Yesterday I discussed the missed-diagnosis of diabetes in adults and many were willing to share their stories. The one I share with you today really stuck in my mind. I share it as I received it with the exception, in fair disclosure, that there was medication mentioned and I deleted the type/name and indicated such in the article. I did that because I did not want the discussion to become about the medication, although it’s important. I thank this reader (and all others) for sharing their story.
Hello, my husband had gotten ill in October ’12. He was complaining about his kidneys hurting/lower back pain.
He went to the dr that morning, they took blood and just send him home. Said they would call later in the week when they have blood test back.
Well, we have a T1D already in our household. We had an extra “sugar shack” (blood glucose meter) at home and checked his sugar, because we both had a feeling that might be what’s causing the pain. We were right on. His bg was 425. Off we were to the ER. There, they hooked him up to a insulin drop and dxed him with T2D. No tests were done nothing. Next morning the dr put him on (a type 2 medication–name/type removed by the editor). He dropped a couple of times which he helped himself since the nurses didn’t think it was important to check on their patient.
When we got home he got sick from the medication (name deleted by the editor). Trembling, shaking, dizzy, short of breath and what not. So instead of taking two big (name deleted by the editor) pills, he only took one.
He went to see a dr, who now is considered a diabetic consultant, who again didn’t do no further testing, but just kept telling him that’s normal. My husband dropped 40lbs. He was skin and bones. We were scared to death.
Somebody at his work mentioned a “real” diabetes dr in the next bigger town. So off we go…
My husband walked in and the dr said “No wonder you are dropping all that weight and feel bad, you are a T1D, not T2D. I am 99% sure!” He ordered a blood test and voilà… He was right! I was furious!!!!! I could have easily lost my husband, the father of my babies.
Oh… And the nurse from his very first visit to the dr, called 3 days later and said “Your husband needs to go to the ER asap. He has diabetes!” If we would have waited 3 days for an answer he would have probably been in dka. Ugh!!!!!
Dr offices NEED a glucose meter in the office. One little finger prick can save lives.
This story is as scary as any other I have read. The sad part in all of the stories, including children, is the thought of how much is not documented or known. How many have become so ill and we will never know. This scares me……does it scare you?
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