Sucre Bleu
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 65
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
So, I was at JFK Airport (New York) awaiting my flight back to Australia, and decided to take a short walk in the fresh air before going plane side for some long flights home. Unfortunately I took a tumble, somehow managed to smash my hip, requiring a traumatic total hip replacement , obviously with admission to a NYC Hospital. I am not going to name said hospital, as some of their diabetes management was a little poor, and some of it just "different" to our Australian ways. I suppose its a cautionary tale as most of you guys are UK based.
Despite incredible pain like I have never known before, I told every doctor, nurse, person I came in contact with I was a TYPE 1 DIABETIC ON INSULIN, and I mean everyone including people from accounts and a cleaner. Do not feel coy about this, especially in trauma situations.
I was immediately placed on nil orally as they seemed pretty certain my hip was toast, something to do with my affected leg being several inches shorter than my OK one. With pain relief on board, I drifted in and out, but barely recall BS being done, so started asking about that. For whatever reason when I was taken to a ward, the diabetes story didn't make it. When I was taken to theatre I grabbed the doctors hand and recall saying I am a diabetic, he sai.. you are? well don't worry we will put in a drip... fade to sleep.
Back in my room, with a drip insitu, they did a BS it was high I think, in Australia we do mmol, so their numbers were literally foreign to me, after 3 weeks I got the gist of it tho and knew hypos, highs and good BS. After the high they didn't seem too bothered.
They left me on nil orally for 3 days, I kept asking why till I started annoying the nurses, I had to quite strongly ask who was responsible for this, a Physicians Assistant stopped by and was really shocked I was still not even on fluids and apologized, "their mistake". While she was groveling I asked to see the Diabetic Specialist, the PA wasn't aware of my diabetes either.
A Medical Attending came by, seemed amazed I was Type 1, and put me on a sliding scale, which was protocol. I was not keen, explained my Lantus/ Novorapid regime, but no dice. Eventually a few days later as my BS kept rising, I firmly told him I needed my Lantus, final got it, however every night the nurses had to call and ask permission to give it to me depending on my BS!
Lasty, the meal ladys, or food jostesses as they call then, told me variously I could not have cheese, butter, orange juice or toast. The dietician came to see me, I explained my success on low carbs etc, she told me my HbA1c was 6.4, and better than hers I was thrilled, last measured it was mid 7s.
She put me on the regular not diabetic diet, so the hostesses couldn't deny my choices and it all went great from there
I am now back in Columbus, Ohio at my friends till I am able to return to Australia. Cost of my fresh air tumble. Don't ask. Scare factor, not gonna lie there were a few times I was a little scared my diabetes was going to cause me serious problems but I made it.
Despite incredible pain like I have never known before, I told every doctor, nurse, person I came in contact with I was a TYPE 1 DIABETIC ON INSULIN, and I mean everyone including people from accounts and a cleaner. Do not feel coy about this, especially in trauma situations.
I was immediately placed on nil orally as they seemed pretty certain my hip was toast, something to do with my affected leg being several inches shorter than my OK one. With pain relief on board, I drifted in and out, but barely recall BS being done, so started asking about that. For whatever reason when I was taken to a ward, the diabetes story didn't make it. When I was taken to theatre I grabbed the doctors hand and recall saying I am a diabetic, he sai.. you are? well don't worry we will put in a drip... fade to sleep.
Back in my room, with a drip insitu, they did a BS it was high I think, in Australia we do mmol, so their numbers were literally foreign to me, after 3 weeks I got the gist of it tho and knew hypos, highs and good BS. After the high they didn't seem too bothered.
They left me on nil orally for 3 days, I kept asking why till I started annoying the nurses, I had to quite strongly ask who was responsible for this, a Physicians Assistant stopped by and was really shocked I was still not even on fluids and apologized, "their mistake". While she was groveling I asked to see the Diabetic Specialist, the PA wasn't aware of my diabetes either.
A Medical Attending came by, seemed amazed I was Type 1, and put me on a sliding scale, which was protocol. I was not keen, explained my Lantus/ Novorapid regime, but no dice. Eventually a few days later as my BS kept rising, I firmly told him I needed my Lantus, final got it, however every night the nurses had to call and ask permission to give it to me depending on my BS!
Lasty, the meal ladys, or food jostesses as they call then, told me variously I could not have cheese, butter, orange juice or toast. The dietician came to see me, I explained my success on low carbs etc, she told me my HbA1c was 6.4, and better than hers I was thrilled, last measured it was mid 7s.
She put me on the regular not diabetic diet, so the hostesses couldn't deny my choices and it all went great from there
I am now back in Columbus, Ohio at my friends till I am able to return to Australia. Cost of my fresh air tumble. Don't ask. Scare factor, not gonna lie there were a few times I was a little scared my diabetes was going to cause me serious problems but I made it.
