had my meeting with the Sergeant yesterday. He agreed I should've been allowed a phone call and things could've been handled differently as I was not abusive or aggressive to the police at any time. He has seen all of the CCTV footage and my complaint about my treatment in custody by one of the officers when I was like 'a woman possessed' in the cell has been taken seriously and they are getting a warning and their conduct will now be monitered. We spent over half an hour discussing diabetes. He now knows why we take insulin, what a hypo and hyper is and what causes them, some of the symptoms, (as we are all different) and how they can be resolved by either insulin or sugar. He completely understands why I reacted like I did in the cell without knowing what my BS was or have access to dextrose or insulin and why I refused to take my insulin as they wouldn't tell me how long I would be detained for and could potentially had a hypo. I showed him my 'Optimum Xceed' and the users guide and how just 2 spots of blood from the finger can determine a hypo and keytones that could both potentially lead to death if not treated. I showed him the web page and they cost £15 but are free to diabetics on prescription. He wrote the web site down and is going to take if further because he agrees that diabetics should have better treatment in custody and a monitor is all it takes. He's going to speak to his superiors about it and get the ball rolling!! RESULT!!! :thumbup: I said he might even get the monitors free because at the end of the day, they are for use by diabetics after all.Sid Bonkers said:Sorry but to my mind the police did everything they could have done to protect this person they called a doctor and went to their house to collect their insulin, which they then refused, they then took the person to A & E. At no time did the OP write of any hypo symptoms.
This wasnt the case of someone hypo and non responsive found collapsed and thought to be drunk, this was someone who was so drunk they argued with the police to the point were they were arrested, this is not easy and takes some persistence, when the police tell someone to go home they would much rather they did just that than stay and argue and cause them paper work and agro, and then after being arrested they continued to "kick off" in the cells. These are not hypo symptoms!!
A total waste of police and NHS time and money as far as I can see.
I did take my insulin at the banquet but I KNOW that when I drink it goes high then drops like a ton of lead, that's why I refused to take my lantus without sugar as the police wouldn't tell me how long I'd be in custody for. After I drink, I take 3 bottles of lucozade to bed with me cos I KNOW I'll need it. I control my diabetes, it doesn't control me!!!Scardoc said:Hurrah for the Police!! I think you should go to the papers and hopefully they will print an upbeat story of how helpful the police were! Actually, don't bother, it will probably get twisted into a "how bad the NHS are" story as a T1 diabetic for 17 years hadn't bothered to take their fast acting insulin before, during or immediately after the "banquet" and then thought the long lasting insulin would cause a hypo!!
Whatever you choose to do it won't tarnish the reputation of T1's. T1 diabetes doesn't discriminate, it takes all sorts.
My point exactly!!! That was confirmed by the sergeant who came to my house yesterday who is now going to take it further and agrees that they should have a monitor and going to see his superiors about getting them!! :thumbup:weeezer said:What a frightening experience you had. I know I've been in situations where my judgement has been clouded by a few alcoholic beverages! My bg usually drops after drinking, but not all the time, sometime it actually goes up when I least expect that reaction (not after sugary or carby stuff either, i'm talking red wine & rum/diet coke)
I'm sure none of us are perfect and know what you're trying to get at, that you didnt want to leave your friend (and a bit tipsy, you were probably quite anxious/agitated about the situation) and that above that, the police should have got you to test your bg immediately, to see what course if action was needed before putting you in a locked room away from your lifeline of insulin/dextrose. Frightening.
Sounds like they need a refresher about how to treat a diabetic person & what the potential outcome could be should they ignore their condition. I can see how being unaware of your bg level and being without your dextrose must have felt terrifying. (How would you know you were 21!? I test 4-8 times a day and have found myself in the twenties after forgetting to bolus for some cake! It was 2 hours after and I was 23, didnt 'feel' or 'know' was high. does this make me irresponsible or just human!? I was shocked and frightened but remedied it quickly with insulin. On a pump so no background insulin, so resulted in a sharp rise)
Perhaps it would be worth asking the police what their protocol/procedure is when they take a diabetic person in? Im curious to know now, maybe i'll enquire at my local police station too. After reading about the dvla and their complete lack of knowledge regarding certain aspects of diabetes, I think it's foolish to assume all figures of authority know what to do...or understand how low/high blood glucose levels affect us and how they need treating. Gosh, even some doctors I've been in contact with dont grasp it entirely.
I just wanted to say I feel your frustration, if the police took my insulin, tester & glucose away I'd feel completely vulnerable. And had you the gift of hindsight, you might have walked off quietly, but at the time was just trying to be a concerned and responsible friend.
