Insulin requirements going sky high

[jaywak]

Several members on here will remember me three years ago telling you about my wife and her cancer diagnosis , in the last few weeks she became unwell and was admitted to hospital where she was told it had spread to her brain and was due for an op at addenbrooks to remove it , a few days before the op she passed out and was blue lighted to addenbrooks for an emergency op and also had a cardiac arrest whilst waiting , she was in a coma for four days and since then I have been driving 150 miles daily to visit her , the stress this has put on me is so bad that I am having to give myself five times my normal insulin shots to remain anywhere near normal , my tir has gone from 90% down to 50% thankfully with no hypos I have lost 10 pounds in a week , it just shows you how much stress plays such a part in our lives .

 

[lovinglife]

So sorry for your troubles @jaywak, wishing your wife a good recovery, yes stress plays havoc with even the healthiest of people. Please remember to take care of you too.

 

[jaywak]

Thanks Lovinglife , I just can't believe how much insulin I am having to take bolus and Basel to keep my bloods in the low teens even .

 

[Antje77]

I'm so sorry to hear that your wife is so unwell now, must be very hard for you.

my tir has gone from 90% down to 50% thankfully with no hypos I have lost 10 pounds in a week , it just shows you how much stress plays such a part in our lives .

It does. And staying in the low teens most of the time with a TIR still of 50% is no mean feat with your insulin needs having changed this drastically this quick, I'd say well done on keeping on top of your diabetes while dealing with everything else!

We're here to listen if you need to talk, wish you all the best.

 

[Jaylee]

Hi @jaywak .

Sorry to read about your wife’s condition.

I know the week or so I “mumsit” on & off to give my sister a break from full time care. (mum has Alzheimer’s.)
It can take a fair few corrections to keep me in range.
Even then I can loose the plod bloodwise as opened to a normal working day..

One thought.
Are you sure you don’t have an “off” batch of basal??

 

[jaywak]

I did think there maybe something wrong with my insulin , but this morning I am getting a Libre reading of 3.3 so that's knocked that idea on the head , I have noticed in the past and I know it sounds wrong but sometimes I have given less insulin and my bgs have come down which is actually what I did this morning so I am going to do that today , I am now waiting for my bgs to rise so I can start my 75 mile trip to Addenbrooks .

 

[Fairygodmother]

Do Addenbrooks have any accommodation for someone like you so that you could stay nearer your wife at this time?
You’re under enormous strain right now and blood sugar mayhem adds another dimension.
I hope your wife’s recovering well from the emergency op, hugs for her and for you.

 

[Lakeslover]

I’ve been where you are now, with a husband with lung cancer. I agree the stress and uncertainty caused by the situation play havoc with blood sugars, not to mention trying to plan meals and eat with everything else going on. Oh, and then there’s the added stress of wanting to go to the hospital and knowing you can’t drive.

You are doing well to keep 50% in range. All you can do is the best you can.

 

[jaywak]

Do Addenbrooks have any accommodation for someone like you so that you could stay nearer your wife at this time?
You’re under enormous strain right now and blood sugar mayhem adds another dimension.
I hope your wife’s recovering well from the emergency op, hugs for her and for you.

Yes they did say they would find accommodation for me for two weeks but at the time I felt I needed something to do and driving there and back seemed best to me , sitting in a strange room with no friends around me would have driven me mad I think , I have just got back from my daily visit and we went to the garden with the aid of a wheelchair and she ate the best part of a cheeseburger which she was craving , everyone including the surgeon is saying she is a miracle , thanks for the hugs everyone .

 

[MommaE]

I’m so sorry to read that you and your wife are having to go through this. I too was going to suggest asking about accommodation near to Addenbrooks for you, maybe even alternate days would help a little. Anyway, I hope for some recovery for your wife and some peace for yourself.

 

[jaywak]

It has been two weeks since she woke from her coma and she is improving every day, it was 50 years ago we met just months after I was diagnosed type 1, she has been my rock ever since and it is now my time to be the same for her .

 

[Tony337]

I'm very sorry to hear about your troubles and i wish you and your wife all the luck in the world.

Tony

 

[Juicyj]

Sorry to hear of the stress you are going through @jaywak - I second the advice given above, see if they have somewhere you can stay, most hospitals can accommodate relatives in circumstances like this and the last thing you need is to be going low whilst driving, taking large amounts of insulin can be a devils game, take care of yourself.

 

[Fairygodmother]

Yes they did say they would find accommodation for me for two weeks but at the time I felt I needed something to do and driving there and back seemed best to me , sitting in a strange room with no friends around me would have driven me mad I think , I have just got back from my daily visit and we went to the garden with the aid of a wheelchair and she ate the best part of a cheeseburger which she was craving , everyone including the surgeon is saying she is a miracle , thanks for the hugs everyone .

So so pleased to hear there are good signs that your wife’s doing well!
Quite understand needing something to do rather than hanging around on your own, it’s good to feel active at times like this; it just seemed such a long drive for you each day.
More hugs, and congratulations for the cheeseburger. Probably the only time I’ve read of someone eating one of those and said hooray.

 

[jaywak]

Thanks everyone for your kind words , I visited her today and there was a slight improvement and we went down to the concourse via wheelchair and had a sandwich and coffee in the sunshine , I am having a rest tomorrow as I have to go to the dentist to have a couple of my back teeth repaired after grinding them because of the stress .

 

[JAT1]

Thanks everyone for your kind words , I visited her today and there was a slight improvement and we went down to the concourse via wheelchair and had a sandwich and coffee in the sunshine , I am having a rest tomorrow as I have to go to the dentist to have a couple of my back teeth repaired after grinding them because of the stress .

Reading about what you and your wife are going through so bravely puts my own problems, so small by comparison, in the right perspective. I am so glad to hear your wife is improving and I am sure as the crisis recedes your blood sugar will return to where it was. Wishing you and your wife the best outcomes and many many happy days ahead.

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Thanks everyone for your kind words , I visited her today and there was a slight improvement and we went down to the concourse via wheelchair and had a sandwich and coffee in the sunshine , I am having a rest tomorrow as I have to go to the dentist to have a couple of my back teeth repaired after grinding them because of the stress .

The concourse is always buzzing. I remember going there for my first real food after my op - made a huge difference. I am glad to hear things are heading the right direction and wish you both the very best.

 

[jaywak]

Thanks Grant my lovely wife Tina came home to the N&N hospital today for how long we don't know but it's an improvement and she is getting a little stronger everyday , it's better for me as well without the daily 150 mile trip everyday to visit , thanks to all my forum pals for your kind comments as well .

 

[abigailsheree]

So sorry to hear your wife is so unwell, I hope she has a speedy recovery. And for all the stress a tir of 50 seems good, when my husband was in hospital poorly my tir went to about 15, just remember to take care of yourself too during this time. Hope everything goes ok with your wife

 

[lovinglife]

Thanks Grant my lovely wife Tina came home to the N&N hospital today for how long we don't know but it's an improvement and she is getting a little stronger everyday , it's better for me as well without the daily 150 mile trip everyday to visit , thanks to all my forum pals for your kind comments as well .

Glad to read this @jaywak, there’s nothing like being in your own home to aid your recovery, wishing your wife all the best and hopefully now you can get some self care in too