No More Misdiagnoses!

One thing that I see on social media sites. that I wish I did not is that there are a lot of deaths here lately of children who are dying from type one diabetes misdiagnoses & suffering from DKA (Diabetic Kytoacidosis). I am going to share with you the post about the latest death, of an 11-year old &what can be done to stop this from happening.
Here is the pst from Test One Drop--Type 1 Diabetes Awareness's Facebook page:

"Tragically, the ‪#‎DKA‬ at ‪#‎Type1‬ ‪#‎Diabetes‬ onset death rate continues to climb. We are saddened to learn a beautiful little 11yo girl passed away over the weekend.

Angela Elizabeth Robinson's mother Darla, who is a mother of five, told Reporter Larry Flowers of WKRN the story of her daughter's diagnosis. "She was a normal healthy 11-year-old, up until Monday [03-21-16] of this past week,"¹ when she began to have muscle spasms.
The next day, Angela's doctor prescribed some medication and told Ms. Robinson to hydrate her daughter with plenty of fluids.
By Wednesday, the child's condition had worsened, and she was unresponsive when her mother checked on her. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and Diabetic Ketoacidosis.¹
Angela's blood sugar was 1600 at diagnosis.¹ As the result of the extremely high blood sugars, the resulting DKA, and "pulmonary shock,"² she died suddenly three days later on Saturday, March 26.
The middle school student had hoped to one day to become a doctor to help others. "Even though she won’t fulfill her dream of being a doctor, she did fulfill at least that part of the dream, to help some other child out there who may have been in need,” Robinson told the reporter. “One of her organs, her pancreas was donated to a doctor who is doing research in the area to hopefully find a way to fix the problem.”¹
We at Test One Drop offer our condolences to the Robinsons and will hold them close in prayer during this difficult time. Furthermore, we thank them not only for donating life, but for sharing their story, so that others may learn the signs and symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes and Diabetic Ketoacidosis.
RESOURCES:
1. Flowers, Larry. "Mom Plans Funeral for Daughter Days after Being Diagnosed with Diabetes." WKRNcom. WKRN, 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. <http://wkrn.com/…/mom-plans-funeral-for-daughter-days-afte…/>.
2. Taylor, Maria Wilson. "Click Here to Support Angela Elizabeth Robinson by Maria Wilson Taylor." Gofundme. 27 Mar. 2016. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.
FOR MORE ABOUT TYPE 1 DIABETES AND DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS: www.TestOneDrop.org
Our vision at Test One Drop is that no child or adult will be diagnosed with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) as a complication of delayed or missed diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes.
www.TestOneDrop.org ‪#‎testonedrop‬"

We at Diary of an Insulin Addict would also like to send our condolences to the Robinson family during this very difficult time.

WHY CAN BE DONE?
There have been many kids over the past months like Angela, have flu-like symptoms & are diagnose with such. I am not going to bash doctors or anything, but anytime a child comes into the doctor's office/ER, they should check their blood sugar just to be safe.What can be done to help stop misdiagnoses? one word, CHECK. If you have a child with flu-like symptoms & end up taking your child to the ER/Doctor, insist on having your child's blood sugar be taken, just to be safe. A lot of parents think that their kids won't or can't be diagnosed & go off of that. Like I said, this should be done just to be safe & you can catch type one diabetes before the blood sugar gets too high.

Hope this article was insightful & if you have any questions about Type One Diabetes, its symptoms, etc.. visit www.TestOneDrop.org

Being Sick with a Cold or the Flu AND Diabetes

Since it's that time of year, and some pretty rough stuff is going around, I figured this kind of post could be useful... Especially since the doctor offices and pharmacies in my area have been slammed for weeks with no sign of it letting up any time soon, and I've become infected *zombie groan, raspy breathing*.

Being with a cold or flu is no fun for anybody, when you add being Diabetic into the mix... Well, it complicates things, to say the least.

It's a good idea to have a game plan hashed out with your Endo(or GP) for such things as the common cold or Flu. Even if it's been a while and you seem to be immune to what's going around, or you're not sick yet, talk to your doc about it beforehand so you have an idea of what they would like you to do just incase you can't get ahold of them when the inevitable happens(witching hour, anyone?).

When any virus strikes, it can throw BGs all over the place(UP or down), so testing is an uber importante key to keeping things in control(heh... kinda). Many OTC medications can and will affect you're blood sugars, whether upping them or downing them(YDMV), thus it is important to know which ones your doctor recommends for you specifically, beforehand preferably, and what their opinion is to how it might affect you(no guarantees it'll stick to the script, but having direction helps). While sick, testing more frequently helps you know where you're at and how any medications you've taken might affect your BGs - even if you don't feel you have the energy to do it, it's important! Also, some medications might affect the accuracy of CGM readings(a few meters, too), so it's best to test and not rely solely on your CGM. Get a pregame plan set up with your doc about what to do if you're running higher or lower than your normal range, they might hook you up with some basal or carb/correction ratio adjustments just for the special occasion.

As with any virus, especially if a fever is involved, dehydration becomes a real possibility - even if you don't quite feel up to it, it's important to get as much fluids as possible into your body(unless due to other health issues your doc states other wise). Sugar-free sports drinks, like Powerade Zero, are often highly recommended because they also contain electrolytes, but sometimes the sugared variety is also good to have on hand, too. Bouillon Cubes and chicken broth are great standbys for sick days, as are popsicles, honey, and Jell-O. Coffee, believe it or not, can be good for you when you're sick and it's trying to take hold in your chest, as it's a natural broncial dilator - unless your doc says otherwise, try to enjoy your joe. Unless you're allergic, Vicks on the bottom of your feet can help, too(just remember to put on socks after applying it).

Ketone Strips, preferably the blood kind like the Precision Xtra, are highly recommended to have on hand, as well. With any viral infection, the body can for various reasons decide to cannibalize itself, so it's important to test your ketone levels, especially if your viral infection is in any way preventing you from eating and drinking which can provoke such an onslaught. Talk to your doc to see what range they want you to call in about or go in for.

Getting rest while infected is vital, the body needs to be able to divert all power necessary to fight off the invaders, so taking time off is recommended(you don't want to be the zombie bitting and infecting others either).

Even with being prepped for a cold, find out what time frame your doctor recommends for you to be seen during your cold if decides to linger or worsen. If your cold seems more than just the normal run of the mill sniffles, call and get an appointment. If you have a high fever(102 or higher for adults), wheezing, chest pain, dizziness, be seen ASAP.