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Secondary education

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Original poster

Missed exam

40 replies

x2boys · 19/05/2023 16:04

My year 11_son was critically ill in February,and missed a whole half term of school.between February half term and Easter as he was in hospital for four weeks and then needed time to.recover ,at one point I assent sure he would be able to take his GCSE,s a all but he is sitting them
one of his health issues is that he is diabetic and insulin dependent,
today he was supposed to.sit his first maths paper and first computer science paper
During his maths exam his Dexcom alerted him. His blood duvets were quite low ,so he had to leave the exam to have something to bring them back uo.,according to his head of year it took ages so she.got him an orange to eat
when his blood sugars stabilised he was able to go back into the exam and finish it with extra time
His blood.sugar,s continued to be a bit erratic so his head of year phoned me to pick him up.so he's missed his computer science ,she spoke to.the exam board who.said they needed something from the diabetes team to explain how his condition affects him so.I have organised that
but it's not clear what happens now ,will they be able to grade,him,on just sitting one paper?(School.have already applied for consideration.

OP posts:
Original poster
x2boys · 19/05/2023 17:53

Mummyoflittledragon · 19/05/2023 17:45

Agreed your ds shouldn’t have been asked to be collected. I’m glad he stabilised and is ok. And thank you for the post op. My dd is doing exams next year and I need to work something out with them for her as she also has a medical condition.

Show quote history

In my sons case it's all been rushed as everything was very sudden and we have have a lot to deal with in a short space of time may be ,he should have stayed for his exam but it's done now and I actually think overal school have been very supportive
Given you have a year to go.I would speak with school.now as it gives plenty of time to iron everything out .

OP posts:
Original poster
x2boys · 19/05/2023 17:59

dcadmamagain · 19/05/2023 17:52

I work in exams. Our diabetics take their phones in exam room and give to invigilators who monitor them ( students have to be sat near invigilators desk) rest breaks are allocated so that toilet trips etc are added on. Out school nurse is also linked to the diabetics phones and can see levels. We have their diabetic boxes in room with us and goes out with student. If student is going to take a while to stabilise levels they are taken to medical room and management come supervise them as are still under exam conditions. They’re brought back to exam room when medically fit. If it impacts on next exam we work around that. I would encourage your school to revisit his diabetic plan

He did take his phone in ,his Dexcom is very new he only had it fitted a week ago
This is not a boy who.has a long history of Diabetes he was diagnosed j just three months ago he's only had one appointment with the diabetes team ,they are working with school to.help him but it's a very new situation .

OP posts:
Postapocalypticcowgirl · 19/05/2023 18:24

OP, I'm sorry you're getting a hard time- this sounds very hard to manage.

As others have said, if you can get the right medical evidence together, he can be given a grade based on the work he does do- if he has done an NEA and sits the other paper, he will be okay.

He can do this for as many exams as he needs to, as long as he sits the right percentage for each subject.

Does he have a college place/sxith form place for September, and are they aware of the situation?

Original poster
x2boys · 19/05/2023 18:33

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 19/05/2023 18:24

OP, I'm sorry you're getting a hard time- this sounds very hard to manage.

As others have said, if you can get the right medical evidence together, he can be given a grade based on the work he does do- if he has done an NEA and sits the other paper, he will be okay.

He can do this for as many exams as he needs to, as long as he sits the right percentage for each subject.

Does he have a college place/sxith form place for September, and are they aware of the situation?

Yes he has a college place and they are very aware of the situation it's c conditional depending on his grades what level.He does ,but they said even if doesn't get the required grades in view of his circumstance,s they can always move him up.a level if he shows he can work at a higher level we are also.seeing the disability support worked there next month to discuss his need ,s

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 19/05/2023 18:38

Huge sympathies to you and your son. My daughter did her A levels 7 months after diagnosis of T1, and that was rocky enough. She was diagnosed in severe DKA, so like your son, there was the trauma of the critical illness to deal with as well as the day to day management of the condition, and she was further down the line. I read this to her and she sends him all the positive vibes.

Original poster
x2boys · 19/05/2023 18:50

TheFallenMadonna · 19/05/2023 18:38

Huge sympathies to you and your son. My daughter did her A levels 7 months after diagnosis of T1, and that was rocky enough. She was diagnosed in severe DKA, so like your son, there was the trauma of the critical illness to deal with as well as the day to day management of the condition, and she was further down the line. I read this to her and she sends him all the positive vibes.

Thank you he was admitted in DKA,and then they found his pancreas was inflamed and necrotic,I hope youth daughter is doing well now.

OP posts:
Quartz2208 · 19/05/2023 19:35

All his exams should get special consideration applied as he has a serious illness diagnosed within the last 4 months so should get a 3% uplift

Original poster
x2boys · 19/05/2023 19:40

Quartz2208 · 19/05/2023 19:35

All his exams should get special consideration applied as he has a serious illness diagnosed within the last 4 months so should get a 3% uplift

Yes school has a applied for it.

