Coffee 2-28-15

I like to tell people that getting old isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Getting older is hitting hard about now because I am dealing with things that seemed so far off when I was young.

I was expecting to have good news tonight. Yesterday after I came home my wife called and said the doctor told her she may be able to come home as early as today. I was visiting this afternoon and no doctor ever came around but the nurse informed us that there were no discharge notes so the likelihood of being discharged was not good.

Bad weather is on the way so I headed home earlier than I would have had to and on the way home I got a call from the nurse explaining that the doctor did not like what he saw on the MRI and that there are still TIAs (mini strokes) going on and he wants her to get more aggressive treatment. I spoke to my wife and she is naturally upset and so am I. I am very glad that the doctor knows that she will get better treatment elsewhere but it is upsetting to know that she is still at considerable risk. So as we stand now they are planning to move her to a specialized stroke unit at Lehigh Valley. I hope I can speak to a doctor from there tomorrow and get some firsthand information. It sucks being transferred to a hospital an hour further away as another winter storm is upon us but she needs the expertise they can provide. All I can do is pray. Thanks for the support.

Sorry to hear your wife is still ill. Hopefully she gets better soon. You both continue to be in our prayers.

Yep, you got plenty of company with those prayers gaw! Take care of YOURSELF my friend. The wife is in good hands.

You can add even more coming your way gaw, sounds like they are looking out for your wife's well being.

You Are Up For This Challenge......Stay Loose,But Tactical And Practical At The Same Time.....Between "The Old Man Upstairs","The Mrs.",You,And Your Developing Medical Team,I think The Neccessaries are being Assembled......We Don't Do Guarrantees....We Just Do The Best We're Granted.....Head Down,Hammer Down And Into The Line We Go....We're Riding With You And Your's On This One !!...

^^^ HEAR HEAR!

Final update.

After much unnecessary drama my wife was transferred to a bigger and more capable hospital. She was evaluated and given some sort of test there that the first place was not able to do. I was visiting yesterday afternoon and my wife said they were saying she could go home soon but she had not spoken to anyone lately. I just arrived and had not seen anyone yet so we went out to the nurse’s station and a lady P.A. greeted us and said “I am working on your discharge papers right now”. She was able to spend last night in her own bed.

This has been a scary ordeal and she is extremely lucky, luckier than she realizes. A few things to take away from this are that she must monitor her blood sugar. She never did and her sugar was not under control. I would get on her from time to time and she would get angry. Her biggest reason for not monitoring blood sugar was the lance hurts her finger and sometimes it was that test strips were expensive. I told her point blank that I would think a weeklong stay in the hospital was preferable to sticking your finger a couple times a day, sarcastically trying to get her to see the light. I know she will be good in the short term but the long term is a huge question mark.
Other things to do; watch her diet closely, limit those carbs and weight loss is always good. (Unless you have anorexia) Limit salt and get the blood pressure down more. She is also supposed to limit fats and work on reducing her cholesterol and triglycerides. All these numbers were high, not freak out high but too high. Again I am not worried about the immediate future but where will she be a year from now that is what is important. I have tried on and off to persuade her in the past to no avail. I have threatened the heavy handed approach and just may have to do it. What I mean by that is if I see bad junk food make its way home I will throw it right in the garbage. It is challenging working with stubborn people. I have been telling everyone for years that my wife got married and I became a single parent, they laugh and think it’s funny. I’m not laughing.

One last thing for everyone, healthcare and medicine can be expensive. I have always had and continue to have insurance. This will be a financial pain in the ass in the short term to cough up the high deductible and co-pay but it should be because a little pain helps focus your mind to do things better next time. While speaking of cost the other part is the medications. I have been telling my doctor and my wife has told her doctors as well that we are not interested in the newest meds out there; let’s explore the older time tested drugs now available as generics first and see if we get the results we are looking for. All her prescriptions for the month were under $40 except the insulin so if everything works it will be a very manageable drug bill. I know not everything can be treated with low cost drugs but I tell everyone to tell their doctor that cost is a concern when choosing maintenance drugs and I have found most doctors willing to accommodate you, if not ask why.
Thanks again for the prayers.

Glad to hear your wife is home.

