It's been a rough few weeks

I haven't posted in a while, just haven't had time.  In early October my wife (Janie), while being hospitalized for anemia, was prescribed hydrocortisone, 25 mg both morning and evening, for an adrenal deficiency. On veteran's day, I took  her for blood work, as she had an appointment with her Hep doc the following week for a routine exam.  The next day I received a frantic call from the Liver Institute advising me to get her to the ER asap, as her blood/gluclose was 800. We should have recognized the signs, constant thirst, etc. but neither of us did. I took her to the ER and it was 689. Long story short, she was admitted for two days to get her gluclose level down with insulin. It took me another two weeks to get her in to see an Endocronologist who did additional blood studies, along with an MRI of her pituitary gland to rule out a tumor. He has diagnosed her as having Type 1.5 LADA diabetes (another auto-immune disease), and I now have to give her insulin both morning and evenings. The Endo doc says that the hydrocortisone just put her over the edge.  What else can go wrong

The Endocronologist thinks she would have acquired this eventually without the hydrocortisone, it just "pushed her over the edge" as he calls it. I don't know what her MELD score is now, as I believe she has declined since it was a 16 a month or so ago. No, she is not able to handle her meds, as she gets confused even with me giving them to her. She doesn't have her next appointment with the Hep doc until February, but I may give them a call after the 1st of the year and see if I can get her in sooner. Maybe she will move up on the list. I don't know if being an insulin dependant diabetic is going to effect her being a transplant candidate or not, I just hope and pray that she is not penalized.

Charlie, Being a diebetic doesnt change status on transplant list either way. The only issue would be if she wasnt addressing it properly. My husband became insulin dependant a couple years after he was listed, we were told it wasnt that uncommon for people with organ failure. The amazing thing about the human body is how it prioritizes what is most important to take care of. Hair, fingernails, skin, even muscle go to the bottom of the list along with glucose , your organs are at the top so everything else goes to the side. So we have to find ways to help it survive. Dougs DR was amazed as he never got colds, flu and bad infections. I stopped using all spray cleaners, I used wipes to disinfect bathroom and food prep areas. He actually built a natural immunity to germs in our environment, the only time anything weird happened to him was from a hospital or whenever he flew home to visit his family. He would come home and the next day would be in the hospital.... so travel was banned by me, I swear it was the planes......! My theory was if you spray it you inhale it, if you put it on your skin you absorb it and your body has to work at getting rid of it......I even used all natural cleaner on the cat.....it turned her pink cause of the berries in it but if he petted her it wouldnt do him harm..... yeah I was considered NUTS but he got 10yrs more than predicted so NUTS I was Sue

Charlie, it certainly IS overwhelming.  I think it's harder on the caregiver than the patient.  Therefore, you absolute MUST find some time for yourself.  It's not selfish, it's a necessity.  Otherwise, you will burn out.  Get some respite care for your wife once in awhile, so you can go do something for yourself.  I know all the caregivers and former caregivers here will agree.

Sue, people get sick from airplane travel all the time, as the air is recycled.  I would like to have seen your pink cat!  I had a pure white one who turned yellow during the time that I smoked.  LOL  I quit 7 yrs. ago this month, so when he died last summer, he was pure white again.

Hugs,

Connie

Charlie, never having been in that position, I don't know if it's more difficult or easier having experienced this sort of thing before.  I am glad to hear that you have a good support system, though.  Also, that you are able to interact with co-workers a couple of times a week.  I'm sure that helps mentally.

All the best to you,

Connie