Managing Sick Days for Young Adults with Diabetes (Day 2 at CWD FFL)

Managing Sick Days for Young Adults with Diabetes; Presented by Jen Block

The points that Jen made are very useful for young adults who are becoming more independent and may be faced with taking care of themselves alone while sick. As someone going off to college next year, I was very glad I had attended this seminar; even though I knew a lot of the basic things, some points that were emphasized will really help me in the future. Here's the gist of it:

It's best not to get sick in the first place

The value of basic prevention tips, such as washing your hands often, getting enough sleep, and avoiding contact with people who are sick, is not to be underestimated!

When you are in college, have systems in place that will help you when you fall ill

Have your diabetes doctor's phone # programmed into your cell phone. Know about your personal insurance coverage and what types of medical care are/are not covered. Also identify a healthcare provider on/near campus, even if you are still being taken care of by your hometown doctor.

Always have something identifying you as a person with diabetes! This can be a medicalert bracelet/necklace, a tattoo, a sporty wristband, or a card in your wallet.

Speak with your RA or another person in your dorm at the beginning of the year, so they are just "aware." You will probably have a fridge in your room anyway - so keep your insulin and snacks in there and talk with your roommate so he/she doesn't eat everything!

What to do once you get sick

There are 4 main problems that everyone needs to manage when sick:

Hypoglycemia, Hyperglycemia, Dehydration, and Ketones!

Jen could not say enough about ketones during her presentation. When you're sick, these develop much quicker than usual. The rule is if your bg is above 240 or 300, check ketones. How many of us actually do this on a regular basis? On a normal day, if you have a rogue bg like that then you just check your ketones once and forget about it. Well, when you're sick you have to check ketones all day, because even if they don't show up at one point, they may develop a couple hours later. If you ever find that you have moderate-high levels of ketones, call your doctor immediately! Never exercise when you have ketones. Although exercise will usually lower your blood sugar fast, especially in conjunction with insulin, it is not a good idea to try when there are ketones in your blood. This is considered a diabetes emergency.

In order to prevent/treat ketones, work very hard at staying hydrated. Sip liquids that are low in sugar or sugar-free. If you don't like water, try crystal-lite or watered-down juice or Gatorade. Gatorade is also good because it has sodium and potassium, which you will be deficient in when sick.

Hypo and Hyperglycemia will both be problems, because it is unlikely that being sick will affect your bg's in only one way - rather, there will be a rollercoaster effect. So check your bgs more often than usual. If you fail to monitor your bg's and hydrate appropriately, and develop ketones, it is easy to slip into DKA. But DKA is totally preventable!!!