Ketones, Ketones and MORE Ketones

Let me just start off with telling you all how much I HATE KETONES!!

We really have never had an issue with these poisonous little bastards , I mean, yes of course when Cara has been sick in the passed ketones were present and as soon as she started to feel better they were gone.

Yesterday, was my first real time dealing with these stubborn killer byproducts on thier own, without the presence of an illness and I have no idea why.

If you don't know what Ketones are HERE   is a great link. " in type 1 diabetes, where the presence of EXCESS ketones can be dangerous and life-threatening. In type 1 diabetes, when there is not enough insulin, the fat cells keep dumping fat into the circulation, and the liver keeps making more and more ketones and ketoacids. The problem is too many ketones! The rising ketoacid levels make the blood pH too low (acidotic/diabetic ketoacidosis), which is an emergency medical situation and requires immediate care."

Cara woke up a little later then usual, it was our lazy Sunday morning, last day to rest before back to school and work routine.  My husband had let me sleep in and Cara was lying on the couch refusing to eat anything complaining of a sore stomach.  So on this morning he was a little late on the insulin administering.  We corrected her blood sugar with insulin and gave levemir.  We knew something was up, she was pale, limb and exhausted not at all her bouncy, happy, hungry self.   The second she had to go to the washroom we grabbed the ketones strips and BOY DID THOSES BABY'S CHANGE A DARK PURPLEY  COLOUR FAST!!

CRAP!! We stared push clear fluids and every 4 hours correcting with insulin (we are still on MDI) but there was NO change.  Cara was soooo tired laying on the couch, sleeping on and off, no energy, she threw up 4 times in about 3 hours.  I have never seen her like this from Ketones.  My husband ran out to buy some blood ketone strips for our Precision Xtra blood glucose & Ketone monitoring system...love it!! As soon as he got back he hooked that bad boy up and 10 seconds later 4.6...ya that is a lot of ketones.  Fortunately for us and her, her blood sugar was holding steady the whole time between 15-12mmols.

that is not my hand :)

I know by now you are yelling at your computer, why in the hell are you not going to the hospital?  Well you see, the last time we were in the hospital because of a sickness for Cara the nurse and doctor fought back and forth about what they should be doing for Cara, which they ended up doing the opposite of what they should have done and then they sent us home with high ketones.  They had NO clue how to help us and I really don't think waiting in a germ infested waiting room for 3 hours and finally seeing a doctor that really has no exprience dealing with ketones were going to help us.  If I felt that she was in danger I would be there in a heart beat.  Our diabetic clinic was closed and outside of thoses people I have little to no faith in our hospital.

By 11:00pm we got Cara's ketones down to 1.3, I was feeling good about it.  We gave her more insulin and sent her to bed a many blood sugar checks through out the night and she woke up with a wonderful 5.0mmols blood sugar.  I was certain to see no ketones.  So we tested and 10 seconds later...2.3 WHAT?!?!

I have no clue, she is feeling fine, she has her insulin and it is working, blood sugar numbers look great today...I'm without a thought, however ketones are only at trace amounts now and hopefully on there way out!

And a great big THANK you to all those that voted for our T-shirt design  the winner is.... #4!!  Now on to making a video!!