Covid, steroids and raising numbers. Help and experience wanted.

[lucylocket61]

Yeah I’ve resigned myself to just doing what I can food wise. I’ve managed to get a carb list and going with the lowest easiest to eat options there are. That’ll have to do for now. Damage limitation but not stress.

I had a rough night coughing and no sleep so pain levels back up and a day 6 lft is still a dayglo line. I’m definitely a lot better than on admission (not in abject agony and at risk of airway collapse for starters) but still so far to go. It’s a bit up and down and hard to anticipate how I’ll feel hour to hour. I have some voice back to so at least I can speak with the staff a bit now making it less lonely. Waiting on drs rounds for the plan update and what tricks I need to perform to be considered safe at home. Support there is theoretically willing but a bit useless in reality. It’s kind of hitting me emotionally this morning. Obviously need a cuppa and a morning nap.

At this stage, even though staying in feels like the pits, unless you have good back up at home then staying is a good idea so you get recovery time.

I found lists of what to do and when to do it helpful at home. My husband is willing but clueless, so he needed a plan to work to.

I’m being let out .

Still feeling awful but have past the danger stage thank god. And not a moment too soon. Had a bad night emotionally with it all and need to be home.

Switching to liquid prednisone to tail off the dexamethasone steroids and crushable antibiotic to finish the course. I’m so glad to be getting off iv’s. I’ve had 11 cannulas since Sunday, 6 of which never made it as far as a line as they blew instantly only 3 lasted more than a couple of hours. I have some very colourful forearms- looks like a tatt sleeve.

I’ll be able to choose some food that won’t raise bgl any further too as that’s probably not helping my mood. And I’m sent shopping list ahead of me for my men to panic about before I get there tonight and I won’t be listening to any complaints. They got out of nursing me all week, time to step up the other way round for now. Life skills - even if I have to provide lists to make it work for me

Glad you are going home. I will keep up the healing vibes

 

[Hopeful34]

So pleased to hear you're home @HSSS Take care of yourself, and hope that you soon feel a lot better. Sending lots of virtual hugs xx

 

[MrsA2]

I’ll be able to choose some food that won’t raise bgl any further too as that’s probably not helping my mood. And I’m sent shopping list ahead of me for my men to panic about before I get there tonight and I won’t be listening to any complaints. They got out of nursing me all week, time to step up the other way round for now. Life skills - even if I have to provide lists to make it work for me

Glad to read that brain and intelligence haven't been affected. You tell those menfolk!

 

[Mbaker]

My experience was that my fasting blood sugars went from close to 4 to over 16 on the steroids. My A1C went up 2 points and has stayed there for 6 months so far, but my post prandial now is stabilised to my usual circa 0.9 to 1.6 ish. My strength / endurance is around 90% of my very best. I decided after some training set backups to build back slower.

 

[Julietc]

So pleased you are on the mend. Although I wasn't admitted with Covid the cause of my eventual diagnosis is still unknown. I was rushed into hospital in July 2020 feeling very ill. I was just on Metformin at the time for T2D. My red blood cells were dropping at a really fast rate. I could hardly breathe and was really tired. The hospital acted quickly and ordered blood. I had a CT scan, enlarged spleen and lump in groin, so had biopsies and a bone marrow biopsy both of which were NAD and 6 bags of blood in total. I was on the chemo ward just in case for 3 weeks. They were needing blood from me every 12 hours, like you black and blue and hate needles! They fitted a PICC line as the doctors were having to come during the night because the nurses couldn't get any. To keep my blood levels up I was put on steroids 100mg and I then had to go on insulin to combat blood sugars of 20 to 30. I was eventually diagnosed with hemolytic anaemia caused by an unknown autoimmune virus. In answer to your query re steroids I was gradually weaned off over the following 6 months. Two years + on no recurrences but my blood sugars can be erratic no matter what I eat and I don't have the energy I had before. I seem to be lost to follow up sadly by haematology but I'm still on level 3 support for diabetes. Wishing you a full recovery but it will take time so don't rush it. I was told yesterday blood sugars of around 10 or 12 are not highly dangerous but obviously they need to be around 6 or 7. Will never be off insulin now. I take Trulicity, Toujeo, Metformin 2000mg and a multitude of other tablets.
Get well soon x

 

[HSSS]

Levels are better now the tail off prednisone has finished. Still hovering around the 9 mark instead of more usual 6’s but I’ll take the improvements for now. Heading downstairs and making a cup of tea now and again are my limits right now but day by day I’m improving slowly. Steroids and antibiotics gave me a raging case of oral candidiasis so on meds for that too now (And no white patches despite the drs claiming they should be there). This has not been “just a cold”

 

[lucylocket61]

Levels are better now the tail off prednisone has finished. Still hovering around the 9 mark instead of more usual 6’s but I’ll take the improvements for now. Heading downstairs and making a cup of tea now and again are my limits right now but day by day I’m improving slowly. Steroids and antibiotics gave me a raging case of oral candidiasis so on meds for that too now (And no white patches despite the drs claiming they should be there). This has not been “just a cold”

I am glad you are on the mend. For what it's worth, I didn't get white patches from my recent bouts of thrush ( oral and skin due to lots of antibiotics)

 

[valann]

Hi HSSS,

So pleased to hear you are feeling so much better now and that your BG is coming down slowly.

