Painting the walls

I am so slow!  Today, I got a 4' wall and a 2' wall done. There are lots of angles inside this house.  I got the inside of the front door done and the outside of the door from the utility room to the garage done.  So most of the entryway is done. Feels great.

Cleaning out as I go.  Have a few more boxes of stuff to put on ebay.  Planning a garage sale next month.  Gotta get rid of stuff - less to move!

Hubby went all week and never called his cardiologist.  His BP is still running 165 - 185/115.  Way too high.  He is having headaches every single day and not sleeping.

Interesting to me.  If I had that many headaches, I'd be calling my doctor!

He told me tonight that his feet have been hurting.  First he's mentioned that.  The back of his neck is really hurting, but that doesn't surprise me.  The neurosurgeon had explained that the fusion in his back would cause his upper back and his hips to hurt.  I think I'm surprised that it's happening so soon - just 6 months after surgery.

DW

The inability to take care of oneself

Ya think the date on his meter is off?  LOL!!!  He submitted this for the last month's reading.  Who knows.....maybe he's living in the future?  He tells me he's taking his glucose 4 or more times a day.  Hmmmm......


7/27/11 23:40:00 180
7/28/11 13:16:43 257
7/29/11 9:42:45 300
7/30/11 13:10:38 306
7/31/11 7:34:00 169
8/1/11 13:26:14 261
8/2/11 9:41:54 168
8/3/11 11:23:13 124
8/4/11 8:42:45 156
8/5/11 11:55:39 111
8/6/11 8:23:34 200
8/7/11 23:35:58 216
8/8/11 17:37:41 197
8/9/11 12:41:12 189
8/10/11 8:31:11 172
8/11/11 23:23:16 206
8/12/11 18:20:42 300
8/13/11 11:16:27 238
8/14/11 8:24:22 278
8/15/11 17:31:38 192
8/16/11 8:51:28 183


and the doctor didn't make a comment about the dates, she just sent back an order to increase his insulin.


Highs up to 306.  elevated BP, high heart rate.  What do you think?


And no, he still hasn't called his heart doc about his bp meds.


I'm simply documenting the ride.  Nothing else.  


Nothing else I can do.


DW

email messages

I never check the email associated with this account.  I hope my readers will understand and start posting comments directly to this blog.  I think it's really important that we share and support one another.

Got this one a month ago:

Hey so great to see your blog. Am out here in Africa and my husband has been diabetic for nearly ten years now. Am at an all time low as he is on insulin twice a day but still drinks like a fish .I feel sorry for our kids and myself as he has mood swings from extremely happy one minute to yelling like mad the next. Am now tired of being married to him as he does not make an effort to watch his health. Am frantically seeking a job as he is currently the sole bread winner. Want to leave with the kids and perhaps give them a more normal life. Love him very much but i think have carried him around for too long. He will not even see a urologist to help in that department....   

Another Diabetic Wife

So, ADW, you aren't alone, even if you are in Africa!  Your expression, "I have carried him around for too long" is very good.  Perhaps that is what all of us do - we carry them around.  But I'm not so sure what else to do.  I have often said that if I had children still at home, I would be gone.  I would not allow them to suffer through this.  But as alway, be careful not to make a rash decision on the spur of the moment.  All my life, I have always given myself 2 weeks to make sure I feel the same way about any decision I make.  If for 2 weeks, I know I need to do something and don't waver in that knowledge, then I usually proceed.  

Being married to a diabetic can be difficult.  Explain to the kids that it's not really dad yelling, it's his diabetes.  Or better, it's what a sugar low/high does to a person with diabetes.   Teach them to walk away.  Get them counseling.  Train them to know when they need to go to a safe place.  Have a plan in place for when the rage gets out of control.  Heck, I have that plan in place for me and I don't hesitate to walk away, leave the house, go to Walmart, walk around the lake, do whatever it takes to get me out of the harmful situation.  But it is so much easier as an adult.  I can't imagine being a child in the middle of all this.

Know that you have support here among us.  Many prayers,

DW

I think he's in trouble

The latest bp med is not working. His bp is ranging from about 156/82 upwards to 180/110.  He has had a headache all week now.  His heart rate is around 110 most times that he takes it.

I've suggested that he call his cardiologist on Monday and simply ask her to put him back on atenolol.  It worked great.

Because his bp is up, his sugar has gone out of whack as well.  Running high and he's not really eating all that much this week.

So, he's had a headache for a week.  You can just imagine his emotional state.  Grumpy would put it mildly!  Irritated.  Agitated.  Quick to yell at anything and anyone.

I've simply distanced myself from him.  Sent my sister home this morning.  She's seen a "different" side of him this week and now she's not always saying what a great guy he is!  And while she and I have had a great time, it's been overshadowed by his grumpiness and her outbursts that I need to leave him and move in with her.

Pretty tempting at the moment.  But I know it's not the answer.  And I do love him and would miss him terribly.

I was also wondering the impact of long term hot weather on diabetics.  It certainly must come into play. So I decided to research it.

If you are less active than normal, your insulin requirements might change.

You need to drink more water.  Diabetics whose blood glucose is not under control are more likely to dehydrate.

Those with diabetes are more susceptible to overheating.

People with diabetes have an impaired ability to sweat, which predisposes them to heat-related illnesses.

And of course, take extra caution with your insulin.

I think hubby and I are doing most of these, although he's probably not drinking enough water.

So, the heat, the bp meds not working, his glucose not being in control, the headaches and bad moods....I'm pretty sure he's in trouble again.

DW