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Original poster

Help, DH in hospital after blood test results

26 replies

elliejjtiny · 09/09/2023 09:31

Dh is 44 and mostly healthy apart from type 2 diabetes and bmi in the overweight category. He doesn't smoke or drink. He went for his normal diabetes check up on Thursday and they took the usual bloods, hba1c I think it's called, don't know if they did any others. Anyway Dr surgery called yesterday saying blood results were abnormal (don't know if it's the hba1c or something else) and he shouldn't have been able to walk with those levels and he needs to go to hospital either last night or first thing this morning for monitoring and more blood tests. He went this morning but the only thing we know is that the ward is a surgical ward for vascular problems, upper GI and weight loss surgery. He has no symptoms of anything/doesn't feel unwell.

I'm really scared and also on a practical level I can't plan anything because I don't know how long he will be in. He was reluctant to go in at all because he went to a and e for pain relief for his kidney stones and they kept him in an extra day because there was no Dr available to discharge him. We've got 5 dc with disabilities and he is worried about how I will cope on my own, especially as I can't drive. TBH I'm worried about that too. I wish I knew what the plan was or how long he will have to be in but I don't know anything. I can't even visit him because I've got the children to look after. Dh kept saying not to worry because he feels fine but he's obviously not fine otherwise he wouldn't be in hospital. I'm so worried they are going to find something awful wrong with him and selfishly I don't know how I'm going to cope on my own. I can manage over the weekend just about but goodness knows how I will do the school run and I'm going to really struggle with lack of sleep with no dh there to help.

How long should I expect monitoring to go on for? Will we get any answers on a weekend? From my experience of being in hospital and the dc being in, once you are in hospital being monitored then you suddenly become much less of a priority for anything being done. Dh is registered as a carer with our GP. Will that help speed things up or not?

OP posts:
greenacrylicpaint · 09/09/2023 09:36

sorry to hear that.

if the blood test result indicated that the diabetes switched from type 2 to insulin dependent he will be kept in until blood sugar is stable and he has a treatment regime that works for him. that will take a few days.

he will need to tell dvla as well.

is there anyone in real life who could help you on a practical level?

in the longer term: can you learn to drive?

all the best!

Sushione · 09/09/2023 09:44

Being a carer won't make any difference unfortunately. He can check his bloods on the nhs app if he's in England to see what's going on. It's likely to be slower at the weekend as there are fewer drs etc but may be different if it's a specialist ward Flowers

SecretDoor · 09/09/2023 09:46

Can he ask the nurses what the problem is with his blood?

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 09/09/2023 09:50

I can't drive, way too clumsy. In laws will hopefully help with school runs but will come with really unhelpful comments and stupid "advice". Also they will come up with cheery anecdotes about how they know someone who has the exact same problem as me but they manage so much better. I wondered if his diabetes had switched to insulin dependant but I thought that would cause symptoms. Mind you the nurse at the Dr surgery was really surprised he hasn't got any symptoms.

OP posts:
SkyFullofStars1975 · 09/09/2023 09:55

Diabetics usually go onto a vascular ward, that's normal so don't panic about that. And without sounding awful, he needs to be there. People can die from uncontrolled diabetes. He may also have problems with his kidneys/liver function. Thank goodness he went for his check.

I'm type 2 and so was my Dad - he had to go onto insulin very suddenly and was in hospital for about 5/6 days until they got his blood sugars under control. Insulin has to be given at the right doses and can take a while to get right. Often you have to combine instant with long lasting to get 24 hour control.

He's where he needs to be.

TheMountainsCall · 09/09/2023 10:02

I relate to your situation very much and honestly, the only thing you can do it 'get on with it', so to speak. Hopefully you will have some information about his condition soon.

Meanwhile, try to make things as easy as possible. Simple meals, don't do more than you have to. If family is available to help, take advantage of it.

In the long term, it is so much easier if you learn to drive. A professional instructor will be helpful if you feel like you don't find that as easy as other people.

