I went to the ER once when I was about 12 with a glucose of over 400, and obvious DKA(vomiting ,etc).They had me sit in the waiting room for 4 hours and only gave me a cup of ice chips!
Another time I went into the hospitalfor a kidney infection(not diabetes related,thank god) and they insisted on taking me off my pump,so what originally was estimated to be a 4-7 day stay in the hospital became 14!In turn my highs school guidance counselor lied to my mother about my grades and told her the only way i would pass 10th grade was to go into home bound schooling.When I left school I was in honors geometry and doing well,but i’m a visual learner and the homebound classes took place over the phone.So I ended up having to drop math that year and when returned to school the following year ended up having to repeat geometry ,but this time the regular class. Totally screwed up my GPA for a scholarship I was going for as well.
When I was 17 I got a flu and my mom brought me to the ER after much protest on my part, because at this point I have learned I can usually get my blood sugars down way before the ER and they typically try to admit me,adn keep me for a week even though I’m better usually by the following day. Any who, this time they surprisingly decided not to admit me,but wanted to give me insulin to try to lower my glucose level, even though i was on a pump.So after arguing with the nurse in my flu like state I gave up and let them disconnect my pump and give me insulin.Needless to say an hour later I started to go low,so they brought m a sandwhich, crackers,and an O.J. I ate the sandwich and the nurse came back a few minutes later and said “why didn’t you drink the juice and eat the crackers?” I asked her if she had any diabetic education,because if she did she would know that is way too many carbs and I would end up sky high at which point they would probably try to admit me for yo-yo’ing blood sugars,even though it would clearly be their faults. She got mad stormed out and got the doc.I explained to him what happened and he turned to the nurse and said"You know sometimes the patient is right." I thought Ha! Take that B****. (sorry).Finally after like 4 hours there i got to go home.
My most recent experience waas when i accidentally dropped and broke a bottle of insulin(costly accident in more ways then one).it was like 9pm so docs offices were closed and i was literally out of insulin,so i went to the ER and explained to them what happened. They said they would have no problem writing me the script and getting it filled.The doc came in asked me how many injections I do,and I said I have a pump.The guy got bright eyed and said"can I see it? I haven’t seen one up close." I thought seriously,and showed it to him and explained the basics. Then he asked me how to write the script. He said he hadn’t done it since med school! I thought how is he to be any help to a diabetic that comes into the ER with a serious emergency? It’s crazy.
I’m amazed after having diabetes for 22 years,and having the pump for 9 how few docs know anything about diabetes.