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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have rushed to the school or am I a neurotic parent??

273 replies

WanderingAroundandAround · 05/03/2024 12:42

DS is 13 and was diagnosed with Type I diabetes 18 months ago. He manages it well in general but regularly ignores low blood sugars until he’s in a hypo. He has a blood sugar monitor and we try to drill into him to treat (with glucose) if he’s going towards a low rather than wait until he’s in one as obviously he feels like crap and it can cause long term effects if he regularly hypos.

Today I got a notification from his monitor that he was in a low and going further down, he also still had a couple of units of insulin onboard. I normally keep checking to make sure he’s treated it and is starting to go up again but he continued going down to 2.7 which is dangerously low. Lowest should be 4. I called the school to ask them to check he’s treated it and make sure he eats a decent amount to counteract the insulin he still had inside him.

They said they’d get him. He continued going down to 2.2 15 minutes later (lowest he’s ever been) at which point I panicked, jumped into car and drive to school with his glycogen injection (school have one but have had it since diagnosis and didn’t know if it was mislaid or whatever), ready to inject as expecting to have to call 999 and DS unconscious!

Got to Reception and said why I was there. The monitor was registering DS as off the scale low at that point. DH had called in as well from work as we were both panicking! Receptionist clearly raised her eyebrows as if to say that I was overreacting. I said she didn’t need to raise her eyebrows as it was a life threatening emergency. She denied doing it and said she was sorry if I thought she had. Kind of thinking now was I was rude but I was very stressed and know how serious it is, a lot of people don’t.

DS then came out with medical lady, who was a bit WTF, and he was laughing and saying I’m fine and very embarrassed saying why did you come to school! Looks like his monitor was wrong which is rare. Medical lady said it was natural that I was a bit anxious as still getting to grips with diagnosis. We have got to grips with it but he was in a life threatening hypo according to his monitor! I think I was right to be extremely worried.

Left feeling rather embarrassed and like I will judged as a neurotic mother and as if I caused a bit of an unnecessary kerfuffle with the receptionist.

I have never gone into school before because DS has gone into a low. Only called once before as he was very high for a long period.

Was I being neurotic? WWYD in that situation.

OP posts:
DistinguishedSocialCommentator · 05/03/2024 12:44

You did what most loving parents would do. I'm like you but my OH appears more relaxed
Glad all was well.

pjani · 05/03/2024 12:44

Just apologise a lot to smooth it over, I don't think you did anything wrong at all.

Pretty sure they'd do the same thing if they had a child in the same situation.

MyLadyTheKingsMother · 05/03/2024 12:45

Reception lady can fuck off.

DS needs to grow up and manage his blood sugar.

Wishlist99 · 05/03/2024 12:46

People don’t appreciate how serious type 1 diabetes is. I would have driven in. The receptionist probably doesn’t have any knowledge about it - and I bet she DID raise her eyebrows. Don’t doubt yourself.

It can be life threatening so make all the kerfuffle you like as far as I’m concerned.

LizardOfOz · 05/03/2024 12:46

Did they expect you to let him go into a diabetic coma?
You did nothing wrong.

Pancakeorcrepe · 05/03/2024 12:47

It’s a very serious medical emergency, you did nothing wrong.

Andthereyougo · 05/03/2024 12:47

You acted on the information you had . You couldn’t have done anything else.
Agree that your ds has to learn to manage his diabetes correctly though appreciate this is difficult for kids. Are there still summer camps for kids with type 1 ?

CissOff · 05/03/2024 12:47

Couldn’t you ask the school to allow him his phone so you can call him? Also some fitness trackers are CGM compatible so they will alert him when he’s high/low.

We have lots of T1 in our family and whilst 4 and above is ideal, I wouldn’t worry if he was under 4 for a period. I’ve had relatives go to 1.1 before and been absolutely fine afterwards (though it’s obviously not recommended or good to do this regularly - it was in the days before CGMs).

CissOff · 05/03/2024 12:48

Does he carry a pin prick machine too? Could be helpful if he’s reading low but not feeling that way?

GrumpyPanda · 05/03/2024 12:49

Reception didn't know the monitor was malfunctioning so they were wrong not to treat it as an emergency. What if the alarm had been real...?

mindutopia · 05/03/2024 12:49

You absolutely did the right thing and I would have done exactly the same.

I would be putting in writing to the school about your concerns too. Not as a 'complaint' but people who don't know anything about T1 diabetes won't understand the seriousness of a hypo and how it needs to be responded to. It sounds like there needs to be education amongst school staff - I'm also sure he isn't the only student they have with diabetes, so will benefit all of those students.

TheFallenMadonna · 05/03/2024 12:49

How does he monitor his BG at school? Does he have his phone with him to get the alarm?

LoreleiG · 05/03/2024 12:50

I’d have done the same. Who wouldn’t? Receptionist is in the wrong for making you feel like that. I hate being condescended to and patronised about ‘anxiety’ about my own child’s monitoring-requiring diagnosis.

nameshame24 · 05/03/2024 12:50

I would have done the exact same thing.

Chunkycookie · 05/03/2024 12:51

I think 99% of parents would have done exactly the same. I would have too.

Ace56 · 05/03/2024 12:51

Assuming the school knows about his condition so if he had passed out they’d know what to do and have called paramedics etc?

It’s not like you’re the only one who can do something to help him. I think in your position I would have phoned the school rather than gone in.

35965a · 05/03/2024 12:51

100% you did the right thing

Blessedbethefruitz · 05/03/2024 12:52

I would have done the exact same. Don't give it a second thought, beyond questioning why the monitor was wrong (I know nothing of diabetes, does it need replacing if it's glitching?).

Phillippeflop · 05/03/2024 12:52

You did nothing wrong and have nothing to apologise for. It all sounds extremely stressful. Any parent would have done the same

WanderingAroundandAround · 05/03/2024 12:52

He had the monitor linked to his phone but since school brought in a policy last year that phones are to be kept in bags all day, he doesn’t like taking his out of his blazer! He is obviously exempt.

He also puts his monitor alarms on silent and ignores it vibrating in lessons which is why I worried he hadn’t treated it straightaway.

OP posts:
Geebray · 05/03/2024 12:54

You did the right thing. But you really need to develop a thicker skin. This won't be the last time that someone thinks you are overreacting, when you know you aren't. Glad your DS was OK.

midgetastic · 05/03/2024 12:55

2.2 and going down no wonder you were concerned ! Terrifying

Ive never come across a sensor fail like that

Ponderingwindow · 05/03/2024 12:55

You did the right thing in what appeared to be a medical emergency.

my DD’s issue is asthma, which most people think isn’t that serious, but they have never seen a child go completely grey, or a&e doctors switch from calm to action in a matter of seconds.

it is a balancing act. You don’t want to make your child too anxious, but there are just times you have to check on them or you need to take an extra reading.

midgetastic · 05/03/2024 12:56

Teens do tend to ignore it as well
It's really hard to be a teen who is different to their friends

Although if he doesn't want to be embarrassed by you turning up you could suggest he keeps better eye on things

WaltzingWaters · 05/03/2024 12:56

You definitely did the right thing. Sure, on this occasion it wasn’t needed, and it’s great that he was fine and had checked, but sometimes people won’t realise how serious it is and not bother. Better safe than sorry. Glad it was all fine.