Kathy from UK
05-06-2009, 05:18 PM
Hello,
I posted here (http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/introductions-and-announcements/34487-greetings-and-a-question.html) when my husband Gary was first diagnosed and thought I'd update you on what happened - all feedback is welcomed.
Gary's diabetes was diagnosed when he was admitted as an emergency patient in December last year. We were surprised, especially as his levels were so high (around 18) - he has several health problems and is closely monitored, yet diabetes had never been suspected.
The nurse was confident it was type 2, brought on suddenly by the shock of the illnesses he'd had a few months previously. When I asked her about late onset type 1 (Gary is 59) as he has a list of autoimmune conditions she said she wasn't ruling it out.
I'd also like to clarify my first message, which was incorrect - Gary has a severe hearing loss and often misunderstands what's said to him. The nurse would have liked to have started him on Metformin at diagnosis but it was contraindicated by his Heart Failure. So she gave him gliclazide.
As time went by his levels began to increase so she increased the gliclazide. Again the levels increased and so the meds were increased again - and the levels rose again. Each time he's had an increase in meds it's been followed by an overall increase in his blood glucose levels.
She discussed Metformin with his medical team, who okayed its use. So he started this. It made no difference at all.
He has now started insulin injections - one a day of background insulin. His metformin has been doubled and the gliclazide discontinued. It's only been 5 days but already his levels are beginning to show a slight drop.
The nurse still believes he's type 2, that his pancreas is barely functioning and that he's very insulin resistant.
I believe his pancreas has been subjected to an autoimmune attack.
On some threads I've read people asking why should it matter? Well, it matters to me for two reasons.
Firstly, Gary is really struggling with his health at the moment and is very limited in what he can do. If we can get appropriate treatment for his diabetes sooner rather than later it should help.
Secondly, diagnosing it accurately can help to fill in the jigsaw puzzle of Gary's health problems - he's had autoimmune problems all his life, in the last 18 months it seems to have gone into some sort of overdrive.
As well as the meds, he has been trying to adjust his diet to avoid glucose spikes.
I'm really hoping we can get the levels down now.
I posted here (http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/introductions-and-announcements/34487-greetings-and-a-question.html) when my husband Gary was first diagnosed and thought I'd update you on what happened - all feedback is welcomed.
Gary's diabetes was diagnosed when he was admitted as an emergency patient in December last year. We were surprised, especially as his levels were so high (around 18) - he has several health problems and is closely monitored, yet diabetes had never been suspected.
The nurse was confident it was type 2, brought on suddenly by the shock of the illnesses he'd had a few months previously. When I asked her about late onset type 1 (Gary is 59) as he has a list of autoimmune conditions she said she wasn't ruling it out.
I'd also like to clarify my first message, which was incorrect - Gary has a severe hearing loss and often misunderstands what's said to him. The nurse would have liked to have started him on Metformin at diagnosis but it was contraindicated by his Heart Failure. So she gave him gliclazide.
As time went by his levels began to increase so she increased the gliclazide. Again the levels increased and so the meds were increased again - and the levels rose again. Each time he's had an increase in meds it's been followed by an overall increase in his blood glucose levels.
She discussed Metformin with his medical team, who okayed its use. So he started this. It made no difference at all.
He has now started insulin injections - one a day of background insulin. His metformin has been doubled and the gliclazide discontinued. It's only been 5 days but already his levels are beginning to show a slight drop.
The nurse still believes he's type 2, that his pancreas is barely functioning and that he's very insulin resistant.
I believe his pancreas has been subjected to an autoimmune attack.
On some threads I've read people asking why should it matter? Well, it matters to me for two reasons.
Firstly, Gary is really struggling with his health at the moment and is very limited in what he can do. If we can get appropriate treatment for his diabetes sooner rather than later it should help.
Secondly, diagnosing it accurately can help to fill in the jigsaw puzzle of Gary's health problems - he's had autoimmune problems all his life, in the last 18 months it seems to have gone into some sort of overdrive.
As well as the meds, he has been trying to adjust his diet to avoid glucose spikes.
I'm really hoping we can get the levels down now.