High levels and Ketones

We all have those bad days were your levels are running really high or really low, the days were you forget to give yourself insulin at one of your meals, the night where your cannula to your pump falls out in the night and you don't realise, the time were you cant find you meter to test your bloods, the day where you over treat your low bloods by accident, don't worry we all do these things sometimes. Its can be so annoying because if you forget to do one of these things or something happens that's not your fault for example your cannula falling out and you don't realise because it can make you feel really ill and sick.

On Thursday my cannula fell out in the night and I didn't realise, this meant I hadn't been getting any insulin throughout the night. I woke up at 6am feeling really thirsty and sick, so I went down stairs and got a drink and when I got back in bed I realised that my cannula wasn't in my leg anymore. I tested my levels straight away and they were 25.0 so I tested my ketones and they were 2.8. The next thing I did was put a new cannula in me, put a temp basal of 150% on and put a correction in my pump too. I felt so ill so I just laid back in bed and I fell asleep, I kept waking up and checking my level and when the next thing I knew I was asleep again.

By lunch time my levels were 5.1 and my ketones were 0.0, I was feeling a bit better too. I took my temp basal off so that my levels didn't go low. I thought I had gotten rid off all of my ketones for that day but that wasn't the case :(  At dinner when I did my levels they were running a bit high so I check my levels and I had some ketones but not a lot. I but on another temp basal of 150% on so that I could get my levels back to normal. When I tested my levels and ketones an hour later they had gone up instead of down. So I changed my cannula again (for the second time that day which was really annoying) and I gave myself another correction and laid down because I felt really ill again. I tested my levels an hour later and my levels were HI (33,3+) and my ketones were 2.2.

My mum said to me if levels and ketones didn't start to come down in the next hour then i would have to go to a&e because I probably had DKA. I was sitting in the living room on the sofa so scared I really didn't want to end up in hospital. The last time I got admitted into hospital with DKA they had to put two drips in my arm and hand and I nearly fainted and they had to give me gas and air because I have a bit of a needle phobia. I really didn't want to end up in hospital  for like 3 days and have to have two drips in my arm. I really cant explain to you the feelings that were going through me head I was so scared, it was like the longest hour ever to have to wait. Luckily when I tested my levels and ketones an hour later they had lowered, I was so happy I told my mum and she said she didn't have to take me to the hospital anymore (:

I know at times it can be really scary to have diabetes but I have learnt that you shouldn't jump to conclusions. I got all worked up and upset over something that never ever happened, we need to try and stay calm in situations like this. I know it can be really hard but always remember you are stronger then you think (:

The year of 2013

So its nearly the end of the year so I thought I would write a post about how much my life has changed and how much I have achieved in this year. You might sometimes feel like you aren't moving forwards with you diabetes and that it is stopping you from doing things, I feel like that quiet a lot of the time. However if I think back to at the beginning of this year I have achieved so much and I am sure you have too.

At the beginning of this year I was ill and unwell because I hadn't been looking after my diabetes how I should have been. I went through a stage where I didn't want to be diabetic, I wanted to be like all of my friends at school. I wished I wasn't diabetic. I ending up in hospital because my levels were so high.I totally regret doing what I did. I made it stand out more that I was diabetic and different to everyone else at my school because I had to have time of because of how ill I felt and I had to go into hospital. 

After when I was out of hospital I realised that if I looked after myself I would feel a lot better and my diabetes wouldn't affect me as much when I was older. So I started doing what I was meant to do. My levels were so much better which meant my hba1c was so much lower, its the lowest I have got it in a long time (:

While I was in hospital I got told about some Facebook group that were for Teenagers with type one diabetes. So when I got home I joined some of them and they made me feel so much better because it made me realise that there are loads of other people going through exactly what I was going through. The groups have helped me so much because you can ask questions on there and then people will answer your questions. The people on the groups are so lovely and are always happy to help you. I have made some great, amazing friends on there who live in places like England, New Zealand, America, Canada and some other places.

