Frustrated at the hospital

My son, 11, was just diagnosed with type1. This is our second child with diabetes. His sister, 14, was diagnosed 6 years ago.

I am having a struggle with my hospital as they will not discharge Simon until he performs his own blood test. He is really starting to dislike his diabetes team and I'm afraid they will never be able to regain his trust. He has been doing so well and his Mom and I have been praising every step he takes, only to have the educator make him feel likes he's not doing enough to go home.

It feels like the hospital is more concerned about completing a checklist that absolves them of liability than about the care of my boy.

What to do?

 

What have you said to the team? Are they perhaps unaware that you are an experienced Type 1 family?

 

Both kids have the same team so they now. I've just had a long discussion with the DE about how we feel. I was told that it is part of her job as a health care professional to make sure that Simon is safe. As a parent it is my only job.

Her concern is that he will go low. I have assured her that he will not be left alone until he can take care of himself. They don't trust us I guess.

 

I'm so sorry that you are going through this.

At the end of the day, you and your son can always leave the hospital. I don't really know what consequences there would be from that decision, however (could there be an insurance issue, for example?).

Before I did that, I'd try to have a "do over" of the issue. Take a step back, everyone take a few deep breaths and then start over. Sounds like the team and their approach is not working for you ... is there a more sympathetic team member (or hospital patient advocate) that you can talk to about trying a different approach?

I guess if that didn't work, I'd talk to my son about the fact that doing a test in front of the team is his ticket home and as annoying as he finds the team and its checklist, just getting it over with might be worthwhile.

Once out of the hospital, I would raise my concerns about the approach with the hospital and your son's endo, just so they have an appreciation of the issue.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.
We are trying to encourage him to do his testing. He can give his own insulin he just gets freaked out by the "surprise" of the lancet.

 

If I thought it was in my son's best interest to go home, I'd pack him up and take him home. They can't keep either of you there against your will.

 

You can leave the hospital any time you want to.

Him being able to lance his finger one time in the hospital is not going to keep him "safe", nor does it address their concerns about him going low. Ridiculous. Tell them you are well aware of how to manage a child with diabetes and that you will not force your son to do something he does not want to do, based on their faulty logic.

 

Thanks everyone. We've discussed it with him and he's agreed to stay until tomorrow. He's going to try his hardest to do a finger poke. What a trooper!

 

Maybe you need to get a dfferent lancet. We use the Delica and my DD says it does not hurt, you could also try the multiclix. Maybe it doesn't have as much of the "surprise" factor. There are others as well.

 

Thanks.

He's using Delica lancets. Our DD was so glad to see these. She wants to switch as she also says they don't hurt.

 

My DD struggled the least with the Multiclick because you don't actually see the lancets. We tried the Delica and she said it's smoother, but having the lancet to put in and see makes her a little more hesitant when she pushes the button. Since we went on the multiclick she has not had any hangups.

PS I am sorry about your new dx stinks!!!!

 

I'll check into the multiclick. It's weird though - he is ok with Mom or I pressing the button, the lancet doesn't freak him out, it just seems to be the pushing of the button that he doesn't like.

I'm sure he'll get more comfortable with time.

 

Lord, I'm glad they didn't have that requirement at our hospital, we would have been there for months! They did have J do a poke and test on me, though. Would that satisfy them, to see that your DS knows how to do it, even if he isn't ready to do it on himself?

 

How about alternate site testing??

Base of thumb or forearm???

How about headphone on???

I wish you the best.

 

We were hoping that - he's tested the nurse, Mom. His sister tested with him. He's just not comfy. His sister was let out before she did the finger prick. They are saying the difference is that she was 8 and he's 11.

I'm sure it's just a bureaucratic requirement and nothing to do with his health or safety.

 

Obviously. I would just leave.

 

Mine was 11....she did her own poke, but it was not a requirement for discharge. The requirements we had for discharge was mom or dad poking, and doing a Lantus and a Novalog shot. Odd thing is we never had to use a syringe, just the pens....so when we started corrections no one had bothered to show us 'proper' technique.

 

I am so sorry about the second diagnosis. There just aren't words.

 

All the more reason to get out of there. Unless you want to pay for another night in the hospital for no good reason.

 

It would have taken matt months to get released if he had to test himself OR give himself a shot before being discharged.

maybe you should remind the team that all of this will come in due time with him, and this forcing issue is going to be a huge set back for him.


Im in the camp of we would have been long gone by now....

even at 11, he still needs to be a kid. Your in charge of his needs till he wants to step up and do them himself, period. My dr have drummed that in my head so much with matt. We do, till he is ready and willing to do. He will have a lifetime, we only have so long...