Progress

I am writing this at 10 am on Monday.

Tommy told me he had a doctor's appointment today, a regular one every six months for last ten years. I would have gone with him "just for the ride." But, my hair is in no condition to leave the house. Besides, I am still ill, have vertigo, and cannot take it.

I asked him if he wanted me to make him a pb sandwich. He deliberately acted like I was stupid and said, "Why?" I reminded him his diabetes was not under control and he could not depend on how he felt or thought. And, that I did not want to see him get hurt of kill people.

Last night, I did not sleep a wink. I was worried and felt terrible. I heard him up about 6:30 and came in living room to watch tv and wait for him. I asked him again if he wanted me to make a pb sandwich. Did he want to carry oj? Well, that got him. I reminded him that the oj would raise his blood sugar but that the blood sugar would plummet without some protein. He looked interested and said, I will take one of those Atkins bars. I got both for him. He likes the Chocolate Chip Granola Bar. It is the only one I have bought because I know what he likes.

He had told me it was a short visit, just tests, and he would be home before lunch. I reminded him there are accidents, it is raining, and he might be delayed. That is when he asked for the Atkins bar.

So, I am counting this as progress!

Just now, as I typed, I ate one, too. I must find something cheaper for me to sit and eat.

I had a friend that was an alcoholic. NEVER a boyfriend! I told him one day that he was an alcoholic after discussing his drinking for about six months. He yelled and screamed at me and hung up. It only took about ten years for him to check himself in to a place to dry out. Yes, I discussed his drinking and driving every day. Persistence paid off. I was not mean, just reminded him that his wrecks were because of alcohol.

There are only a few instances where I am persistent about another's problem...well, not ten year's worth of talking about it.

Tommy came home about ten minutes after I went back to bed. We went out eventually to buy groceries since he needed milk. Since I only slept about 3.5 hours, I am still beat. I cooked all the squash. None had started to rot, thankfully. We had chicken, squash, and sliced tomatoes. Since pints of ice cream were $1, we are going to have ice cream when I get off the laptop.

I need to put color on my hair to go somewhere tomorrow.

Have you ever cooked squash in a pressure canner? It appeared to not be done, but the slices were still intact and the squash was cooked. `

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?

Checkup

After the problems Tommy has had with his extremely low blood sugar, I begged him to go to his doctor. He had an appointment for today for a regular checkup with doctor who manages his diabetes. Tommy told him about talking to a friend who said he was talking crazy and making no sense, so called for a welfare check numerous times.

Tommy takes an insulin shot morning and night and a pill morning and night. The doctor took him off the evening pill. Hopefully, this works. I call him several times a day to check on him, but I don't tell him why or what I am doing.

The trash my friend put in a new bag was full and very heavy. I was suspicious and went through the trash. Yuck! Not only did I get the wide-mouthed pint Ball jar out, but I found other things. I had a 5lb bag of oyster shell sitting on a far counter, away from where I cook. He asked what it was and told me I no longer had chickens. I pointed out I would again and wanted to keep the bag, not to throw it away. It was in the trash!  It cost about $8.

I need bananas so I will have one in the morning. Maybe I will go to Publix to get some. Maybe I won't.

This morning, I thought I had forgotten to pay a bill. I yanked on clothes and combed my hair. This is the only bill I pay with cash or use  a debit card instead of paying over phone or internet. I was explaining to her how I had been sick and forgot. She said I had come in on July 2, and paid it. I suppose it is better to forget I had made a payment than forget to make a payment. I broke out in a cold sweat when I thought I had to pay a late charge.

I can barely keep my hees open.

Watering Plants and Friday and Welfare Check by Police

My neighbor who died at 94, was a role model for me when it came to plants. She had hanging baskets along her carport. In the plants along the outside of her carport, she had a bucket that caught rainwater. Inside the bucket was a old-fashioned dipper, the kind people drank from. She watered her plants with the dipper. She had a garden out back that she refused to water with city water. She said if her plants could not make it on their own, they would just have to die. She had great gardens and flowers. As far as I know, nothing ever died. Water is as expensive as food!

I have a patio table that I use for plants. Hosta have to stay there and out of they reach of chipmunks. Finally, I just started putting all my plants there. Recently, I obtained a few herbs and put them on the table. While I have been ill, they had to fend for themselves. Of course, no rain fell here, just all around our city.

Tuesday, they were gasping their last breath. I have a blue pot I was going to use to repot some herbs. I will put the pot right side up to catch water and use a cup to water my plants. It is the best, most frugal, and expedient idea I have had in a long time. The only other choices were not good. I would have to drag the hose all the way across the back of the house or carry tapwater from inside the house and down steps.

Today, before I decided to do this, I had to water them. I carried them all to the porch out of the sun and near a pan of caught water. It was amazing how they perked up after a few hours in the shade and sitting in water.

Lest you think I am going to grow mosquitoes, I won't. I put a drop or two of Dawn in the pan of water.

+Friday morning, about 4 am, all of a sudden I felt so much better. Moving around during the day and dealing with Tommy has gotten me under the weather just a bit. Still, I am getting better.

I called Tommy about 1:30 pm and was talking. All of a sudden it sounded like someone was rubbing cloth or carpet over the phone. This went on for ten or more minutes. Then it hit me. I tried his number once again. The line was busy.

The police went out for a welfare check and Tommy did not call me. So, I called the police in his town. Tommy would not let them in, told them he was okay and did not need help. YES, HE DID.

I called and left a dozen messages, then just called and hung up. Finally, for some reason he took the phone off the hook. Then, about 5 pm he answered. He said he had not talked to me since yesterday, and no, he did not remember the police at the door.  His voice showed his amazement.

He seemed concerned and said he would eat immediately. That scared me because I did not know if he would forget or think he was really okay. `I had already decided I would try to get to his house to check on him and I told him so.

He said he would leave the line open. I guess this was to prove to me he was doing something. As he got to the kitchen, I could hear him keeping me abreast of what he was doing and the fact he was coming back to the phone, when he sat down. I was greatly relieved.


He had gotten a little individual pack of peaches and a chicken breast. He talked to me and told me he was eating the breast. I had him eat the peaches first to raise blood sugar and then the chicken to keep it up. He did exactly as I told him instead of arguing.

He always throws up the fact that he has had diabetes longer than I have and he is doing just fine. Today, he did not argue.

He told me he just did not care, "If I die, I die!" I pulled Jesus and God out. "Do you think God would want you to die, to have a wreck and maybe only ruin your car, to wreck and kill a father or mother or a little child?  What would Jesus do?" He was quiet. I started crying and told him I would just die if he did. I would be lost.

In the meantime, he stopped slurring his speech. He has no idea where his monitor could be.

I suggested a thing to wear that gives him insulin he needs as he needs it, a thing to stick on his body. He said he has an appointment in two weeks and would talk to his doctor. I feel relieved but think it won't happen.

He called me back twice since then, so I feel confident he will be okay. I suggested he keep peanut butter and a spoon or knife and just eat some two hours after he ate whether he felt okay or not. That is the best I can think for him to do.

The ac made my feet cold, but I no longer feel drained from the heat. A friend offered me half a watermelon. I had seen her Tuesday and was at doctor  a few hours later. I told her I could not carry half a watermelon. She said she would put it in a bag for me. I thought she meant a tote bag, but she had put all the meat in a gallon bag. I sat down with a fork and ate almost all of it....I am a little pig.