Due to Trey being high and having large ketones today, Jordan ran to the school to pick him up. The principal told Jordan about Todd. Apparently he was on vacation and didn't realize his pump had a malfunction and by the time he went to the hospital, his sugar was 1200 and he was in DKA.
Friends ... this could be Trey. This could be Trey Bagwell. This could be Uncle Jeff. This could be anyone that you know who is a Type 1 diabetic. Thankfully, the three men mentioned above all have the CGM -- which apparently Todd didn't have. (insert my gripe about insurance companies saying the CGM isn't medically necessary and refusing to pay for it) If Todd had a CGM, he would probably be here today. I just can't stop thinking about it.
My own Trey had large ketones and high sugar today - and actually 7 hours last night. After changing out his pump this morning and increasing his insulin - he came down in no-time. Trey too had a pump malfunction and if we didn't have the CGM telling us his sugar was 300 this morning ... we wouldn't have known. If he would've went to school all day - by the time he got home I cannot imagine what state he would be in. He didn't have any symptoms of DKA other than high sugars.
DKA usually develops slowly. But when vomiting occurs, this life-threatening condition can develop in a few hours. Early symptoms include the following:
- Thirst or a very dry mouth
- Frequent urination
- High blood glucose (blood sugar) levels
- High levels of ketones in the urine
- Constantly feeling tired
- Dry or flushed skin
- Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
(Vomiting can be caused by many illnesses, not just ketoacidosis. If vomiting continues for more than 2 hours, contact your health care provider.) - Difficulty breathing
- Fruity odor on breath
- A hard time paying attention, or confusion
What Causes DKA?
Here are three basic reasons for moderate or large amounts of ketones:- Not enough insulin
Maybe you did not inject enough insulin. Or your body could need more insulin than usual because of illness. - Not enough food
When you're sick, you often don't feel like eating, sometimes resulting in high ketone levels. High levels may also occur when you miss a meal. - Insulin reaction (low blood glucose)
If testing shows high ketone levels in the morning, you may have had an insulin reaction while asleep.
Type 1 Diabetes can be fatal. Most people don't associate T1D with death. They might think of sweet foods and missing limbs or blindness. If Type 1 Diabetics don't get insulin - they die.
The pump is wonderful. I'm glad we have it. It doesn't just save Trey, it could also kill him. It's a machine - it has malfunctions. The tubes can get kinked. The cannula inserted into his belly could get bent, not allowing insulin to flow properly.
Many people assume that because you have a pump, you're in the clear. Not true. Also, if you give yourself shots, you could still encounter issues with things like air-bubbles.
We need a cure. We need to educate people on the truth about Type 1 Diabetes. That it CAN be fatal and even the very 'best' diabetic can lose his/her life to the disease. The person who watches their sugars carefully can go to bed at 77 blood sugar and never wake up again because the pump didn't do what it was supposed to, you didn't hear your CGM alarm or you don't have the CGM, and you died due to DKA. This was Trey guys ... Trey went to bed at sugar of 77 and at midnight he was 300. If he didn't have a CGM, I would get up once around 2pm to check his blood sugar and I can't imagine what I would've found. It could've been too late.
Reality. No sugar coating (no pun intended) it -- Type 1 Diabetes can kill you. It can kill my Treybaby. I'll never stop worrying - ever - and I'll never stop praying for a cure - ever - and I'll educate people and talk about T1 until I'm blue in the face - forever.
Go hug your husband/wife, son/daughter and loved ones .... Mrs Kolden is a widow because T1 took her husband from her. F.U. T1D.
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