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Original poster

Diabetes test for DH - he has some symptoms but not others....

58 replies

KBear · 25/08/2006 12:39

he gets up 7-8 times a night to wee, he's thirsty, he's exhausted all the time (but he does shift work so who wouldn't be). Doc has sent him for tests. If it's not diabetes as the doc thinks, what could it be? A simple water infection?

He's always woken at least once in the night but it's driving him crazy at the moment with getting up so often.

OP posts:
jabberwocky · 25/08/2006 12:41

It does sound suspiciously like diabetes. They should get the test results back very quickly. In fact a simple blood sugar test is almost instantaneous.

Original poster
KBear · 25/08/2006 12:42

He has a company medical every year - how come they haven't picked it up if it is? Last one was June.

OP posts:
jabberwocky · 25/08/2006 12:49

Occasionally it can come on quite quickly. I had a patient who came in with a very dramatic change in her vision (I'm an optometrist). I said that we needed to check BS before going with it, whereby she said it was checked 2 weeks before and was perfectly normal. We changed her glasses, with much trepidation on my part. Sure enough, vision continued to fluctuate over the next 2 weeks, another BS check showed diabetes. She said her doctor was very surprised.

1Baby1Bump · 25/08/2006 12:55

How worrying for you.
My DH has it but he has had since he was 10. If he does, you need to make sure he looks after himself properly. You know what men are like!
My Dh didn't when we were younger hence I have had some scary times with him. He does now tho since we have children.
I don't want to scare you but he is another thing on my mind along with the children.
It will be fine whatever the outcome.
Diabetes care is geting better all the time, it doesn't need to change your life.
All I find is sometimes he gets moody and lacks patience.

Original poster
KBear · 25/08/2006 12:56

Just have to wait for the results I suppose - will be late next week I guess because of the bank holiday.

OP posts:
Original poster
KBear · 25/08/2006 12:58

moody and lacks patience? Is that not all men???? ha ha

Thanks for your replies. I'm not going to stress too much, it might be something simple yet. I have a good friend with diabetes and he lives a normal life so I know it's not the end of the world. Thanks

OP posts:
Tutter · 25/08/2006 12:59

surprised you have to wait for so long for the results. can't you buy blood sugar tests to use at home?

my brother is diabetic - i remember his symptoms coming on very quickly.

good luck, but try not to worry - if it is diabetes you will all learn to live with it vey quickly - doesn't have to be a terrible thing.

1Baby1Bump · 25/08/2006 13:00

Getting up 7-8 times to wee is a lot. I assume he doesn't have pain on weeing?
My DH gets up about once now he is properly controlled but that is generally only if I wake him with my tossing and turning in bed.

When he was little, before diagnosis, he was very pale and lethargic, he was skin and bone and was sick a lot.
He is very slim now at only 32' waist.

Does he ever have a strange smell on his breath? Like Pear Drops?

Original poster
KBear · 25/08/2006 14:34

No pain on weeing. He's not skinny at all and no pear drop smell!

OP posts:
CheesyFeet · 25/08/2006 14:56

My dh is diabetic too, and has been since he was a child. I second everything that 1baby1bump said... it doens't affect his ability to lead a normal life at all. On the whole his control is good although he does have his moments too.

The pear drop smell would be a good indication, it happens to dh when his blood sugar level gets too high, generally when he has forgotten a jab.

Original poster
KBear · 25/08/2006 14:59

Just called the doc - the blood test will be back by Monday but as it is a bank holiday will have to wait until Tuesday. Not so bad then.

OP posts:
1Baby1Bump · 25/08/2006 23:05

glad u dont have to wait too long. will be watching. be sure to let us know then me 'n cheesy can tell you the warning signs for the awful pmt...!
just kidding!

but if he doesnt smell of pear drops then i suspect he is ok. x

SpaceCadet · 25/08/2006 23:12

kbear, it can come on very quickly, did he have a finger prick test done before the blood test was sent off?

Original poster
KBear · 26/08/2006 17:27

I don't think so SC. What does that mean then?

OP posts:
blossom2 · 26/08/2006 18:01

my DH was diagnosised when he was 28 yrs and has type 1 so injects insulin daily. his symptoms came on over a course of a few months, he lost alot of weight, look ill, drank loads, loads of water and passing it alot, during the day as well as the night. when he was diagnosised, he had to stay in hospital for a couple of nights because his blood sugar level was so high.
Since then, his life hasnt changed much although he is more careful about diet and exercise (but still gets drunk on a friday night). it is hard though because he's had some pretty bad hypos when we've been out & about and i've had to take care of him & 2 kids ....

