Management
Creating a Sick Day Plan
Creating a Sick Day PlanBecause you may not feel like doing anything other than resting while you are sick, take the time to set up asick day plan ahead of time.Your plan will guide you through this period, helping you maintain the delicate balance between taking care ofyour illness and managing your diabetes.Your sick day plan will tell you how often to check your blood glucose, what medications to take, what you caneat and drink, when to call your diabetes care team, and if you should check your urine for ketones.If you take medications to control your blood glucose, including insulin, continue to take your medications evenif you can’t eat as you normally do.Your diabetes care team may recommend you take more medication than usual. Insulin may become part ofyour sick day plan to help your body use the glucose for energy, keeping your blood glucose in a healthy rangeand helping you feel better faster.Check ahead of time with your doctor or pharmacist about which over-the-counter remedies for symptomssuch as congestion or diarrhea do not contain sugar or alcohol. Have these medications on hand, before youget sick, and every now and then check to see they have not expired.What you eat and drink when your body is under stress is important to your healing and recovery.If you can stick to your normal meal plan, that’s best. And drink plenty of water so you don’t becomedehydrated.But a lot of times when you’re sick, you’re not able to eat as you normally would. Work with your diabetes careteam to develop a sick day menu and keep these foods on hand.When you are too sick to stick to your regular meal plan, try to take in your normal number of carbohydrates byeating foods like gelatin, crackers, soup or applesauce.If even these mild foods are too hard to eat, you may have to stick to drinking liquids. Regular sodas, juice,sports drinks, popsicles or sherbet will help give you the necessary carbohydrates.And finally, your sick day plan will tell you when to call your diabetes care team. Here are some generalguidelines.You may need to call your care team if: your blood glucose results are higher than 300 mg/dL for 2 readings ina row; you have a fever of 101 degrees or higher; you are unable to drink fluids or keep fluids down for at least4 hours; your symptoms include vomiting or diarrhea; or you have symptoms of dehydration or ketoacidosis,including stomach pain, confusion, trouble breathing, dry mouth or fruity breath.And don’t forget to monitor your ketones if instructed by your diabetes care team.Having a sick day plan set up ahead of time and following it will allow you to rest, relax and feel better soonerso you can get back to doing the things you enjoy everyday.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG10169B EN CreatingASickDayPlan.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 1
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