Take care, Don

More thoughts & prayers for you & your wife Gaw. It sounds like you have a grip on the situation and I'm glad to hear that. I trust once you both get home she'll feel better. Mini strokes can be almost nothing, or they can be damaging. Most of the time they hit you & a few days later your just fine. I hope if she any more they are quick & small.

Real good news gaw.

+2 on that one. Glad to hear the good news GAW.

x 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gaw, it's good to hear that your wife is home,we've been praying for that to happen. Blood sugar issues ~~~ While farming in 1978 ,i had numerous near blackout spells & also had times while driving that I would totally lose touch of where I was ,where I was going, scary stuff. A fasting blood sugar test in early 1979 revealed very low blood sugar ~~ @ 35 ,that is the entrance number into coma - land. There is no medication for this issue,it has to be controlled by diet only. I ate 6 times per day,no sugar,no fruit, no starches,it was & is a pain, BUT the alternative is the mood swings,headaches,fatique,etc. My pancreas makes too much insulin every time I eat sugar,that is what sends the blood sugar numbers so low. If I am careless & eat sugar,eventually my pancreas will wear out,i will then be totally dependent on insulin shots,if I would live thru the pancreas failure . I have posted all this to say that there is life after sugar,it is not worth "cheating". Many diabetic folks cheat & then try to counteract the sugar with insulin. The problem with that idea is that insulin from a syringe will wear out ones organs,that is why so many diabetics lose their eye site.For sweetener we use maple syrup as it does not affect blood sugar ,it is expensive,but blood testing & insulin are too. My current "diet" means eating 4 times per day,or more often if I get a crazy hungry spell. I do not use chemical sweeteners as many of them react the same as sugar.I eat very few deserts, my wife can & does make pies with maple syrup that taste fantastic,but since being off sugar for so long I am usually content with meat,veggies & a little bit of fruit. It is hard to transition from a "NORMAL" diet to eating more off what is actually good for the body.But after getting onto a healthy diet,it is not that hard to eat good food & realize that this way is actually easier than dealing with issues such as your wife just has. A good ,healthy diet for blood sugar control will mean cutting the highly processed crap from the diet,the stuff we modern age Americans eat the most of.Pasta,pizza,breads,lots of cereals, ICE CREAM (that was especially hard for me,as I LOVED ice cream). I can honestly say that it has been worth giving up the wrong diet to get to where I am today,i rarely test my blood sugar these days,i can now eat fruit again,but only after a good hearty meal. I posted all of this long post because I care & have suffered thru the bad times of "cheating" & now I am reaping the benefits of a healthy for me diet with less of the ups & downs. I also battle with Lyme disease,but that is a totally different beast .It will take LOTS of discipline & will power on your wife's part & lots of patience & urging on your part. Maybe I should have pm'd this info to you,i didn't think of it b4 now,so rather than peck type all of this again,i will just post it here ,maybe someone else can learn & be encouraged from something I've posted.

gaw, just something to keep in mind as the husband of a diabetic that having been so for most of her life & having been a nurse knows better but still cheats. Learn how to use the sticker & meter, the new stuff is real fast & easy & always keep as suggested maple syrup or honey around & a bottle of glucose tabs in the car or nightstand, they all work quick & well. It does get expensive even with my good insurance but there's not much you can do. Best of luck to you both & take care.

Thanks for the post windyhill4.2. Very interesting info, I have heard of your condition but never knew anyone who has it. I am home for a few more days with her and since I am the cook in the house she is eating well. There are a lot of diabetic recipes and meal ideas online. I eat much the same stuff she does because it is just as good for me and hopefully we can both shed some pounds in the weeks and months ahead. When she has to fend for herself I don’t know what she will do, she is big on canned soups or pop it in the microwave foods. I believe you can find those types of foods with acceptable carb levels but what about sodium? Her blood pressure is still high.

Ice cream and sweets are things I can take or leave. I seldom get a craving for those things but if I do eat them feel like I want more for a few days until I get tired of it. The lesson here is don’t think “well just this once” or “maybe just a little”

Sam, the diabetic nurse gave us information on getting into a diabetic program and suggested I go along. I would not mind going, we will have to check into it starting tomorrow. She is doing excellent now but as the hospital experience starts to fade from her memory the temptation to cheat may arise.