HTH

1Baby1Bump · 26/08/2006 18:32

kbear- the finger prick test is just a drop of blood from a tiny prick to his finger which is put onto a strip loaded into a blood glucose monitor. it gives a reading of the blood sugar level in about 10 secs.
dh has a meter and he does 4 tests a day to help him decide how much insulin to inject.
i hope the description of the test makes sense!?

also, he writes all the test results in a special book they give him so when he goes to see the diabetes doctor at the hosp every 6 months they can see how his levels and been and if necessary adjust his insulin and give him advice etc.

1Baby1Bump · 26/08/2006 18:35

can sympathise with blossom about the hypos. my dh usually has them in the night though if he has any.
called the ambulance for one of them.
dont mean to cause alarm but what exactly does your dh do when he is having one blossom?
dont mean to hijack either! x

blossom2 · 26/08/2006 18:47

no worries 1baby1bump, DH usually eats sugar tablets, chocolate, drinks coke, basically anything with lots of sugar. if he catches it early then its about 10mins and hes fine. i know during the night, he likes a biscuit and some warm milk !! and goes back to sleep.

does yr DH just take one type of insulin? my dh has 2 types of insulin and just recently changed his nighttime insulin which has dramatically reduced is hypos during the night

Spidermama · 26/08/2006 18:52

The symptoms do tally with diabetes. However, their are also food intolerances which have this effect.
I can't understand why you have to wait for the blood test results. I could test him in 30 seconds with my son's blood testing kit (he has diabetes) and if your dh were diabetic, it's in his interest to get a dx asap as if sugar gets really high he could start using keytones. If I were you I'd send him off to casualty for a test. They can do it so quickly and easily.

In fact, you can buy the blood testing kits yourself in chemists and some supermarkets.

I don't want to be alarmist, but I think they shouldn't have you wait until Tuesday.

Good luck.

blossom2 · 26/08/2006 18:54

i agree that you should get some kind of test done ASAP, for peace of mind if not anything. there are very serious consequences of too high blood sugar levels. sorry to sound so serious

1Baby1Bump · 26/08/2006 19:01

he takes insulin sweets like tums, kind of powdery things that are orange flavour- i love them! he also drinks lucozade if hes bad.

when i had to call the ambo it was because he was sort of convulsing he was so low. he was concious but couldnt understand a word i was saying or respond. he was sweating and his whole body went rigid so i couldnt move him. (he had got out of the car, luckily, and was stood in the middle of the road when i found him, i had just arrived home with my brother who could take ds indoors for me)
because of the convulsing i couldnt get a drink into him so rang 999.

he has had a couple of these since but at night in bed. before the fit starts he seems to be really drunk. talking drivel ie:
'im not going to bed for a lie down because it's all yellow like a cigar!'
there are many more mad behaviours but i wont post them now!

i got some stuff called glucogel that is a small tube like hair gel that you can squirt into his mouth and even if he cant swallow, it is absorbed through the gums so he wont choke.

luckily its never happened when weve been out.

blossom2 · 26/08/2006 19:14

1baby1bump, my sympathies and it must have been so scary.

its so difficult sometimes to spot a hypo, as DH is quite pale anyway, but usually its been he is: goes very pale, gets snappy and irritable, sweaty. when its really low, DH just goes crazy and i cant control him, get him to stay still, talks lots of rubbish.

its hard

Spidermama · 26/08/2006 19:29

I've got the glucogel in my fridge too 1baby1bump but have never used it. It's supposed to taste horrible by the way.

I've also got a big syringe in an orange box in case ds ever goes into a coma and I need to act fast. How scary is that?

blossom2 · 26/08/2006 19:32

what is this big syringe ??? what is in it? should i get one?

I do sometimes find it really hard to cope but try not think about it too much. I'm very thankful that DDs dont have it.

Spidermama · 26/08/2006 19:35

It's a hormone which makes your liver release glucose bloss. Of course, it depends on the liver having glucose supplies to release, which it doesn't necessarily have.

Also, if God Forbid I ever have to use it, I'll have to mix it and measure it out first. I'll be shaking like a leaf already if he has passed out.

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