Really not feeling like myself and feeling very ill

[blvdbrokendreams]

I am 26 and a mum to an 8 month old. I am really struggling with eating. I feel sick when I eat and feel better if I force it down. I then feel better for about half an hour and then feel sick again. I'm exhausted. I know I'm a mum to a little one but this is beyond exhaustion. I could nap all day and still sleep all night. I can actually feel my eyes shutting when I'm changing her nappy. I'm constantly thirsty. And all I want is sugar. Orange juice or full sugar cola.
I took a pregnancy test on the off chance and both came back negative. I had a period 10 days ago so I'm thinking that's very unlikely.
I rang the doctors who told me no appointments because of covid and if I'm worried to call 111.
I dont think it's an out of hours gp thing. It doesn't feel like a hospital thing. It's been going on for 5 days. And I'm starting to worry

@blvdbrokendreams

I'm writing a letter now to my gp. I'm.also going to ring them when I'm home. I spoke to a receptionist several times when i called but the moment they found out I had an 8 month old baby they dismissed me as being tired from having a baby or could I possibly be pregnant again. Never even spoke to a gp or a nurse

Shocking behaviour from that receptionist. You should absolutely put in a complaint about this. She is not medically qualified to make any kind of judgement about your condition.

Glad you have a diagnosis. It sounds like a receptionist "diagnosed" you and blocked you from seeing a GP or nurse which is absolutely outrageous. I remember one doing that to my brother years ago when he urgently needed medical treatment but I thought things have changed.

Thank Goodness you've been diagnosed and are starting treatment OP! I am sure in time you will get your head around the diagnosis and will adapt and cope really well. I have no words for the shambles and incompetence of your GP practice.

I'd say 'the NHS are brilliant supporting patients with type 1 diabetes' but clearly your GP was shockingly awful. My OH has really good support from hospital and surgery.

OH was diagnosed 10 years ago, in his 50s. It was a shock, and definitely needs quite major adjustments. But he's fine and lives a normal life (apart from all the injections...).

Another person with no medical training, but with family members who have type 1 and recognised the symptoms from your post. Receptionists should absolutely not be triaging patients and as a mother of a very young child you should have been automatically given a phone appointment with those symptoms. Our GP surgery have been excellent both in person and remotely through type last year - I couldn’t fault them.

I know you’re going to be exhausted, and figuring this diagnosis out but I agree with other posters, make a complaint, ensure it gets to the highest levels in your local NHS organisation and have them blasted for this. There are too many casualties of this bloody pandemic. This is unacceptable

The doctor is so mad I haven't been able to see a gp
I am angry for you as well.

It just isn't good enough.

oh bless you
You absolutely need to take your GP practice to the cleaners over this. It is completely unacceptable that they will not even do phone consultations to determine if they need to see people in person. If the person on 111 hadn't been switched on to your symptoms you could have been in a coma by now. It makes me so mad

I'm still in shock that yesterday I just thought I was a bit run down and now I've got a life changing illness in the space of 24 hours
Don't think of it as an illness, think of it as a manageable condition.

OP - I'm seconding anyone who has suggested Diabetes UK as a good source of information for you and your husband at this time.

Their helpline and support groups were invaluable to a couple of people I know who presented with Type 1 (or 1.5 as some people call some types) in their 20/30s.

www.diabetes.org.uk/

I am so cross on your behalf that you couldn’t see a GP. The very first poster, who replied in less than a minute, said it sounded like diabetes. Says something when a bunch of randoms on the internet can diagnose something in seconds when your GP won’t see you.

I hope you start to feel better soon. It must be overwhelming to deal with this diagnosis and everything that comes with it, but it will eventually become your new normal

Endocrinologist has been. Im very overwhelmed with information. If the dehydration goes and im feeling better I can go home. I need to wait for a diabetes nurse to go thru the testing and make sure im comfortable with it. I will look at the website..I feel like my head is going to explode with information

well done OP for getting the help you needed. Take some time for yourself. Get as much information written down as you can so you can refer back to it later.

Hi OP, really glad you got seen. It’s a lot to take in, take it easy on yourself.

