[gobbly2100]

I was just interested in knowing if anyone has ever had ketoacidosis and what happened to them?

I had it once and I will never forget the day I found out I had it, in a summary it was like this:

I went to my sports center in the cafe before I started my karate lesson and this was at a time I had no care for diabetes what so ever and I saw a lovely slush puppy machine, yummy is what I thought so I ordered a slush puppy and 2 sausage rolls, ate that and then it was time for my lesson so I did training for an hour and then when I had finished I went into a corner shop to buy about £1 or $2 of penny sweets we call them here.

I was eating my sweets on the way home enjoying them like any other 14 year old would and at this point I felt fine, or so I thought . . . .

When I got home I sat down on the sofa for 10 minutes or so as I felt a little unwell and was having weird feelings in my throat and stomach, I did not think much of it though.

I was supposed to be getting ready to go out with my friend to another karate lesson but I was not up to it atall so he went on without me, anyway, I started to feel like I was gonna be sick so I ran to the toilet and there is started, the confirmation that I had pushed it too far with my diabetes and well the colour of my sick was not pleasent atall.

I never got even an hour of sleep that night as my mum counted I was sick 18 times in 12 hours so first thing in the morning was a hospital visit where they explained what had happened.

I really could not eat anything as I felt too sick but by the afternoon I ate a bit of toast and then they said I should be ok to go as I am able to eat and keep it down.

My diet was perfect for a few weeks after it and then it all went out the window again, back to the bad food.

Now, I am 18 and my last hospital visit informed me that my eyes are showing signs of damage which am not suprised about and so I have finaly taken control of my diabetes and I have to say it makes me feel a dam site better in control rather than out of control.

It is sad that it had to take so much for it to get though to me that diabetes is not something to be messed with, I would do anything to turn back the clock but I have been told by the doctors that all my damage so far is reversable with good control so if that is not motivation then I dunno what is.

My HBA1C's have been around 13 - 15 for years now so am really looking foward to my next visit to see how much better it is now


Well that is my story starting from when I developed ketoacidosis, I hope people read this and helps some of you that may not be aware just how important control is.

Take care all and let me know what you think of the story about me being a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

[Cyborg]

Wow! The scary thing is that your story is probably more common than people think. Hopefully, any damage you've done is reversible. Good luck...

[blacklightmike]

Very brave and wise for one so young, Gobbly. Your story resonates with me deeply... though I am 25 years older, mine is not much different... I was actaully eating pretty well, but not monitoring much... after eight years of Diabetes, Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and Hypothyroidism, I was getting tired of being the 'sick' person, and began to concentrate on my other maladies instead of my sugar.

Fast forward to a month and a half ago... I developed a fever and chills, spent 24 hours in bed with no food (or desire to eat at all), just drinking water and peeing every hour. A tremendous pain welled up in my left leg, and when the fever broke, I was left with a purple, swollen shin that hurt so bad, clothing and bedsheets hurt.

I wound up in the hospital ER, thinking I would get an antibiotic and go home. Instead, I was admitted with an A1C of 250, my kidney function at 55%, osmotic diuresis and cellulitis. I had just watched a friend go through a similar situation six months prior, and he lost his leg in the process.

I'm on insulin now, having only been on oral meds before, my diet is stellar, and my 30 day BG average is 101. I feel as if I've been reborn, and shy of becoming a militant former sugar abuser, I hope horror stories like ours will wake someone up who may be in denial about their diabetes.

BTW, no slush puppies, but I did eat a bagel on the way to the hospital... the last one I've had since.

[am1977]

That's some story! thank goodness that you got checked out when you did~ Diabetes can be a difficult and dangerous disease if left untreated and uncontrolled.

Thanks for sharing your story

[Dervish]

Yes, I had a brush with ketoacidosis about 3 weeks ago. Nothing as visibly dramatic as your story - I pretty much don't vomit, ever - but still quite a story.

I just started feeling sick at work on a Friday afternoon and it got progressively worse over the weekend, but didn't seem to be much more than a really bad cold. Monday, I called in sick to work because I was feeling really tired just from walking across the room. Tuesday, I was pretty well out of food and went to the grocery store out of necessity, but quickly ran out of steam. Fortunately, one of the managers saw me sitting on the floor to rest and called an ambulance to check me out. They recommended that I see a doctor immediately, but I refused a ride to the hospital and went home with my groceries.

When I got home, I just curled up on my bed without even putting any of the food away. After lying there for a bit, I realized that I was debating whether I had the energy - and the will to endure the pain in my gut - that it would take for me to get up and walk to the bathroom. So I called 911. By chance, they ended up sending the same ambulance to pick me up that I'd earlier refused the ride from; they seemed a bit relieved to see that I changed my mind.

After that, I remember electrodes being attached in the ambulance, questions being asked in the ER, a couple flashes of being in an MRI tube... and then nothing until Saturday afternoon. Relatives and nurses have told me that I was conscious and responded normally (or as normally as someone with a breathing tube shoved into their lungs can) during those days, but I have no memory of them.

After my memory resumes, it wasn't long before a doctor introduced me to the words "ketoacidosis" and "pancreatitis". I also quickly picked up on implications that I had diabetes, but it wasn't until a couple days later that I thought to ask the question and they finally said it directly. All told, I ended up spending almost two weeks in the hospital (Tues-Sun in ICU, then Sun-Fri in the general ward) before they had worked out insulin doses to their satisfaction and were willing to send me home.

A pretty harsh experience overall, to be sure, but at least it gave me a very clear demonstration, right from the start, that lack of insulin is not a good thing. I've only been out of the hospital and treating my own diabetes for a week and a half so far, but knowing how close it came to killing me (my sister tells me one of the doctors said I wouldn't have made it if I'd gotten to the ER an hour later) makes it a whole lot easier to stick those needles into myself.

[KCP]

Wow thats some story.