Now I'm tolerating diary, cremed soups, ensure and a few soda crackers a day. I am also eating jello, popsicles, pudding, apple sauce, and ice creme. I've lost 20 pounds in this 2 months of being sick. I was on TPN for a week but went off of it because it was cauing severely high blood sugars that wouldn't come down. I gained a few pounds back while on TPN, so that was good!

Through this whole episode, and even while struggling a little mentally, I 've still tried to keep a positive mindset. My #1 rule while living with diabetic gastroparesis is to be and stay positive!!

Happy tummy day evryone! :)