So glad that you are ok it could have been so much worse. Must be overwhelming for you but it will gradually sink in and become a way of life, make sure you take care of yourself and follow all the advice and stick to eating a good diet. Good luck and let us know how it's going.

I don't know what it's like being diagnosed as an adult, or in different trusts, but we were given a folder with all the info and contact numbers etc in it to take home so that we didn't have to try to remember it all at once. Hopefully they give you something like that?

Hi OP. So glad you went to the hospital and have received such good care.
With regards to the GP, don't rush off a letter. Just hang on until you are feeling a bit more like yourself. The issue you have is not with the GP, but with the fact that receptionists are not trained to triage patients. This is a perfect example. The symptoms you had are classic signs of diabetes, I'm sure the GP would not have dismissed you. Receptionists are supposed to pass your message on to a doctor, and they decide whether you need a call/appointment/referred. As clearly seen here the receptionist hasn't a clue.
You need to state in your letter that this is a very poor service and must be changed. I'd include the practice manager in this letter/email.
I had to speak to my parents' GP about this recently when we rang four times desperate for some advice/house call from GP. The receptionist kept saying no house calls. My father passed away at home 5 days later, and my GP came. I told him I was so disappointed he couldn't have come when we asked. He was shocked and had no idea. The message wasn't passed on, the receptionists dealt with it. He came back a few days later, they had a meeting at work and were very apologetic. He said he would certainly have come if he had known and they were addressing the issues raised.
Main thing is you are getting the care you need, but don't feel you have to rush the complaint. You have plenty of time to get it right.

I should have said, I am actually a nurse myself, so this makes me really cross.
The hospital will have specialist nurses who will be in touch.

I'm so glad you're pretty much sorted now.

Regarding the surgery. I'd be inclined to go in a bit circumspect at first and ask what their policies are in covid times about patients being allocated appointments.

I don't want to upset you, but you know you could have died if it was left undiagnosed-untreated don't you. And clearly your primary care provider (GP surgery) has let you down very badly here, you phoned several times. I hope they have a record of those calls.

As a minimum they need to reconsider their policies. And offer you a sincere, profound apology.

Hopefully you'll be back home with your baby very soon

I’m really surprised they’ve diagnosed you type 1 with blood sugar readings of 11 - normally undiagnosed type 1’s are in the 20’s / 30’s. I’ve never known anyone started on insulin at a reading of 11. I’m type 2, my readings have been increasing over the last couple of years, no medication is helping. This week I’ve not been below 13, highest 20. Am producing ketones. Diabetic nurse sent me to a and e on Wednesday, after 5 hours waiting I was told blood tests within range, go home. I’m starting insulin today and will be investigated for type 1 or LADA, but the test to establish this can’t be done overnight, it takes a few days. If you have been diagnosed overnight t1 on those readings I would be sceptical. Whatever, good luck.

@Em308 it was 21 on admission. Have I put a different number? Sorry I'm absolutely exhausted and might not be reading it well. The doctor told me it was 21 when he came in to see me

I would want to know what their policies are as in my own GP surgery there is no way the receptionists decide whether or not you need an appointment. They either refer it to the GP for a phone call (where they decide whether you should come in) or they refer to a nurse or pharmacist. It's so dangerous that a totally unqualified person decided you didn't need an appointment.

What a shock op. I’m so glad that you phoned 111 and they offered appropriate advice.
Please make sure that you happy with everything before you go home. There will be follow up support and I know that you’ll be missing your DH and dd dreadfully but this diagnosis will mean some bug adjustments for you all.
Take your time to compose a factual letter to your GP - make sure that the practice manager and senior partners in the practice are copied in. Give them a deadline by which to respond to you. Apart from you being back to feeling well, if you can stop anyone else from being treated so dreadfully that at least something positive will have come from this.
Sending lots of love

I'm saddened that yet another GP Receptionist has fallen extremely short again. I really don't know what is wrong with them. I'm a GP Receptionist and your symptoms would have made me go straight to the GP, however whatever happens after that is not up to us. We are not allowed to give medical advice like the OP explained she was Granted we don't get medical training as that is not our job but dear God where is the common sense these days?

Hope you are feeling a bit more normal and have medical and family support for your diagnosis.

I suspect the GPs at the practice will be as horrified as the hospital doctor.