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This is one of the contributions to:DIABETES ESSAY AND POEM COMPETITION 2009
22nd October 2007
At around 10am we left from the cosy, mountain top retreat. Outside everything was covered in snow and it looked beautiful. Had i know what was to come, as i do now i would have done things very differently. Let me explain, what i had done. You, just like me will have be told about the dangers of not taking your insulin, and thought i would never do that. However i did, but it was that surprising, it was my first time abroad without my family, so something was going to happen, its just a shame that i was so silly and managed to get Ketones. The previous days i had been eating, anything i wanted to but didn't bother to do any of my insulin.
So i had left the mountain retreat with the rest of the party, we had a long trudge through the snow, with heavy bags. Although it had been hard before, i soon found myself really struggling to climb the slope. The legs all most gave way, but some how i still managed to get to the coach. AT that stage it probably wasn't to late to give myself some insulin and i wouldn't have got ketone acetoacetic, but i didn't. Anyway the coach journey was uneventful. However as you have probably would have experienced if you've been high, you desperately want the toilet, water and may even feel sick. I kept needing the loo and water. The coach was stopped several times so that i could walk behind some metal crates, in the beautiful snowy countryside just to go to the loo. The two trips that i remember were before entering a tunnel, don't ask why, i just do and then in the middle of a city next to a petrol station. The reason i remember that one was that someone commented that i had kept going to the loo and was drinking loads, just a pity the teacher hadn't read the information pack on diabetes we gave him.
Anyway we walked down to a supermarket and went shopping. Afterwards we we going to eat our lunch, that's when i realised i didn't have my insulin, so i went and got a teacher to open the coach. That was a short lived return to reality. I couldn't find the insulin, but instead of saying this, i just went back and ate my lunch. After lunch i only needed to go to the loo once, and that was again in the snow, this time next to some trees. I spent the rest of the journey talking to our guide about Croatia and how i would be able to come back. We reached a campsite, where we were going to put our bags, for our hike up the mountain. Fortunately one of the staff decided i was going to be too unwell to go up the mountain and so put me and my bag on the coach. On arrival, at a very beautiful lake side campsite i just sat down in the shade whilst everyone else played with a mini rugby ball on the beach. Not long after that we were all shown our rooms, however during this i started to feel really weak and so propped myself up against the wall. Just a few second later, and a few moments before i would have been in the room, i threw up. I felt really ill, i had the really horrible taste you get in your mouth when your really high. I then went to bed, doing my night-time insulin, so again i all most started a road to recovery. I also had some soup and a drink.
23rd October 2007
The next morning i woke up feeling much better, i had a drink of water and then put my shoes on and went to the toilet. There were several other people around at that time. However i was feeling fine until just before i was about to leave, that's when i threw up again. I was feeling really ill again and threw up several times. I managed to open the door and one of the teachers came with some water for me to wash my mouth out with. After that, i went back a laid down in bed. The groups leader came to see me. He said they had spoken to the local hospital and that it probably was just a virus and that they would take me to the local doctor that afternoon. SO as you can guess i felt much better, this was probably because i wasn't really thinking and so didn't know what was really happening.
We got onto the coach, after everyone else had, had breakfast. However the journey was really difficult as i felt so weak and sick. The bendy roads made me feel like i was going to throw up, so we stopped and i lay on the tarmacked road. The group leader, who's name i cant remember, then gave me some diralytes to rehydrate my body, but my body didn't accept much. The coach then arrived at a track and we got off. Whilst most people were down the track in a matter of minutes it took me much longer. I was feeling really weak and the sun was really hot. We had to keep stopping so that i could regain my energy. Several times on that 200 or 300m walk i was sick.
At the start for the cameoing there was a small buildings. There was a small ledge in a shaded position, i laid down there and rested. However very soon we needed to move again. I was feeling very sick and so they got me a barrel. This time i only had to walk 10m at the most. However i was very weak and so it took a long time. After i had positioned myself in the seat of the truck, i threw up into the barrel. The teacher said this was probably because i had just been moving.