Also this year I have learnt to change my line on my own, I know it probably sounds stupid that I was 14 years old and I had never been able to change my line by myself. The reason why I had never changed it before was because I have a really bad phobia of needles and my mum had always been there to change it for me. The hospital told me that I need to learn to change it myself because I was getting to old for my mum to keep changing it and my mum isn't always going to be there to change my line, for example she wasn't going to come round my house when I had my own house just to come and change my line, haha. It came to the point were I really wanted to do the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award which is an award which is given for completing a programme of activities that can be under taken by anyone aged 14 to 24. We got told you picked a skill, physical and volunteering activity and we would do an expedition which meant sleeping in the middle of nowhere in a tent for a night and walking 14miles over 2days. This meant I had to learn to change my line myself or I wasn't aloud to go. I really wanted to go and I didn't want to let my friends down so for the first time I changed my lie by myself, I was so happy when I did it. Now I change my line myself every 3 days (:

Since being able to change my line myself, being able to control my levels better and being able to carb count, I have been able to go to so many more things without my mum. I have been able to do the Duke of Edinburgh, go to the O2, go to Cambridge and go round friends houses for sleepovers more because my mum feels a lot happier and doesn't worry about me as much. Also I have been able to get a paper round that I do Monday to Saturday every week. I have to get up at 6am everyday to be able to do my paper round which I wouldn't have been able to if my levels were high because I wouldn't have felt well enough. I wouldn't have even thought about doing some of this stuff this time last year.

This year I have also made this blog, I cant believe how many people read my blog. I just wanted to have somewhere where I could write stuff that was on my mind and things that were bothering me but at the same time be able to help other people with diabetes and show them that they are not alone. Always remember you are a lot stronger then you think! If you ever need someone to just talk to or need any help I am always more then happy for people to send me a message or comment below and I will chat to you (:

 I have realised that I have achieved so much this year. I am more independent, happy and more well then I was last year. Even though I have had some times when I feel so fed up of my diabetes and just feel like giving up, when I look back I am so glad I never gave up and I kept going on because I wouldn't be where I am today if I had given up. Remember you are stronger then you think

Fears

Everyone is scared of different things, it could be something really scary to you but to someone else its nothing. Some people try and face their fears but it's not as easy as it sounds, it can be really hard. Some people don't tell anyone their fears because they are scared someone might think it's funny or that someone might use their fear against them. I never really tell anyone about my phobias or fears because I think some of them are weird, I thought today I would tell you about one of my fears.

One of my biggest fears are needles, I have a phobia of them. I don't really tell people about this phobia because I have to stick needles in me every day so I thought people might find it a bit stupid. this is the first time I have told lots of people about my big fear/phobia of needles. I have no idea why I am so scared of needles but I just am.

As I am on a pump I have to change my line every 3 days. When I change my line I use this spray that numbs your skin, this means that when I insert my new cannula in me I don't feel it go in. However even though I use this spray I am still scared of changing my line. It normally takes me like 10 minutes to change my cannula because when I go to insert the cannula I get scared and don't want to do it. So I leave it a bit longer and then I will try and insert my cannula again. Once I insert my new cannula I am so happy that I have done it.

The thing that I am most scared on is blood test. Every time I have a blood test I have to lay down and I get really worked up about it, so my levels ended up going high. Every year I have an annual review at the diabetic clinic where they do a blood test,. I had mine a couple of weeks ago, I was fine until they said I had to have my blood test done. To start of I wouldn't go into the room where they were doing the blood tests because I really didn't want to have it done. One of the nurses came out and walked me into the room. When I got in the room I sat on the bed and they choose which arm they were going to do the blood test on. I was shaky loads because I was so scared. When they went to take the blood I start crying because I really didn't want to have it done. So one of the nurses came and hugged me and made sure I wasn't looking while the other nurse took the blood from my arm. It hurt a bit when the nurse took the blood but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was so proud of myself after it was all done.

I have realised that thing aren't always as bad as you think it's going to be. you are a lot stronger then you think you are. You can face your fears and phobias if you really want to, I know it is really scary at first but you will be so proud of yourself after you have faced your fears.