coma
My comment on the following post that went though awhile ago:
I hope someone around us would recognize signs that we are comatose. DKA
(diabetic ketoacidosis) would show up first. Fruity breath odor would be a
major sign, High BGs, and throwing up. DO NOT let someone slip into a coma.
That is very risky. There should be enough warnings to prevent that from
happening. Friends being there for us will do nothing if they do not do
something FOR us. Comas often cause death.
My pump needle site was clogged last Christmastime and I did not know
it. At an SS Class party I was getting sicker by the minute, took a BG (I
carry a monitor w/me) and it read *error* 3 times because it was so high
(600+) it couldn’t even handle reading *HI*. A nurse in the class watched
me throw up all over the restaurant hallway; she later told me she thought I
was going into a coma right there. WHY didn’t she do something for me!?!?
Our brains don’t always function right when we have highs or lows. After a
45 minute ride home I took care of myself with 5u boluses every 2 hours
throughout the night. I sat up to sleep on the couch to stay awake enough to
be aware and set an alarm.
Friends are nice, but I’d rather not have them WATCH me go into a coma -
DO something for me.
Take care, all
Pincushion
April 28th, 2003 at 8:23 am
In a message dated 9/16/99 10:39:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
jhughey@… writes:
<<
Friends are nice, but I’d rather not have them WATCH me go into a coma -
DO something for me.
Take care, all
Pincushion
Jan,
That must have been sooooo frightening! Can that happen to someone like me
who isn’t on insulin. Type II and I take glucotrol in AM and glucophage at
night. I haven’t had anything lower than a 65 and that was just once. Usually
the lowest is in the 80’s. People need to be more educated about the signs
and remedies of high or low sugar!
Take care.
Christine
May 1st, 2003 at 12:29 am
Dear Jan,
I could really identify with you when you talked about your high BS last
December. It is very important for each of us to be sure someone in whatever
environment we are in, know the symptoms of both hypoglycemia and
hyperglycemia. It is up to us to let the normal world what the symptoms are
and be sure they know how to help us! I have on two occasions given a talk
about Diabetics and low blood sugars. I had been attending a rehab facility
and at the time I was having a really difficult controlling my blood sugars.
I was very often going into a reaction. I was lucky that a few of the
instructors got to know me well enough and could realize when I was going
into a blood sugar. I told the instructor in my PC class that she had
permission to go into my purse to get out a can of juice which I always
carried. A number of times when I was having a difficult time understanding
what I was doing on the computer, and would ask my instructor for help, she
tried to show me what I was doing wrong, and when I didn’t get it she knew
to tell me, “Diane, how about taking a break and go have a glass of juice.
Every time she told me this she was completely correct. I spoke to the
entire group of folks in the training classes what happens, and what the
symptoms are of a low blood sugar. I went on to tell them how they could
help a Diabetic in a low blood sugar. I was thanked so much by my fellow
students, because they had no idea of the symptoms or what was the
appropriate thing to do.
It is up to us to spread the word of the symptoms and and cures to help a
diabetic.
I felt really good after I had done this , and was surprised how many people
thanked me and told me they all had learned from my talk.
Good luck, and hang in there, we all know what you went through.
Diane
May 1st, 2003 at 8:06 am
Iris, help me. I’m not sure, but I THINK a Type II could have a High enough
BG to put them in a coma — well, of course they could. The coma occurs with
Highs — but I talked to a man once who was walking around sanely with a
1050 BG!! I believe a Type I would already be unconsious in a coma by then.
I have contacted the hosp. where I was diagnosed in 1950 at 11:00 a.m. to
find out what mine was in the coma then. The reports came back that at 4:30
p.m. I was 436. I know it took them 7 hours to get me out of it and when I
woke up I had an oxygen tent, IVs in left arm and both legs. So that is
probably the high that put me out.
