Diabetic and EMS

[dizzymedic]

Greetings all,

Just curious, is there any body out there who is in EMS and has to deal with Diabetes? I have been a medic for 6 years and found out two weeks prior to graduating that I have diabetes. :sad:

It just means that I have to watch myself even more than a regular diabetic. The reason I post this up is too see if there is anyone out there who shares my perticular challenges with this field. Let me know, it would be fun to chat about it.

Later.

 

[Guardian]

Me personally, no. I do know a lot of people in this business who deal with it though. They seem to handle it pretty well.

 

[MMiz]

I know quite a few.

I asked one partner why the hell he had such a cool pager that made lots of cool sounds while I just got the standard one. It was an insulin pump.

I know one partner who refused to eat and her sugar got too low. She passed out as they drove away from the hospital. The crew was at a Level 1 trauma center but they didn't want to go through the whole hospital jazz. Instead they called for an ALS intercept to administer D50. The EMT was combatant, kicked and broke the radio in the front of the rig, and had to be tied down in the back. She ripped off my supervisor's brand new uniform shirt too. She was allergic to latex so when the local ambulance service (not ours, a city-run service) showed up to help out, and had to help tie her down, her airway closed up because of the latex gloves. She was rushed into the trauma room and got some EPI.

Truthfully, I think that it becomes part of someone's life after a while. If you're responsible and take care of yourself, you'll be fine.

 

[emtbuff]

I can't say we have anyone on our squad that deals with being a diabetic let alone any other medical issues, except for maybe me.

I am not diabetic but I don't sweat. So during the summer when it gets really hot and muggy out I can over heat quickly. But like Matt mentioned it becomes part of your life. I would suggest letting your partner or those that you mainly run with know about it just in case you would suddenly go crazy or pass out. I think there is a good handfull off our squad that knows I don't handle heat the best and I have told those off the firedepartment that do both EMS and fire, along with a few other firefighters. (I'm thinking that is one reason why I haven't gotten on the fire departmetn yet and the fact I'm a female but oh well) Anyways my joke is that if we are on a car accident or some sort of scene with both fire and EMS that if I would pass out while working to roll me over and hose me off. I also know that if I need to I can pass care over to someone else and seek refuge in the ambulance or go with a driver for a couple transports to get cooled off, or I can always go sit in a fire engine that is on with AC. I would say it is knowing your body and how you deal with different things and if your feeling low or just not right check your self out, eat something, and if your really despirate you usually carry glucose on the rig. I'm sure administration would understand. Just let someone know what is going on and that you need something. I'm not afraid to walk over the firefighters and tell them to spray me off or go and get a jug of water from the rig and a towel and put that around my neck or drown myself in that. Its up to you to let you control it or let it control you.

 

[Wingnut]

Ditto I'm hypoglycemic, I just know when I'm starting to go and keep glucose tabs on me. It's not a big deal but I would never let it go, it would just cause more of a problem for the people I work with.

 

[Jon]

Not me, but I have a regular partner at the part-time gig who is.

We worked together on the company-paid vacation to LA in September, and I had to pick up some spare part (insulin, delivery needle, etc) from his tent because he used his spare and wasn't sure when he'd get back.

Then I worked a 2-day event with him, and his pump died...that sucked... 2 days in an ambulace 12+ hours a day, out of town, and he's got to go back to testing and sliding scale on the drop of a hat.

 

[gradygirl]

I'm not, but my guy (a medic) is. I met him after he got an insulin pump, but before that I've heard some pretty scary stories about him getting severely hypoglycemic. He would get very violent, and, since he is very strong, would cause injury to others. He once jacked his partner up against their ambulance while at a call, very scary stuff. I think the breaking point came when he was arrested for being "drunk," but was actually hypoglycemic. He seized while in the holding cell and almost died, so that's when he really decided he needed the pump (why it took him so long, I don't know.)

He's fine now that he has the pump and is a damn good medic.

 

[scorpiolcp]

I too am hypoglycemic, and have always been... I know what it is like not being able to get up in the morning because my sugars were too low. I have it under control, (as controlled as I can get) but occasionally will workout too much, or will lose track of time. I always have a snack in the truck, and use to carry glucose. I do have my personal test kit with me always, and if I feel really bad, I ask for help.

 

[emtwannabe]

Just listen to your body. If you are on the meds, and watching your diet, you will get to know the "highs and lows". Always keep a snack handy, and do not be afraid to test your blood when you feel "different". That is how you learn to control the disease, not let the disease control you. Good luck!!!

Jeff

 

[Celtictigeress]

I am...

I keep a test Kit and a protein Bar, I always ave Glucose....My Motivation?? Once I crashed at work and the boss shoved the tube down my throat.... Wont Happen again....Its about knowing your body..I can start to feel When I am about to have an episode wit it....Its about when you eat and what you eat...I keep glucose on my person I ave a med Alert on left arm (Which also lists my many many many allergies)

 

[ffemt8978]

Me personally, no. I do know a lot of people in this business who deal with it though. They seem to handle it pretty well.

Same here.