Greybeardy · 09/09/2023 10:03

There isn’t enough information in your post to have any idea what the problem is (it won’t be just the HbA1c). The ward he’s on doesn’t always help working it out either. They won’t just ‘have him in for monitoring’ - they’ll be trying to diagnose and treat the problem. When they do the ward round today he could put his phone on speaker phone so you can both listen in - most sensible doctors would be happy for that. If he gives consent you could speak to the ward and find out roughly what’s going on too. Hope you get some answers soon.

greenacrylicpaint · 09/09/2023 10:03

wrt school runs - ask the school if there is help. if no official school transport is possible, maybe they have a list of transport providers (taxi).

look at dc specific condition charities/self help websites if they can suggest a way to get help.

your dh might be out of action for a bit and if his illness makes him unable to drive you need to consider other options, like moving somewhere so that not driving will not impact you as much.

Cheeesus · 09/09/2023 10:07

Yeah, he needs to ask what the blood test results showed.

greenacrylicpaint · 09/09/2023 10:10

oh yes, with nhs you need to actively ask what's going on (as you probably know with children with health issues).
being passive will slow things right down.
he needs to be pro-active about his health.

Shopper727 · 09/09/2023 10:11

I know right now you’re panicking but perhaps wait to plan school runs etc until he’s seen a dr and has more information and a plan. Then you can start organising school runs etc it’s normal to be scared, I totally understand hopefully it won’t be long until your husband can tell you what’s happening and I hope both your minds at ease. I hope he’s on the mend and home soon op
& your in laws are some help take care

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 09/09/2023 10:25

Thank you everyone. I know he needs to be there but it's hard when he doesn't feel unwell or have any symptoms at all. Will they make a plan at the weekend or will they just do monitoring?

10 year old has an ehcp but was turned down for transport because he doesn't go to the catchment school. We are only a few metres away from the catchment boundary and the one he goes to is actually our nearest primary school. I've also got youngest child aged 9 at the same school, 2 at the catchment secondary and 1 at college.

OP posts:
greenacrylicpaint · 09/09/2023 10:30

are you in school social media group?

they were incredibly helpful when I had an emergency whilst dh was away with work.

Qilin · 09/09/2023 11:01

Sushione · 09/09/2023 09:44

Being a carer won't make any difference unfortunately. He can check his bloods on the nhs app if he's in England to see what's going on. It's likely to be slower at the weekend as there are fewer drs etc but may be different if it's a specialist ward Flowers

Not everyone can access things like blood tests on the nhs app.
My gp isn't signed up to the service so you can see very little if your records tbh.

millymae · 09/09/2023 11:14

So far as I know the HB1AC provides an indication of blood sugar levels over a period of time. When OH has his (type 1 ) diabetic check as well as this they do a full blood count including tests for kidney function, liver, cholesterol etc.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the ward he was told to go -the NHS being what it is at the minute it could be the only place they have beds available.
By the time you read this he may have already been seen and you will at least have a clearer idea of what the bloods on Thursday showed - as he feels well and has no obvious symptoms it might just be something as simple as a faulty result. I’d take a bit of comfort too from the fact that he was given the option of leaving it until this morning before going in.
Easy for me to say but try not to worry until you know what’s going on. I’ve got everything crossed that it turns out to be nothing, or something that can easily be dealt with

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 09/09/2023 12:13

Thank you all. No need yet. We don't have the NHS app. I question everything (much to dh's embarrassment, he thinks I should "let people do their jobs" and not ask questions) but dh doesn't which is why we're in this situation where he has had an abnormal blood result but we don't know what the blood test was for. I didn't know they test blood for other things as well as hab1c at a diabetes check up so that's really helpful.

Should have added that his diabetes is normally very well controlled by diet and at his last check up a year ago they said it was in remission as his blood sugars had gone down to the non diabetic range. Is it normal for it to change to needing insulin in a year?

OP posts:
ItSoundsLikeADrag · 09/09/2023 12:18

Cheeesus · 09/09/2023 10:07

Yeah, he needs to ask what the blood test results showed.

