Again!

[ann jusko]

The ambulance left about an hour ago. This time, Steve was very combative and I couldn't get any candy or coke in him. He just batted everything away. He took a couple swings at me, this very gentle man! I do have to praise our dogs...apparently he got up in the middle of the night and was on the floor in the living room. The dogs knew something was wrong and scratched and then banged on the bedroom door. Of course, I woke up...Steve wasn't there. I went downstairs with the dogs dancing around me. I tried everything and he'd bat it away. I knew we didn't have much time and called 911. An officer was there in 2 minutes, then 3 more then 3 paramedics. One of the guys said "We've got to quit meeting this way." I was crying. I rarely cry. They couldn't get the IV in with his thrashing around. But they all held him down and finally got it in the other arm. His blood sugar was 34 this time. Waiting for his doctor to call. The IV wears off. I made him breakfast and he ate about half of it.

If you would....prayers please.

[crocmommy]

Prayers that Steve does better. So he's diabetic? Maybe he should get the pump....

[RedEye]

The normal Pump really doesn't help with low blood sugar issues. It's designed try and control the high blood sugar problems by feeding a small continuous drip of insulin. Some of the newer pumps constantly monitor the blood and can feed glucose or insulin as needed but they're not 100% foolproof either.
I would suggest talking to your doctor and getting a glucose pen. It's only for emergency use, such as what you're describing, and you can jab it into a thigh or wherever you can to administer glucose.
Does he have type one or type two?
Kim was a type one which meant her body produced no insulin and was what was described as "Insulin Dependent" while type two means your body doesn't produce enough insulin. Sometimes type 2 can be helped with diet, exercise and oral medications.

[crocmommy]

Saw a story on Channel 4 news just this morning about a 14 month old boy who nearly died from diabetes and was diagnosed just in time. He had quit eating so the doctors assumed it was teething...

[ann jusko]

Steve's had Type 2 for many years and has been stable for all those years. Once in a while if he was doing something strenuous or for a long time (like hand sanding our double front doors) he'd know his blood sugar was dropping. I'd give him orange juice or cut up an orange and it worked all the time. The first episode was when he was trimming hedges. We have a lot of hedges But I think it was raking and picking up the trimmings and getting them into huge trash bags for trash pick up the next morning. I usually help, but Saturday, I had to get the house cleaned. He had his regular evening snack of cheese and crackers. Then boom at 3 am or so the bottom fell out. The paramedics told him to take it easy that day. Well, he had to, it rained all day. He did call the doctor Monday and got an appointment for the 26th. I think he took the pool pump apart and cleaned it Tuesday. Wednesday morning about 5 am the dogs alerted me. At first they scratched at the bedroom door and then they must have body slammed it. I turned on the lamp and Steve wasn't there. I went downstairs and he was on the living room floor thrashing around. My gentle husband was swatting me away when I tried to get candy or a couple sips of coke into him. His blood sugar was 34, but I didn't know it because I couldn't do the finger stick. He was kicking and swatting. The police officer must have been patrolling very near us. He was there in about a minute, at most two. Both of us couldn't hold him for the finger stick. The officer got on the radio and said "code 3". Other officers were there quickly, too. We got the stick. The paramedics have to come from Rockwall and they arrived. They had a hard time getting a vein. The original officer pulled out his tournique and got one in the other arm. He's an EMT and they don't do IVs. So the paramedics jumped over and got it established. I wanted him transported but the paramedics told me they would if I did t that he was stable and they'd send him home. Our internist called at 8 am and sent the rescue kit, changed his meds time.