I Seriously Thought I Was Going To Die

Today, I had an emergency trip to doctor. Never mind that!

When I came out of a two-hour visit with the doctor, Tommy was sitting on his rollator sort of leaning on his hand and looking tired, as he well should. Of course, it was rush hour. As we left on a 22 mile long trip to Tommy's house, we were both so exhausted we were quiet. Finally, I asked him something and got a one-word answer. Same thing next three comments/questions. Finally, I figured out something to ask him that required more words. His voice was slurred.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt but then I noticed he was weaving from one side of the lane to another. All of a sudden, the car was straddling the line. I waved my hand in direction he should go, his way, and said, "Move over." He kept hitting the line on my side. We were in the middle of three or four lanes. I was panicking and telling him he was weaving. He swore he was not. Then, I saw a look on his face that told me he was hanging on, trying to stay in control. As I looked out my window, the car was just sliding into another car. I let out a shrill sound, jumped, waved the other direction.

He highly objected to my saying his blood sugar was dropping. Finally, I loudly told him to get off the interstate anywhere and let me drive. "Just get off anywhere." He ignored me while he said, "Okay, okay."

When we finally off the interstate. it was sort of worse. The traffic was bad, there were three lanes, and roads intersecting. I loudly told him to pull over anywhere, ANYWHERE! No place suited him. There was a bit of pavement for some reason, but he said no and kept driving. Finally, there was a 18-wheeler off on a very wide shoulder. I said, ordered him, get behind that truck! "Hell no! he exploded. That f******g truck is not even on the road! And, he is stopped!" Well, that was sort of the idea, I thought.

I started saying over and over, "PULL OVER, PULL OVER, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE." After saying this about 20 times (I was afraid and relentless." He said, "Okay!" like he was giving in freely to something I was nagging about, like getting an ice cream cone. He barely got the car off the road. I kept telling him to get over further, but he said there was no more room on my side and besides there was a ditch. I pointed out he was barely off the road and there was room on my side for two more cars side by side and NO ditch in sight.

As fast as I could, which is not fast, I got out of the car and told him to stay inside. I was afraid he would just get out and go into traffic, even if he was just stumbling and not deliberately stepping out too far. When I opened his door, the door was over the white line by the road. I held onto him as he held onto the roof rack and had a very difficult time walking. When he got around the car, I trusted him to keep going to my door that I had left open for him. I wanted to get into the car before something hit me.

I had absolutely no idea where I was, but the police were all I wanted. If you remember, I have had to call for a welfare check for him at home when I was at my home. Since I would have the keys, I could go in anywhere.

All of a sudden, I saw Walgreen's and told him I needed my prescription filled. I told him I was going inside instead of the window. MY hands were trembling! I called for a security check on someone in a car who thought he was okay to drive. They sent a huge firetruck and an EMT vehicle.

Tommy was so angry and yelled at me once. He yells at me but never in front of people. So, he quit, telling the guys he was going home to eat. I am not sure he could get his rollator out and drive it up the ramp. His blood sugar was 39. His bp was 185/105. The EMT said he called his doctor who wanted them to bring him to the hospital. Tommy refused. They gave him a tube of something, waited, and got his blood sugar up to 49. They asked him if he had high blood pressure. He said he did not. He could answer all the questions with which they test people. He answered correctly eventually. They asked me if he was still slurring his words. I nodded.

They said they would let him go if he promised to eat something soon. He agreed. We went to Burger King, right across the street. He was going to tear out a coupon, got an out-of-date one and insisted it was good. He read the 9/22/19 as 9/22, as in Sept 2022. I looked over and he was tearing out all sorts of coupons! That little sheet of coupons is shredded. We just ate in the parking lot with out bottle of water

We got my prescription with me driving. Then went to return things we both needed to return. I drove home again. I made sure of that by putting his keys in my purse. I swear I would have called the police if he tried to drive. I was very frightened, still.

He has got to start listening to me. He has had diabetes for 20 years and is not aware of how he is doing. I have had diabetes for about four years, and can tell without fail when my blood sugar is dropping. When I was in the endocrinologist's office, answering his questions, I finally said, "I am talking like I am drunk." Tommy, the doctor, and nurse agreed with me and my blood sugar was 50. I wonder why I know I a in trouble and he does not. Is this a male/female thing? Or, is it something else?

Do you have someone who frightens you driving?