We quickly got to the finishing point for the canoeists and found a nice quiet and shady spot. Just like for the coach journey, i felt really ill and weak, however it was much worse as the road was really bumpy. I was to spend the rest of the day under this tree next to the river, except on the few occasions when i needed the loo, in an attempt to lower my sugars. Through out the day i had several more diralytes and threw up again. However the most concerning thing that happened would have been the hallucinations. Just to my right behind my head there was an old, shack like building. I remember seeing and telling the teacher on one occasion that an old lady carrying bananas had just walked out of there. I also saw a bowl of bananas. After a long day i clambered onto the coach. The group leader then made the decision to stop at the medical centre and have me checked out. So the coach was stopped on a tight bend and i was carried into the centre and put onto some chairs. I remember seeing this happen, almost as if it was on TV.
The two nurses then called us in and i was placed onto the bed. The Croatian guide told them that i had been ill and that i was diabetic. When he said diabetic they became very concerned and immediately did a blood glucose check. The result was around 20mmol/l. This is not the highest its ever been and so i did not understand why i was so ill, however they gave 12 units of insulin, to help bring the sugars down. They also connected a drip up and gave me some saline to replace my lost fluids. I was then carried out into the waiting ambulance.
I don't really remember much from the ambulance trip to the hospital in Zadar or my arrival there. However i do remember looking out of the window, most probably when we were on the motorway and seeing a wall of concrete. I also remember the teacher being told to disconnect the drip by the ambulance driver. On arrival i remember there being a lift and then being pushed out of it into a corridor.
The doctor then gave me some more insulin and also attached a drip to me again. However i was very scared as i didn't understand what they were saying and the Croatian guide didn't get a chance to ask them what was happening. Fortunately there was a very nice phyciatrist who spoke english. Once she arrived so explained what was happening and asked if i wanted anything. My reply was water, as my throat and lips were really dry. However i was only allowed to suck water from some cotton wool. As it had been the liquids that had been making me throw up. At this stage i was feeling really ill and sick. I was soon asleep and don't remember anything until the following day.
24th October 2007
That morning i woke up feeling really tired and groggy but much better. I still felt a little sick and dehydrated. But i was allowed to have some water and then go to the loo in bed as i was still attached to the drip. I spent most of that day asleep, and whilst i was awake i felt really sick and disgusting. I didn't move out of my bed or even look through the window, as i was still really weak.
25th October 2007
On this day, i had my first meal in about 2 days. I was also disconnected from the drip and allowed to get up. But i still couldn't walk very far and needed to sit down. I was also concerned of what everyone thought of me and whether my parents knew. Fortunately they did. I remember feeling slightly doggy and ill in the morning, but i was low in the afternoon, which was a sign that things were getting better. That day i had my tea at the table which looked across the street, at the bullet stained windows and walls.
26th October 2007
Today i was back to normal, i was up and about a bit more, i even managed to walk down the corridor to the loos. However i was very bored, as all i had to do was draw. I was low a couple of times, and the nurses fussed a bit. They were obviously concerned about me having a bad hypo. I knew that i would be leaving soon, so i had to get up and walk around. After walking around the unit i was in and being given some sugar tablets, i went outside for the first time in several days. We walked around the garden for a few minutes, which was really nice. It felt so much better just to be back to normal. We then went to a phone box and sorted out a lift. At about 8 or 9 we left, with my discharge papers, which would be given to my doctor in england, we left. I went in the Croatian guides car. We arrived at the camp, and everyone come towards the car to see how i was. I felt really happy to be back with everyone, and i was a little annoyed with myself when i heard what i had missed.
The next day, we went back down to where i had lain on a previous day, and it felt so different. All i can say is don't let this happen to you. Its really horrible, how you feel and everything else that goes with it. Most people still don't know, as i am a little ashamed i let this happen to myself. Just make sure this doesn't happen to you or someone you know. I almost died, its really that serious.