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Diabetics aren't allowed to be Police officers...FACT. How come they know enough about being diabetic not employ one, (How can you arrest someone when your blood sugar drops and you're stood there ramming dextrose down your throat while they run away) But don't know how to treat a diabetic in custody? That's why it has to change how diabetics are treated in custody.izzzi said:to be honest. :x:x:x
That is what being part of this Forum is all about.
Please have respect what is said from most members. Sometimes "spur of the moment" is written then second thoughts may come after reading other members views.
We are not perfect. For all we know that policeman who made the arrest may have been a diabetic.
We are discussing a drunk person that just happens to be a Diabetic that has not got a mobile phone and losses a friend in a area where he/she is not present.(what happened to the friend in need)
We all must take the good and bad, but our self-control is important at all times,meaning don't get drunk.
Harsh don't think so !
Roy,
Yes I have, diabetics aren't given the right care in custody and I'm fighting to change it.martwolves said:I hope you have learned from this.
s10vsb said:Diabetics aren't allowed to be Police officers...FACT. How come they know enough about being diabetic not employ one, (How can you arrest someone when your blood sugar drops and you're stood there ramming dextrose down your throat while they run away) But don't know how to treat a diabetic in custody? That's why it has to change how diabetics are treated in custody.izzzi said:to be honest. :x:x:x
That is what being part of this Forum is all about.
Please have respect what is said from most members. Sometimes "spur of the moment" is written then second thoughts may come after reading other members views.
We are not perfect. For all we know that policeman who made the arrest may have been a diabetic.
We are discussing a drunk person that just happens to be a Diabetic that has not got a mobile phone and losses a friend in a area where he/she is not present.(what happened to the friend in need)
We all must take the good and bad, but our self-control is important at all times,meaning don't get drunk.
Harsh don't think so !
Roy,
Finzi said:I feel a bit of a lone voice here, but everyone seems to be determined to cast the OP in the worst possible light (NOT saying she behaved well, clearly she didn't). But several people seem to be leaping on things she's saying, misinterpreting them, and then using it against her. She didn't demand dextrose because her BM was 21. She didn't know what it was. They wouldn't test it. That's why she was worried. She didn't have "no insulin, no glucose, no meter". She had all those things but the police took them away from her and wouldn't tell her when she would get them back. She didn't "petulantly" refuse to take her insulin. She had a good reason to refuse - she knows she goes hypo after alcohol, consequently she keeps three bottles of lucozade by her bed, and they were refusing to tell her when and if she would get her dextrose back following her insulin administration. As for the idea that it would have endangered the police to do her BM - that's ridiculous. For a start, that's what she was *asking* them to do. And a lancet "can be wielded with deadly consequences"? Come on. And what was she going to do with the dextrose if they'd let her have it? Forcibly choke someone with it?
Hopefully both sides have learnt something from this and the OP will not put herself in that position again.
Type 2 on Metformin, diagnosed Jan 2013, ultra low carber, Hba1C at diagnosis 8% (11mmol), now between 5 and 6 mmol. 20kg lost so far
As a T2 diabetic you presumably don't know that there is more than just "insulin" and different types are not interchangeable. Pay attention.She didn't have her insulin as she says the ppolice went to get it from her house and then she refused to take it.
Because the police took it from her and and refused to check the BG themselves?If she had her meter why did she demand to see a Dr to check her levels?
Police did not spot or consider relevant the early signs of a potential hypo (textbook confusion that could be mistaken for being drunk), and dextrose and other oral hypo treatments MUST NOT BE USED if unconscious.If she had a hypo the police had her dextrose there with them and could have dealt with it.
Early signs
The early warning signs of mild hypoglycaemia may include:
feeling hungry
sweating
dizziness
tiredness (fatigue)
blurred vision
trembling or shakiness
anxiety or irritability
going pale
fast pulse or palpitations
tingling of the lips
Signs of more severe hypoglycaemia include:
difficulty concentrating
confusion
disorderly or irrational behaviour, which may be mistaken for drunkenness
That's stupid. The lancets you are talking about - the kinds that came with your meter - are not to be used by multiple patients so the police would necessarily have to use single-use lancets like Unistick they use in hospitals, GP surgeries and such.m gonna reply regarding the lancet point I made. It may be tiny but it's big enough to open a vein! That is what they consider when assessing the risks!
Once again, OP acting irresponsibly does not excuse the police's actions; on the other hand, the police's actions do not absolve her of actions that led to the arrest. Those two things are independent. Why is this such a difficult concept to get your head around?We must take responsibility for our own actions.
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