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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to rant about how much I hate diabetes

135 replies

Edenviolet · 14/07/2014 00:26

So sick of it. Having to wake dd2 and feed her a biscuit as blood sugar was dropping then ten mins later it was too low so had to try and wake her again to feed her glucose tablets.

Its one of those nights where I just know that her cgm alarm will keep going off and its horrible having to try and get glucose into her when she's half asleep. Every time she plays in the garden on a warm day we have nights like this. Thought we had been clever and gave an extra snack before bed but she has dropped anyway.
Just wanted to rant because I really really REALLY hate diabetes

OP posts:
Nancery · 14/07/2014 14:24

I think it's quite unusual for Type 1 be singled out and explained properly, usually type 2 that is discussed and almost always linked with dreadful lifestyle choices. I'm sorry to say that this has led to me being a bit scornful too; I know there are lots of factors that can contribute it but I suppose I'm just annoyed that I get tarred with the self-inflicted brush because I have a condition with nearly the same name.

About 15 years ago I never had any qualms about telling someone I was diabetic, and I would inject freely and easily anywhere and not be secretive about it. In fact I much preferred to explain. However now I don't tend to say something, or if I am to having hypo and needing something I will say I "get hypoglycaemia" instead of "I'm diabetic."

Nancery · 14/07/2014 14:27

OP, is it possible to run your daughters Bloodsugars a little bit higher than they should be just for a couple of days? Like 8 - 10mmol? I don't think that will cause any problems just for a few days, I've never been told it would do its more long-term high bloods that's the big issue. That might make it easier to work out what basal you actually need to have on the pump, especially with it being warmer weather. Also, I'm sorry to worry you, having frequent lows can lower her awareness and could actually make hypos more severe.

paddyclampo · 14/07/2014 14:40

Agree with Nancery I would run her levels a little higher for a few days as the last thing you want is for her hypo awareness to go.

I also used to be more open about my diabetes when I was younger. I think it's cos people were more understanding and always assumed that because I was so young then I must have type 1. Now that i'm pushing 40 I get asked which type it is (by the relatively few people who know there is 2 types) and i'm ashamed to say this to the likes of Maggie but because there is so much hype about type 2 being self inflicted (I know this is far from always the case) I feel insulted!

Maggie i'm ashamed to say I don't know a lot about MODY :S

Nancery · 14/07/2014 16:40

Is MODY like the LADA type?

(Sorry, can't remember what the LADA type is either although someone did tell me.)

Original poster
Edenviolet · 14/07/2014 21:41

Her levels are a bit higher than they should be already and she still has no hypo awareness but as we have the cgm we are able to keep an eye on her. Introduced another basal at 8pm which hopefully will help tonight.

OP posts:
Nancery · 14/07/2014 22:00

How high is a bit high? Am guessing 10? If so, don't stress too much, it's not long term so try not to worry. Pumps must make things loads easier in terms of flexibility, when I was small and newly diagnosed I had one injection a day and had to eat at certain times, and never too much!

Good luck tonight. Come back and rant if you need to x

Original poster
Edenviolet · 14/07/2014 22:11

She has been around 9-12 the last couple of days but does dpi before meals 6-7 ish. We had a basal rate of 0.225 from 5pm till midnight but she drops from 8pm so have added a rate 0.175 from 8-12 to see if that prevents a hypo tonight.
Been warm again though so not sure how it'll go. Her cgm sensor has been troublesome too, getting hot the last few days made it sore and weep then today it started smelling and I had to take it off, it was awful, red raw and covered in pus Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
Edenviolet · 14/07/2014 22:12

Dip not dpi

OP posts:
Sleepswithbutterflies · 14/07/2014 22:13

I would definitely set a temporary basal - sometimes I turn mine down to nothing for an hour if I'm being active or running low. Only for an hour though. It usually it enough to see off a hypo.

paddyclampo · 14/07/2014 22:32

Sounds like she has an infection Hedgehog and that will push her levels up.

I was like you Nancery - 2 shots a day, had to eat at 12 on the dot. The only day I was allowed sweets was at Christmas. When insulin pens became widely available and I went onto 4 shots a day it was like being born again :)

Original poster
Edenviolet · 14/07/2014 22:55

It does look sore, and the smell....oh dear

We rely on the cgm so much but its made her so unhappy due to the soreness. Tried different dressings with it and barrier creams, cavilon etc and no luck yet. Gp wants us to use hydrocortisone but I worry about skin thinning where cannula/sensor goes.

OP posts:
innogen75 · 15/07/2014 00:34

Nancery type 2s do get hypos and I know quite a few that were put on insulin immediately so its not a last resort. My mum was, they didn't try diet or tablets at all.

