"My Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis"

Today I am writing 1 month on from my Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis. There have been a lot of ups and downs and I am glad to have the opportunity to share my story. It's probably going to be long, but I want the feedback to be comprehensive, especially the good stuff.

After a period of 2 months of feeling the symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes but not knowing that's what I had, I eventually ended up with an out-of-hours GP appointment on a Saturday after calling 111 earlier that day. I was very pleased with how quickly I was given an appointment, the first appointment that the GP had when it opened at 6pm.

Due to Covid (I assume) my partner stayed in the car and went in while I was tested. The doctor allowed me to call my partner in as he said he had some serious news to give me. Once my partner arrive, he said calmly but with a serious tone that I needed to go over to the hospital right away as my blood sugar and ketones were very high. I didn't know what any of this meant, but he made it clear it was serious. I felt scared, but he reassured me that I am in the best place I could be (on hospital grounds already) and that the admissions team was waiting for me.

I am very thankful to the team at the out-of-hours GP for how swiftly they saw me and referred me to the hospital. I felt in the right hands.

Once over in Admissions Unit 1 at the hospital, we sat for a little while in a waiting room (presumably while they were clearing a space for me to begin tests and treatment). I was offered toast which was great cause I was starving. There was a load beeping in the waiting area that was a bit annoying, but I figured it was for something important.

I then moved to a bay with only a chair while they waited for a bed and a bay space for me. During this time, two friendly nurses came in to test me and hook me up to an IV.  I was however shocked as one asked me what type of diabetes I had. At this point, I had no idea I had diabetes so this threw me a little as I hadn't spoken to a doctor about things yet, but this must have been the working hypothesis. My parents were allowed to come in to see me as soon as I told them which I wasn't expecting as it was a little late in the evening. I felt better having my people around.

This was my first hospital stay as an adult, and I didn't really know what to expect, but here are my thoughts on some of the prompts provided: Having a bathroom in the bay was great, and it didn't feel too clinical despite the adaptive equipment. Temperature - No complaints, liked the warmth.

Beds were 10x comfier than I expected. The room felt a little neglected but I am not blind to the fact that money will be spent on necessities first. 

The food was very plain, but this was to my benefit as I have food sensory issues and having 'safe foods' for every meal was a real relief. 

Privacy - I am quite a quiet, private person. I totally understood being in a room with other people, but I felt my best when the curtain was drawn around my bed. I wished I could have had this up the whole time, but I was too scared to ask. 

I never felt they weren't safe (even when a dementia patient was trying to look through my bag. The nurses did very well to protect my things without further agitating them. Lighting and Noise - No issues

I would have loved the opportunity to go outside for some fresh air or even to walk up and down the corridor a bit to break up my day. Again, I wasn't sure if this was allowed, I was too scared to ask and I didn't want to inconvenience the nurses.

Waiting for my admission was fine, given it was a weekend and I only had to wait while beds were being freed up. I was unhappy, however, with how long I had to wait, taking up a bed, while the Pharmacy made up my supply of insulin which I definitely could have gotten after I'd left the hospital as I had enough given to me by the diabetic nurse to last a few weeks. I could have been out at 1pm rather than 7pm.

I was genuinely surprised at how often and how long they could visit. It really made a difference. Amazing.

For the majority of my stay, I barely noticed the other patients. They were all older, most of which had taken falls and either slept or just didn't speak much. I felt very out of place and like I didn't need to be there. On my final day, however, patients with dementia were brought into the bay. They were extremely disruptive, shouting and screaming as they were very distressed about being in the hospital. 

I honestly cannot fault the staff at all. Every single one of my nurses and doctors made me feel safe and comfortable. Even the junior doctor who struggled to get a vein to draw blood was very kind and apologetic. From the staff that brought our food to the cleaner, every single one of them was lovely.

I was probably in the hospital longer than I needed to be for logistical reasons. I couldn't go until the Diabetes team had seen me, and they only worked Mon - Fri. Bad timing as I went in on Saturday I guess.