Hi Lauren - I'm sorry you had to go through that. It really isn't fun. I had to go to the hospital once for DKA and that was enough for me. It was way back when - in my teens and I had my wisdom teeth out. My parents had a reunion to go to and I convinced them to go - it was a couple days after the surgery. I was eating just soups still. I wasn't feeling well and tested before I went to bed and I was in a normal range. Woke up at 2:00 AM and threw up - couldn't stop for hours- figuring I just had a bug - didn't even think about testing my blood. Back then, it was a pain b/c it was a large meter and it took a long time for results. I lost 16 lbs in about 6 hours. My sister was home from college and called the doc who said to take me into the hospital. It was a fight to get in b/c I was a minor. Once I went into a coma, I got in.
I learned a few things from this. My doc was horrible. I wasn't aware that throwing up would spike your sugars so always always test if you are- he never told me and the internet wasn't around so I took what my doc said as the rule. If you are a minor and your parents are away, have a legal document saying (put your person's name here) can admit you to the hospital in an emergency. I'm not sure if it's a medical declaration form or whatever - someone else might have more info on that. I was lucky and the top administrator of the hospital was a neighbor - he got me in. That was my only time in DKA - one was enough.
when i was first diagnosed with diabetes my blood sugar was over 1000 but the doctors have yet to tell me in a little over 2 years that it was d.k.a. Well I think ppl who are non-diabetics and have opinions on how to manage diabetes, should offer their criticism in a constructive way. Unlike 2 of my friends who tell me what I should and shouldn't eat. That makes me so agitated when they think they know what's best for me;they have very little clue what's going on. Btw, I started 8th grade on Monday, it's nice to have a schedule again. Maybe my diabetes will get under control then. The doctors are holding off on giving me my pump because they feel my numbers aren't where they should be. Oh well, I am going to show them that I can control/handle my diabetes. Sorry about the long post, it's almost like a monologue. LOL!
Only 1 time since i was diagnosed 18 years ago. It was in August of 2004 I had the exact same things happen to me as they did Lauren throwing up constently and not being able to keep any food or liquid and not being able to quench the thirst which was un bearible. That was the most scariest thing I've ever experienced since the 1st time I don't even remember it.
I've been hospitalized D.K.A. a couple of times. The last time it was so difficult to get an vein that I woke up in the ICU with an iv in my throat. Totally freaked me out that they had to use that major of an artery.
The reason D.K.A. requires hospital treatment rather than just taking an insulin shot at home is because f the amount of insulin that is required to bring the surgar level down. Taking that much at one time at home would be suicidal once it dropped.
They're holding off getting you on the pump because your numbers are good enough?!? When the pump's existence is supposed to help people get better numbers? Argh! Sometimes, doctors are truly not nice people.
It's been a while since you posted this. How is your energy level doing? A lot of the DKA incidents with me had to do with using Regular insulin in an insulin pump. Slow, slow regular, all by itself.
Good luck with the pump...I hope that you never have to deal with DKA again.
Lauren if your blood sugar was over a thousand you can guarantee you were in diabetic ketoacidosis. With a blood sugar that high you were not only ketotic but also knocking on deaths door. Don't question that one any more. I was diagnosed in 8th grade as well and that was 24 years ago. You can do it. People may get annoying but try to focus on all of the positive things you have in your life. Surround yourself with the people who build you up not take you down.
Lauren if your blood sugar was over a thousand you can guarantee you were in diabetic ketoacidosis. With a blood sugar that high you were not only ketotic but also knocking on deaths door. Don't question that one any more. I was diagnosed in 8th grade as well and that was 24 years ago. You can do it. People may get annoying but try to focus on all of the positive things you have in your life. Surround yourself with the people who build you up not take you down.
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I help take care of a T1 diabetic & I'm pretty new to the diabetes, so am "lurking" here to pick up some tips & information. Krystal has mild MR so needs some help. She's been hospitalized over 100 times since she was diagnosed at 12 (she's 27 now) She's had 30 diabetic comas & had to be resusitated (was technically dead 4 times) I've only been helping her out with her appts & medications since May. We just found out she probably has Celiac disease also, doing an endoscopy next week to be sure.
Krystal had a blood sugar of 34 a few weeks ago, I'm paranoid since I'm new to this, so I took her to the ER , By the time we went through admittance and they got her BS results back (about 2-1/2 hours later) her numbers were at 1454. They tested twice to be certain (it was 1460 the second time) She was walking, talking and feeling better. No symptoms at all, and she had no Ketones at all. IV insulin and she was down to 180 later that evening.
She was back in the hospital on Monday of this week. Finally I convinced them to do some chest xrays (she's been coughing for 6 weeks and was on her third antibiotic, the doctors diagnosed bronchitis & then a sinus infection) She has Pneumonia. Course the doctor lectured us Monday about Krystal not taking proper insulin amounts. Grrrrrr K's been taking her own insulin for 14 or so years & I watch her do her shots. She even tells me what her corrections should be if she's high. I love how the doctors blamed it on her not knowing how to do her insulin, rather on the fact that she had PNEUMONIA. They were doing the paperwork to release her when I convinced them to do the xrays on her chest. Needless to say she was admitted for 3 days then . I hope Krystal will be posting herself soon :) but love reading about other's experiences & tips. Tracy for Krystal
No, I know what it is, but at one point does it qualify as DKA? Like is it at any point you have Ketones its DKA, or is it a certain amount of Ketones, or...?
if i remember it correctly, it's not just when you have ketones, but when you have enough to actually raise the acidity of your blood. you can have ketones, but not be dka. you have to have a lot and for a sustained period of time to lower the ph of your blood. when that happens, it's dka.
your blood is highly sensitive. it delivers all the important stuff (oxygen, nutrients, glucose, hormones.... pretty much everything). and it can only function in a very small window of "safe" ph. if the ph is altered, it begins to deteriorate and can no longer function... meaning your body isn't being provided with any of the things it needs to survive, so it begins to shut down. if you're pregnant and experience dka, the baby only has a 5% chance of surviving. ketones themself are dangerous, but not as dangerous as dka.
and i haven't been looking any of this up, so don't necessarily believe everything i type :o) i'm trying to remember my textbook from memory, but it's packed in a storage unit at the moment. :o)
essentially, ketones are when your body is lacking an efficient form of energy so it starts "eating" itself to get some energy. it begins to break down muscle and fat and turn them into energy. for many of your body's processes, it needs glucose to function properly. ketones are inefficient, but they will use them if they have no other form of energy. meaning your body will run inefficiently. this is hard on your body, so it will eventually begin to cause damage (some of it reversible, some of it not). that's why it's important to stay on top of ketones and take care of them immediately--even if you're overweight, you need your muscle and fat to live. losing weight via ketones is very unhealthy, but a lot of people will do it anyway as a "quick fix." it's a dangerous one. pregnant women check for ketones every morning when they wake up and more often if needed, to make sure they are not spilling ketones as they can cause damage to the baby and the mom.