Pincushion (more Q&A below)
May 1st, 2003 at 6:10 pm
Delurking again temporarily…
Ketoacidosis (diabetic coma) is NOT caused by high bg’s, but by lack of
insulin. The level of ketones that build up become toxic. Extremely high
bg’s are a symptom, not the cause. I suppose it might be POSSIBLE for an
extremely insulin-resistant type 2 to go into ketoacidosis, but I don’t
think I’ve ever heard of a case where it actually happened. Sure, a type 2
can have very high blood sugar - but it’s generally not accompanied by the
dangerous lack of insulin and ketone levels that type 1’s experience. I
was in ketoacidosis when I was diagnosed (not in a coma, but getting
there), and my bg was around 800. The fact that a man with a 1050 bg was
functioning just fine shows that the actual bg level is not what causes the
coma.
There is another, more rare form of coma called nonketotic hypersmolar
coma, or something like that, which IS caused (at least in part) by high
bg’s. I don’t know as much about that or what causes it, but from what I
understand it’s pretty rare and occurs mostly in elderly patients.
Laura
May 2nd, 2003 at 2:19 pm
Well, Jan, my husband tries to act interested when I am explaining
something about Brad’s diabetes but he is only pretending. It goes in one ear
and out the other. He doesn’t even know how to check bg. Brad also has
asthma, husband doesn’t know what inhalers he uses or how to hook up the
updraft machine in an emergency.
My mother on the other hand, raised a diabetic, but she won’t watch Brad
for 5 minutes, because she “doesn’t know what to do with him.” When I talk
about diabetes around her, she changes the subject.
She informed me last week, when I brought the subject up, that she doesn’t
know why I’m so fanatical about all this, since there is going to be a cure
by 2003. “Excuse me, mom, but what grapevine did you here that on? If they
don’t find a cure in 2002, is it going to come by way of miracle in 2003?”
Okay, I’m finished with my complaining for today!!!!
Kim
May 2nd, 2003 at 7:46 pm
In a message dated 9/16/99 9:24:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
btree822@… writes:
<<
There is another, more rare form of coma called nonketotic hypersmolar
coma, or something like that, which IS caused (at least in part) by high
bg’s. I don’t know as much about that or what causes it, but from what I
understand it’s pretty rare and occurs mostly in elderly patients.
Laura
Thanks Laura for coming out, so to speak! I was wondering because the
diabetes team never said anything about coma to me! They did explain symptoms
of low blood sugar though. Christine
May 3rd, 2003 at 2:05 am
In a message dated 9/16/99 8:23:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
jhughey@… writes:
<<
I have the two lists in my *museum* and I’ll find them and post it here
later. I’m frying chicken right now since I picked my hubby up where he
parked his truck so he can eat, then I’ll take him back to Edwardsburg,
Michigan
Later
Pincushion
Thanks so much, Pincushion :0) for taking the time in the middle of cooking
to let me know about this!
I think I can smell the chicken! :0)
Christine
May 9th, 2003 at 10:19 pm
In a message dated 9/16/99 11:40:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time, gloryb@…
writes:
<<
want to help me. Then this summer I was dx with copd also. He has totally
ignored I have another chronic illness. He seems not to want to be bothered
with my problems and does not care how I make it through. He is not a bad
person, I just think he is in deep denial and I need him now more than
ever. I know if he is in denial there is nothing I can really do, is there?
Gail
Good Morning Gail and Everyone else,
What is copd? Is it a complication of Diabetes? Have you told your
husband how you feel……does he know how much you need and want his support?
Have a Good Day!
Christine
May 10th, 2003 at 10:57 am
In a message dated 9/17/99 12:12:29 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
Drifterrss@… writes:
<<
My mother on the other hand, raised a diabetic, but she won’t watch Brad
for 5 minutes, because she “doesn’t know what to do with him.” When I talk
about diabetes around her, she changes the subject.
She informed me last week, when I brought the subject up, that she doesn’t
know why I’m so fanatical about all this, since there is going to be a cure
by 2003. “Excuse me, mom, but what grapevine did you here that on? If they
don’t find a cure in 2002, is it going to come by way of miracle in 2003?”
Okay, I’m finished with my complaining for today!!!!
Kim
It must be soooo hard to do all the worrying yourself! When other share the
emotional burden with you it really does lighten the load. Just keep venting
here, Kim. It won’t lighten the load by a whole bunch but it will to a small
extent! Do you have any other family or friends that are willing to lend a
hand and watch Brad when necessary? My heart goes out to you and other
parents that have children with any chronic illness.
God Bless,
Christine