agualibre777 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 My boyfriend has type 1 diabetes, and I am a nursing student. He doesn't do a lot of the recommended things, like he doesn't have an emergency kit if he gets hypoglycemic and he doesn't have a bracelet or anything to identify him as diabetic if he gets in an accident. I am thinking to get him a bracelet with his name on it, that he can wear around his ankle to alert medics that he is diabetic in case something ever happens to him. If they were to give him an iv infusion with sugar in it, for example, it could kill him... Link to comment
d24 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 In short, yes it is a weird gift. But provided he will actually wear it and doesn't take offense to it I'd say it's actually quite sweet Link to comment
mca1975 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Dont give it as a gift as such, just give him it and tell him he should be wearing it! Link to comment
agualibre777 Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 I'm torn, part of me knows he is not doing the things he should be doing, but I don't also want to always remind him he has diabetes. I know that it causes him some psychological pain... Link to comment
mca1975 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 what, it causes him pain to accept he has diabetes? How long has he known? Link to comment
avman Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I think it's a great gift actually. The fancier Medicalert bracelets are pretty expensive. That along with a good glucose meter would be very thoughtful. My wife also has type I diabetes. Link to comment
Scorpion Fury Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 if he doesn't do a lot of the recommended things on his own, do you think he would even wear it? Link to comment
agualibre777 Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 what, it causes him pain to accept he has diabetes? How long has he known? He has known for three years or so, but there is a lot of stigma against diabetes in his family and hometown (he is a foreigner). So even though I have no issue with it, and I help him out with tips to improve his glucose control since I am studying diabetes, he says maybe we shouldn't talk about it too much. Not sure what that is all about really... Link to comment
agualibre777 Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 get him a dog tag looks a lot more cool maybe a card in his valet too? i think a dog tag would attract too much attention... Actually a card might be the best!! Because he brings his wallet with him everywhere and it wouldn't attract attention... If he has an emergency they wouldn't immediately start pumping him with glucose, if he needed an infusion they'd give him an infusion with electrolytes... they would have time to look at his wallet... Link to comment
agualibre777 Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 if he doesn't do a lot of the recommended things on his own, do you think he would even wear it? that is an excellent question. i just think he doesn't do the recommended things because he hasn't had a doctor recommend them to him. he hasnt really had good info given to him... i've been able to help out a lot in that department! Link to comment
free2Bme Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I'd definitely go for the card idea if he'd prefer to be discreet, not sure many guys would like the thought of wearing an anklet, nice idea to sort something out for him though Link to comment
cutiepie07 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I work in a research lab doing work on diabetes, so I have learned a lot about it over the past year. Maybe the card would be a better gift so he doesn't have to wear it, he can just carry it around in his wallet. I understand you worrying in case there ever is an emergency. Link to comment
avman Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 i think a dog tag would attract too much attention... Well a dog tag you can tuck inside your shirt. Nobody even needs to know it is there. Match it with a nice chain and it can look very inconspicious. Link to comment
Sparkie Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 If he has an emergency they wouldn't immediately start pumping him with glucose, if he needed an infusion they'd give him an infusion with electrolytes... they would have time to look at his wallet... As a paramedic, I wouldn't start pumping him with anything until I checked his blood sugar level. I would use a card or dog tags etc as a clue if he had an altered conscious state and there was nobody else around who knew him, but I'd be doing his sugars anyway. I wouldn't go looking too hard though - simpler to just do the test. IMHO A better gift would be some sort of educational stuff that helps him to understand the risks of having a hypo while he's alone. Link to comment
agualibre777 Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 yeah actually his doctor is retarded. i told him to ask his doctor for an emergency kit, and his doctor didn't know what it was, told him it's probably just glucose and to just buy it... i'm like... he needs a prescription for that, plus they run around $100 or something... so his doctor just doesn't know what he is doing... luckily with some of my persistence he is going to see a specialist and we'll have more answers about his blood sugars and all.. but yeah, he knows the risks about being hypoglycemic and all, he just doesn't have the injection thing... i'm thinking about getting a book on sugar control and then just "sharing" it with him... i am fascinated by all this diabetes stuff, but i don't want him to feel like he is my patient either. Link to comment
Sparkie Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Its good he's seeking further medical help. Even learning little things like eating before he injects his insulin is handy. Too many people feel a 'bit off' so they inject, remove all blood sugars, and have hypos. having a Glucagon injection with him is handy too. But getting him to understand it all is key. Because everything else relies on someone else being there to assist. better to avoid it in the first place with good education. Good luck with that.... boys can be a bit slow!! Link to comment
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