Hi all,
My 83 year old grandmother who has had type 1 diabetes (needs insulin needles 2 times a day) for as long as I can remember. About 2 weeks ago she had a fall on her bum. It wasn't to bad as she has had falls before and they have been fine. Then comes time for her blood sugar and it was really high like 28 or 29. Then next day the same barley walk needed holding (while wanting to held herself up on furniture or walls) saying shes in pain and her blood sugar still quite high. So we decided to take her to the hospital just to make sure she hasn't broken her hip or anything and they said she was fine nothing other then her was sugar was high and needed needs to walk to bring it down. On the way home she started acting strange saying "the doctors are bunch of idiots and there wrong and don't know what there talking about). This has gradually gotten worse over the next few days. Sugar levels are still very high and having trouble and refusing to walk and helping her. Now it gets worse she keeps saying "she wants to go home" (aswell as some other delirious things) and "I can't walk, I am in too much pain", "your hurting me and beating up" (which our neighbors think we do but I could never her do) all the time. while refusing to eat, shower, walk or even stand sometimes hitting me and family members trying to help her with various objects. While constantly yelling and screaming then crying "I don't want help". Is there anything I can do or anyway too help her? (a home is not an option as years ago she made us all promise what ever happens never put her in a home).
Thanks in advance for the help and taking time out to read
8 Answers
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There are many things that could be causing your grandmother's symptoms, such as infection, dementia, stroke, etc., however, from the blood sugar levels that you describe, the VERY HIGH blood sugar is a great concern. I have no idea, how they would allow someone to leave the hospital with such a high blood sugar level. In the USA, we use a different measure from England. You say she is running around 28. I THINK that calculates to around 500 in our measure. Is that right? That's really high and so high, that I would seek medical care immediately if I encountered it.
Does your grandmother have an Endocrinologist? I ask, because if she is a Type I diabetic, she would likely need much more than just 2 injections per day. I've never heard of that. Type I diabetics do no produce insulin, so they have to take a Long Acting that is normally taken once or twice a day and then a Fast Acting that is taken before meals. ( I am a Type I diabetic.) Generally, it's at least 5 or more injections a day. So, I'd have questions as to whether her insulin treatment is sufficient. I'd question what she needs from a doctor trained in treating diabetes.
Is it possible that she is actually a Type II diabetic? Sometimes, they take a smaller insulin therapy, but, if her blood sugar levels are extremely high, I'd try to figure out what is going on.
Very high blood sugar levels can cause a person to be disoriented. They also run a risk of developing Diabetic Ketoacidosis. This is a life threatening condition. I'd try to get her to an Endocrinologist pronto to see exactly what she needs.
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Does she attribute the pain to the fall? How well did she walk before the fall? Sometimes a fall will make them become avoidant, but she may actually have some pain if she hurt her back even a little.
The high sugar can be due to many things. If her activity has changed, she may need a bit more help keeping her sugar down. Talk to her doctor about that. Keeping her sugar and he blood pressure in check are important. And as they others mentioned, have her checked for a UTI or other infection. Pain, infection, and inactivity can all cause sugar to go higher, so it is good to consider all of them.
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/urinary-tract-infections-elderly-146026.htm
My Mother [who was in her 90's] after a doctor appointment would also say "the doctors don't know what they are talking about"... and heaven forbid if one doctor would tell her the condition is from advanced age, she wanted no part of that.
Hopefully someone who is familiar with diabetes will continue this conversation to give you some advice.