OP posts:
jamimmi · 19/05/2023 21:46

Op don't be hard on yourself or your son. It's very hard to manage sugar levels at times. Dh is type 1 and with 50yrs diabetic experience took time to get use the the dexacom. He uses
Glucogel or hypostop which are high sugar concentrate gels very useful for fast hypos and a quickish recovery. He has them on prescription but as he only gets 3 a month buys some from amazon. Maybe a quick option for next week. He's normally and OJ and murry mint user for hypo but sometimes you need more. One orange will take a lot of time and as you possibly know stress will cause hypos. Schools don't always understand hypo managment he says this as a teacher, who often keeps and eye out for the type 1's in school and supports as needed.

jamimmi · 19/05/2023 21:47

Should add he's just said ask if you ds can have hypo stop in the exam room if needed and he should be allowed rest breaks to mange his sugars the return

Original poster
x2boys · 19/05/2023 21:53

jamimmi · 19/05/2023 21:46

Op don't be hard on yourself or your son. It's very hard to manage sugar levels at times. Dh is type 1 and with 50yrs diabetic experience took time to get use the the dexacom. He uses
Glucogel or hypostop which are high sugar concentrate gels very useful for fast hypos and a quickish recovery. He has them on prescription but as he only gets 3 a month buys some from amazon. Maybe a quick option for next week. He's normally and OJ and murry mint user for hypo but sometimes you need more. One orange will take a lot of time and as you possibly know stress will cause hypos. Schools don't always understand hypo managment he says this as a teacher, who often keeps and eye out for the type 1's in school and supports as needed.

Thank you

OP posts:
bearfood · 19/05/2023 22:28

My sympathy OP, my son was diagnosed last July and has his first A Level exam next week. I'm worried sick he will have high bloods (rarely has lows but highs too often at the moment) as he gets very 'fuzzy' with them. Like previous posters I feel we took a whole ti egg over the shock of DKA and diagnosis, plus negotiating turning 18 with all that entails in terms of alcohol, not to mention the missed driving test due to being in hospital Hmm. Good luck to your son and also to you, as the life of a T1 teen's parent is not an easy one ❤️

thing47 · 20/05/2023 08:57

What an awful time you've had @x2boys, it sounds like you're both doing brilliantly given the circumstances.

The dexcom is a wonderful piece of kit, but it takes waaay longer than a week to get to grips with it. You should be able to set the alerts to whatever level you want – DD currently trying very close control so hers alerts between 3.8 and 7.4. So going into exams my 2 set the hypo alert higher than usual (eg at 6 instead of 4) so that they can take earlier preventative action before they actually go low. Does that make sense?

They also went in armed with a whole range of foods – personally we've always found the glucogel disgusting though worth your DS trying it for himself. Jelly babies are the best, for sure, plus juice but they also took things like kit-kats or cereal bars for longer acting sugar and a bit of carbs.

Good luck to your DS for his remaining exams.

meuroticjishmum · 20/05/2023 09:50

Gosh OP, feeling huge empathy for you and your DS - I've had T1DM since childhood and having done a long intense course at Uni, still remember bg control stresses with respect to exams. I didn't realise you could get 3c diabetes so young but don't know much about it.

I'm just about to go out so haven't read whole thread so wanted to post and this may have been said already:
Are you and your son getting enough education and support from the diabetes specialist team?
Are the diabetes specialist team working with the SEN team at the school to support his needs?
It all sounds very recent so maybe there hasn't been time for this to be put into place but is seems that if it hasn't, special consideration should definitely be given,,,

So happy that he's come out of what he went through and well enough to sit his GCSEs - amazing achievement in itself. Dexcom will be a huge asset in time....

Original poster
x2boys · 21/05/2023 20:14

meuroticjishmum · 20/05/2023 09:50

Gosh OP, feeling huge empathy for you and your DS - I've had T1DM since childhood and having done a long intense course at Uni, still remember bg control stresses with respect to exams. I didn't realise you could get 3c diabetes so young but don't know much about it.

I'm just about to go out so haven't read whole thread so wanted to post and this may have been said already:
Are you and your son getting enough education and support from the diabetes specialist team?
Are the diabetes specialist team working with the SEN team at the school to support his needs?
It all sounds very recent so maybe there hasn't been time for this to be put into place but is seems that if it hasn't, special consideration should definitely be given,,,

So happy that he's come out of what he went through and well enough to sit his GCSEs - amazing achievement in itself. Dexcom will be a huge asset in time....

Thank you yes it's very rare to be diagnosed with type three C diabetes anyway particularly a t 16 the medical staff were stumped tbh acute pancreatitis is not something that is common in 16 year olds and his pancreas was necrotic,they said it was a condition normally affecting middle aged people mainly people who drink heavi!y ,being 16 he's barely had any alcohol at all they did have to ask he's had may be 3 alcoholic drinks in his entire life if that
and I know this as he's not a boy that goes out much
we have no idea how it's happened the diabetes team are working with school ,but it's a very new situation and he leaves school.in a few weeks too he will be going to college in September and they are already.aware of his situation and we are meeting with after is exams to discuss what they put in place to support him.

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