I loathe the fact that type 2s get tarred with the self inflicted brush when there are any number of contributing factors and it may not have anything whatsoever to do with lifestyle.

Nancery · 15/07/2014 08:27

Innogen, I'm really sorry if I offended with the Type 2 thing.

It sounds as if your mother has similar frustrations to me, I often get tarred with the self inflicted thing even though that's impossible and she can get tarred with it even though that's not actually the case with her. I've also been 'told off' re lifestyle etc by medics (happened several times in ante natal) which is especially horrible.

Sorry again!

By type 2's getting hypos, do you mean that the ones on insulin do? If so, I realise that is possible.

Nancery · 15/07/2014 08:31

Ps and I was told by the Diabetes nurse that pumps / insulin were the last resort at a pump clinic, which is where I got that from but she may have been generalising (it was more of a passing comment when I was talking about giving up my pump / pumps in general.)

Hedgehog, I agree that the infection may be putting her bg levels up. It sounds awful, poor little thing! I don't know anything about CGM's so don't know what else to suggest. Anyone...?

paddyclampo · 15/07/2014 11:56

How is everyone today? I've calmed down slightly after yet another pump rejection ??

Nancery · 15/07/2014 12:36

Glad you're feeling better than yesterday! What happened with your pump?
I had a pump when pg and hated it! I realise how flexible etc they are but I utterly hated wearing it, HATED it! I think it was the tubing, attachment thing, plus I hated having a visible thing attached and obvious when I got changed at the pool / gym. It made me feel like a patient.

I am now back on ones and, while I find it much tricker with DS on the scene, think I will stick with them. I get more spikes but, generally, am pretty good and consistent

Nancery · 15/07/2014 12:56

Back on PENS, not ones Confused

chocolatemademefat · 15/07/2014 15:39

I feel for both of you. People don't treat the disease as serious if they have no examples of it in their own close family. We're just left to get on with it.

I hope your daughter is back to a good level now and you both get a decent sleep tonight.

larry5 · 15/07/2014 16:17

Just to let you know that T2 diabetics can have hypos when not on insulin. I am on gliclazide and metformin and have had hypos in the past before the doctor reduced my gliclazide amount.

By the way, T2 diabetes can be hereditary so it is not just life style choices.

Nancery · 15/07/2014 19:37

Larry5, again, sorry if I've annoyed. I know there are plenty of factors that contribute to Type 2, my bugbear is the "diabetes" being almost always linked on programmes, in newspapers etc with "obesity" and so on. I can imagine it's not great for Type 2's who have always looked after themselves too.

stillstandingatthebusstop · 15/07/2014 19:45

I have only just seen this.

Ds2 16yrs has Type 1 - ended up in hospital last weekend as insulin pump broke .

Playing cricket seems the best way to break diabetes equipment. Have spent the last 10 days trying to organise extra insulin and a sports case to hold pump. You'd think it would be straightforward - it isn't. Confused

I sympathise with you all.ThanksThanksThanks

paddyclampo · 15/07/2014 20:18

Nancery I keep asking for a pump and basically getting told I can't have one because my control is too good. I've got lumps under my skin from all the injection (thankfully they don't look as bad as they feel) and sometimes when I inject the insulin comes out again. Really interesting what you say about not liking being attached to it because that thought crossed my mind, also how would I hide it?! I guess there are pros and cons!

maggiethemagpie · 15/07/2014 20:22

Nancery- MODY is different to LADA. It's monogenic (single gene) which means there's a 50/50 chance of a child being born to a parent with MODY getting it. So no lifestyle choices for me, my fate was pretty much sealed when sperm met egg.

Actually I think a lot of the explosion in diabetes recently is due to genes. Think about it, not long ago if you had diabetes you would probably die before you had children, or be unlikely to have a successful pregnancy now there are many diabetics having babies so these genes are no longer dying out, but getting more prevalent.

maggiethemagpie · 15/07/2014 20:30

I am sorry to hear that some t1s on here feel embarrassed about their diabetes because of the obesity/self inflicted thing. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of overweight people DONT get diabetes. Some people think that rather than weight gain leading to diabetes, it's actually the other way around. People with an impaired carbohydrate metabolism end up producing too much insulin, which causes weight gain. Kind of like putting the cart before the horse.
My own experience is that I gained a lot of weight in pregnancy precisely because I had to inject a lot of insulin due to the need to keep my sugars low and the natural insulin resistance caused by pregnancy. Once I had the baby the extra weight made me insulin resistance. So I am in the lucky position of having two types of diabetes, I don't produce my own insulin and I have insulin resistance.

paddyclampo · 15/07/2014 20:34

Maggie I think the gene thing is very interesting. There was no type 1 in my family at all when I was diagnosed. Then last year my nephew was diagnosed with it at 13, despite my DB being fine!