To have told dh not to take me to the hospital if I’m really ill?

[Butterbear86]

With anything really, there’s currently no point, but if I get cv and I’m really ill am I correct in thinking as a t1 diabetic no one would treat me?
I’ve told dh to leave me in the spare bedroom as I’d sooner die at home.

No you go into hospital!

What?

Look things are bad, they may be about to get worse. But they aren’t THAT bad yet. Are you taking anything for anxiety?

Definitely go to the hospital!

I suppose I feel like there’s no point and they will already be swamped.

Don't be daft, got to the hospital. They will treat everyone.
You could be the first patient with cv to arrive therefore would get all the treatment.
The only time they'll prioritise is when it's absolutely swamped beyond recognition but even then you'll get treatment. We aren't going to suddenly become a third world nation!!

If you need hospital care, go.

In China 7.3% of diabetics diagnosed with the virus died. Mortality rates of the virus have been lower here. It's unlikely you will die.

Of course they would treat you - unless you are missing a lot of detail about your age / medical history from your post.
However if you require ventilation - you’re right that your diabetes might be considered along side age, other medical conditions and who else is waiting. That’s why it’s important we do everything we can to flatten the curve and spread out the strain on the NHS - so there is a ventilated bed for everyone who would benefit.

Go now!

You go to the hospital but only if you have problems with breathing, otherwise you stay at home.

I have been worrying about my parents who have diabetes a lot, just found out in the .gov.uk site there are two groups that are considered vulnerable, those with “an increased risk” and those “with a particular risk”. Diabetes is in the former one. So don’t give up.

You need to call 111 they'll tell you what to do. Dont listen to anyone else. The only ppl who can advise are 111

Are you Ill now?

No - I’m just thinking ahead.
I don’t want to go to hospital and just be told we cannot help you. I’m mid 30s and no other conditions but diabetes has a really high mortality rate. I don’t want to take a bed of a healthy person.

I know it’s hard but try not to think so far ahead. You may not get ill and you are being careful. If you do get I’ll then you absolutely should try to go to hospital, you have as much right as anyone else. Take care.

From another type 1 - you go to the hospital if you need to.

Don’t give up. I am scared too but it’s not a done deal that our bodies will pack it in!

How is your blood sugar generally? Are you prone to DKA? I’m focusing on keeping the numbers as smooth as I can. They’re far from perfect though.

OMG if you turn up on deaths door at the hospital they're not going to turn you away are you kidding! Of course they will treat you.
Yes your diabetic but if that's your only risk factor, you are young etc you will likely not even need hospital admission and will be ok to recover at home. But if you need hospital care you go!

The reading comprehension on this site astounds me.

The OP quite clearly stated she was not ill yet. Then she get to to "Go now!"

We have a t1 being treated in one of our ITU beds currently. Absolute bollocks that you wouldn’t be treated. Even in a very extreme case where there really isn’t enough ventilators, you stand a better chance of getting one if you are actually there, and even if you don’t, other treatment might get you through it. The person in your head who you think you are donating your ventilator to might have a much worse chance of survival than you. There are a whole range of things between lying in your bed at home with 2 paracetamol and full itu ventilation. Lots of inpatients are on standard wards, not ITU. Come in if you are sick. We will do our very best.

You're taking your worries too far. As previous poster said, even with diabetes, the death rate is under 8%. Please call your gp about your anxiety.

Plus dying at home without palliative care is not a choice anyone should be making. Think about the effect of that on your dh. Even if you were very very unlucky and in hospital they could not save you, they would be able to calm you and make it easier. Plus cleaner and safer removal of corpse (brutal but true).

If you are struggling to breathe, i suspect your dh will call an ambulance anyway. And he'd be right.

I know it's frightening to have one of the big underlying conditions but this anxiety is too much. Call your gp, get off the internet and enjoy things with your dh.

My partner is in a mental health spiral at the moment. It's very difficult for both of us but not constantly talking about corona or listening to the news is helping. Read a favourite book, watch easy silly films together, cook something nice, play games. At first you have to force other conversation but it does get easier.

Where on earth have you got that idea? Of course they will treat you. They will treat everyone until they get to a position where it's impossible, which is why it's so important for everyone to stay apart, so that as few cases as possible are in hospitals at any one time

OP I think you need to distance yourself from social media for a while. Do you usually suffer from anxiety?

Hospitals are coping right now. The UK’s entire strategy is centred around keeping the number of cases manageable so that the medical infrastructure can continue to cope.

We are not yet at the stage where doctors are having to do that kind of triage, and if these measures work, hopefully they will never have to.

The government has just signed a deal with Private hospitals to be able to use their beds and staff, that’s a brilliant extra addition.

Please go to the hospital if you are advised to by a medical professional.

There are a whole range of things between lying in your bed at home with 2 paracetamol and full itu ventilation.

@StampMc this made me you are right though!

You think your husband wants to nurse you through death?

I think you're exactly my age Butterbear. The same age as a very dear friend of mine who is also T1. I certainly wouldn't want her thinking like you. And I'd be very stern with her if I thought that she was.

First, you are as deserving of treatment as anyone else. Yes, your level of risk is a bit higher, but your chances of survival are well over 90%! So you're definitely not a write off. (Especially because that figure hasn't even been adjusted for age or other health complaints, like the ones that often accompany T2, which you presumably don't have. All us 'normal people are telling ourselves it only happens to the elderly and infirm, so why shouldn't you?)

Second, they are not talking about not treating people at all. Even if they are dealing with a huge influx of people. There might not be enough intensive care beds or ventilators, and that's where terribly difficult decisions might have to be made. But as a diabetic you have other concerns. If your blood glucose starts going crazy due to illness, then a hospital will be able to treat you for that. And they will.

Asking your DH to just leave you in the spare bedroom to die of a hypo or hyper, or ketoacidosis, because of some bizarre notion that nobody would spare the time to hook you up to some glucose or give you a shot of insulin is daft and unfair. Stop it.

But I'm sorry you're so scared. It's horrible. Take care of yourself. Test regularly. Make sure your kit is full. I'm sure you're already in isolation, but make sure you're contacting family and friends via message, phone and video call. Do other nice things. Anything creative you've been wishing you had time for? It's spring, can you plant a flower and watch it grow? We could well be in this for the long haul, but the odds are in your favour.

@StampMc I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I’d love to know how the type 1 in icu is doing - is it hard to keep them out of DKA?

Medics not having time to do glucose management in an unconscious diabetic is a big fear for me and other type 1s but of course we know you all will try your absolute best to help those of us who end up needing care (and thank you to all healthcare professionals in general).

As a fellow T1, for your own good, get a grip! The 7% rate throws together all diabetics. You must see our risk is better than that of a 90yo subermorbidly obese T2 who runs their sugars at 20 and has small vessel disease. Not that someone like that would be undeserving of treatment, but not all diabetics carry equal risk. PLus, those stats are based on China, where the average diabetic doesn't have access to the same quality of treatment.