What an ordeal you have been through but at least you are home now and able to go make that cuppa now and again. Do hope those menfolk are looking after you as much as they can, lay or sit back and let them spoil you a bit for a change.

 

[Lynnzhealth]

Hi HSSS:

Sorry you were so sick, however I'm glad to hear you're well enough to go home. When you say 6 - 12 range, are you meaning 6 mmol/L? I'm in Canada and sometimes the differences make me look to Google.

I'm like you, when my BG goes up past 10, I get very frustrated. I'm also on low carb, but with other things getting in the way, like stomach stapling 41 years ago, it's very hard to control. It's up and down all the time.

I was on low-carb since 2017 (when I was 69) when I was (mis)diagnosed as a T2. In 2019, I had a very serious DKA episode and ended up in ER for 4 days in bad condition. I had gone down in weight to 90 pounds (6.42 stone) and the specialists couldn't understand what was happening to me. I thought I looked great because I had never been that small. Everyone else was shocked. I guess I looked like I was dying. They did a blood test and found out that I was actually T1. It was scary. And, the hospital fed me like the rest of the patients. Not for a diabetic. Since I was starving, I ate what they gave me. I never thought of asking them for just protein and veggies. I guess my brain wasn't quite back to normal. It took me over nine months to give up the carbs again and get back on track. But still, it's up and down.

The weather also affects my levels. My dog and I could only walk a little bit because of the humidity all summer. My BG falls like a brick. So, I carry my 'stuff' to have on hand. I live alone, too, which kind of makes me nervous. Makes the medical team nervous, too. It's a good think I live quite close to our hospital.

Now, we have a big worry. We are sitting here in Eastern Canada, PEI, waiting for Fiona, the monster hurricane, to strike us starting tonight. I'm praying it will not be as bad as they predict. We shall see. It's at times like this that I really would like some high carb foods to ease the stress momentarily, like I did before diabetes.

I hope things improve greatly for you and your health and that you are soon back on your feet. Rest and take it easy for now. Take care.

Lynn

 

[HSSS]

@Lynnzhealth yes I did mean mmol/L. Sorry I get lazy about units as we’re a mostly uk community but I know it can cause confusion for those elsewhere. You sound like it’s been quite a diabetes journey for you though you seem to have found your groove now at last. I lived in Australia for a while and endured some horrific storms and cyclone warnings so understand how concerning your weather warning can be. Stay safe.

 

[HSSS]

Well the hba1c is higher by 5mmol (56) than the last one whereas my carb control and exercise was definitely better than the 3 months preceding the last hba1c in March (which wasn’t a great one for me after some stress related laxity of regime). Prior to these I had been at non diabetic levels for the 4.5 yrs since diagnosis In the low 40’s. I can only attribute the rise to covid/steroids even though that only occurred for the last month of the test range. I was hitting 14’s at one point and still have levels a bit higher than pre covid/steroids. Does this sound like a realistic explanation or am I kidding myself?

I can’t exercise yet as a slow plod around the supermarket still means I go home, unpack the frozen items and nap for two hours. so it’s back to being absolutely rigid on the carb intake as my only option right now. God I dread the counting like AloeSvea has talked about recently.

I’m not happy and am expecting a call once the result is reviewed pressurising me into medications like they tried last time. I shall refuse again and ask for a retest in 3 months instead. Failure to turn it round at that point might make me reconsider. So that’s a motivating factor for me ……

 

[EllieM]

I’m currently getting a litre over about 8hrs Can t do the maths on that right now.

According to my calculations that's 120g per 24 hours. Maybe more than you want, but not in my opinion catastrophic, specially since you aren't getting any other nutrition.

Like the others, I hope you feel better soon.

 

[HSSS]

According to my calculations that's 120g per 24 hours. Maybe more than you want, but not in my opinion catastrophic, specially since you aren't getting any other nutrition.

Like the others, I hope you feel better soon.

Well it was a few weeks ago now but I get your point. My worry was it was more than double my normal daily amount and with the inflammation, infection and stress more than I needed as I had plenty of glucose circulating. Anyway it’s done now and I just appreciate the help I got when I needed it most. Just to get back on track again now. (Post #32)

 

[Antje77]

I can only attribute the rise to covid/steroids even though that only occurred for the last month of the test range. I was hitting 14’s at one point and still have levels a bit higher than pre covid/steroids. Does this sound like a realistic explanation or am I kidding myself?

Sounds very realistic to me.
Time will tell though.

Good luck!

 

[EllieM]

Well it was a few weeks ago now but I get your point. My worry was it was more than double my normal daily amount and with the inflammation, infection and stress more than I needed as I had plenty of glucose circulating. Anyway it’s done now and I just appreciate the help I got when I needed it most. Just to get back on track again now. (Post #32)

AAgh, my apologies for responding to your out of date earlier post before reading to the end of the thread.

As for your most recent post, I appreciate your levels are higher than you want or had previously, but I think it's great that you are out of hospital and really really hope that they will improve as you recover.

Lots of virtual hugs.

 

[HSSS]

for responding to your out of date earlier post before reading to the end of the thread.

I do it all the time then kick myself lol And frequently need to delete what I just posted.

 

[Antje77]

I do it all the time then kick myself lol And frequently need to delete what I just posted.

Join the club!