Pump

[Lm72]

my almost 18 year old DS has been diabetic for 10 years. He has in past 2-3 years suffered from mental health issues (anxiety and depression), his HBC1A level was around 90 for past three tests. I am aware this is bad.
The hospital want to remove his pump but he feels he would be better off dead with out it, I am unsure what he would do especially with his mental health issues.

He should have been at hospital today but after argument with me because I was insisting he go he left and went to his girlfriends. He is now refusing to engage with me with the diabetes as he sees me siding with them.

I totally disagree with the hospitals approach, although I understand it. My son in 6 foot 2 and has a bin of 18, he has no body fat for injections and I am never going to be able to make him inject.

I am considering buying a pump privately, does anyone have any experience of this? Also has anyone had the genetic diabetes test that Dr Strachan is doing in Edinburgh and knows how to get this done privately.

Thank you

 

[novorapidboi26]

It sounds like removing the pump would aggrevate the anxiety....does the team know about his mental health....?

 

[Deleted Account]

Sounds like he is being treated as multiple healthcare issues rather than as a person.
Is it possible to arrange a joint meeting between the team that is managing his anxiety and depression and the team who are managing his diabetes to try and work out what is best for your son rather than for the individual conditions?

 

[Lm72]

It sounds like removing the pump would aggrevate the anxiety....does the team know about his mental health....?

Yes, he has been seen by a psychiatrist and psychologist which they have been informed. They just say they have to make him diabetic safe but to me they have achieved the opposite. Now he is refusing all help, even from me, I don’t know how he will cope.

 

[Lm72]

Sounds like he is being treated as multiple healthcare issues rather than as a person.
Is it possible to arrange a joint meeting between the team that is managing his anxiety and depression and the team who are managing his diabetes to try and work out what is best for your son rather than for the individual conditions?

2 different hospitals but I will try that. He has just disengaged from all help now, which leaves me out on a limb.

 

[kitedoc]

51 years on insulin in Oz.Hi Lm72,
I feel for you. Being a parent and a rock for your son in this situation is a real labour of love.
I can understand a point of view that one injection (the needle for the pump) every, say, 3 days is better than 4 to 6 per day.
Does the hospital actually state why they believe your son is not safe on the pump ? For example, overdose ? And if his anxiety/depression is likely to be at the centre of his troubling level of diabetes control, it seems eminently sensible as @helensarmay has written for a concerted effort for all his health teams to meet and provided a PATIENT-CENTRED CARE approach.
Maybe there are also some NHS-related guidelines which require surrender of the pump under given circumstances such as where the pump is not providing a given level of control?
And I presume he has had blood tests to ensure there is no underlying medical condition(s) causing or exacerbating his anxiety/depression? I was certainly tested as part of my depression work-up.
Do you happen to know what treatment your son is receiving from his psychologist and psychiatrist ? Has it had time to start working.? (My medication took at least 3 weeks to start working and that was prolonged by another 4 weeks when a different medication was prescribed is it was thought it might work better). side-effects were most troubling in the first 3 weeks also.
You mention that he is 'almost 18,' so does his mental health team have any view on his ability to make his own decisions?
I hope your son and you can reconnect soon. He needs you, and his mental health team as his advocates to help sort through this situation which he may view as a sort of punishment, on top perhaps of getting diabetes in the first place.
Please keep writing on the site. We are here for you and your son. Best Wishes.

 

[Engineer88]

What pump is he on? is there any way of automating some of the work to reduce the workload and possibly reduce some of the MH issues?

look for #wearenotwaiting for info on closing the loop.

 

[kitedoc]

Hi again @ Lm72,
Where does your son's GP fit into all this.
I know he/she cannot 'order around' the hospital on your son's behalf but is there a good enough rapport between GP and your son to have the GP see him and perhaps liase with his psychologist and psychiatrist ?