This.
I know a diabetic person who was sent urgently to hospital following blood tests and it was because they were so anaemic. They were only in one or two nights and had an iron infusion.

You need to find out what bloods are you are spiralling into catastrophising. I hope all will be okay Flowers

EliflurtleTripanInfinite · 09/09/2023 12:26

I don't know the personal circumstances behind it but our school did a general email out last year asking if anyone could help pick up a kid from X area and drop them at school for a couple of weeks. I know it might not be that simple with disabilities involved but maybe it's a possible avenue to try? I hope you have a better idea what's going on soon

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 09/09/2023 12:38

Either he needs to ask, or you need to phone the ward and ask, 'why is he in hospital? The GP didn't tell us why he was sent in.'

It would be usual for the GP to give the patient paperwork to give to the hospital so they knew why he was there - did he have that, and did he read it?

If he's not said anything the hospital staff probably have no idea that he doesn't know why he's there - they won't be purposefully keeping it from him.

It may be that he has bood tests that show 'something' is wrong, and he needs further tests to ascertain what exactly is wrong. But if that's the case he should know that. He may have the opinion to let people do their jobs but just sitting there like a bed warmer is not going to help him at all - do you think he's scared and doesn't want to ask in case it's bad news? Ignorance is bliss sort of attitude?

If he's going to be so passive as to actually be detrimental then I think you should take over and just call the ward and ask what's happening. In my experience unless he's expressly said don't talk to my wife they'll be happy to tell you what's going on.

LIZS · 09/09/2023 12:38

He may be being passive because he is unwell. There are many potential complications but if he were admitted so urgently there should be further tests and a treatment plan, even over the weekend. Have you called the ward? Any chance your pil could babysit while you visit?

Fleurty · 09/09/2023 12:56

Hello, type 1 diabetic here, the most likely explanation is that they've picked up a high level of ketones in his blood that put him at risk of ketoacidocis. Ketoacidosis is a severe complication of diabetes where the blood sugar is so high and insulin levels are so low that the blood starts becoming acidic which can damage veins, eyes, heart, kidneys etc if left untreated.

I would imagine that if he is type 2 he had been diet or metformin treated up to this point? If so it is almost certain that if he does have ketoacidosis he will need to be insulin treated from now on. They won't keep him in for that, they'll get the level of ketone down and then send him home with some insulin pens and his insulin regime will be developed at home with the help of the diabetes clinic (at least that is how it's done round here)

Fleurty · 09/09/2023 13:01

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetic-ketoacidosis/

This might be helpful to read - from my experience of being diabetic this would be the most logical explanation of an urgent hospital admission following a blood test, but like I say I'm type 1 so I don't know much about type 2.

nhs.uk

Diabetic ketoacidosis

Find out about diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), including what the symptoms are, when to get medical help and how to prevent it.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetic-ketoacidosis

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 09/09/2023 14:13

He's home! Thank you so much everyone. They made sure he wasn't in immediate danger, told him he should have had severe symptoms with his blood results and prescribed metformin. The diabetes team wasn't in and then they lost his meds so he's a bit fed up and I've aged about 10 years. But it's better to get checked and be better than you thought than ignore it until it's not treatable. He has to go back to the diabetes nurse at the Dr surgery for a review asap.

OP posts:
zeibesaffron · 29/12/2023 23:41

My husband went onto insulin in the community with the help of the community team (as did my Dad) - perhaps it’s different where you are. Guessing isn’t going to help your Dh just needs to ask the nurses whats going on and why is he there?

nocoolnamesleft · 29/12/2023 23:45

zeibesaffron · 29/12/2023 23:41

My husband went onto insulin in the community with the help of the community team (as did my Dad) - perhaps it’s different where you are. Guessing isn’t going to help your Dh just needs to ask the nurses whats going on and why is he there?

Given that he was discharged home over 3 months ago, slightly hard for him to ask the nurses anything.