Monday, December 23, 2013

Me and My Big Mouth

Apache Junction, AZ

Only a little more than an hour after making my last post, we were in the Emergency Room. Jim started acting very strangely. He was acting very confused and became very belligerent. Then he’s burst into tears. Stomp up and down the steps inside the fifth wheel and throw himself on the bed. Then he’d holler at me. Very scary. I told him I was going to take him to Urgent Care to find out what was wrong with him. He refused to put his shirt on. Finally got his shirt on him and then he wouldn’t get out of the chair. (All the time he was saying “there is nothing wrong with me”.)

I called Ginny and she and Mickey came over and were able to help me get him out of the chair and into the truck. We went to Urgent Care and they told us to go to the ER just down the street. I had no idea we even had an ER that close to us. It’s new within the last 2 or 3 years.

I explained how Jim was acting and they took his blood pressure which was high. Then they checked his blood sugar. It had dropped to 55. Blood sugar is considered low if it’s below 70. They immediately gave him two cups of orange juice and some cheese. His readings slowly started to rise and as they did he started acting more normal.

They kept him for a couple of hours to make sure his blood sugar wasn’t going to drop again and then let me take him home. Come to find out that he had not eaten breakfast. He got up before I did this morning and when I asked him if he had had breakfast he said he didn’t want anything to eat. I took that to mean that he had already eaten. Won’t make that assumption again.

We were supposed to meet Jan and Bill and Paul for lunch. Needless to say, we didn’t make it. Paul came out to the hospital and sat with me while we waited for Jim. After I took Jim home, Paul and I went to Los Gringos Locos for lunch.

Jim is much much better and is just really tired. He’s still fighting the cold so he’s going to take it easy. He also doesn’t remember very much about what happened.

Now I’m going to go play cribbage.

34 comments:

  1. Wow, that's scary! Glad that you were able to get Jim moving and to the ER for help. Thank goodness there were friends around to help you out. Hope he feels better very soon!!

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  2. That must have been very scary. 55 is very low. I have to be very careful with my meds and meals.
    I hope that you guys have a nice Holidays. Please take care.

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  3. Ok, I am sitting here crying for you and Jim. What a frightful experience for you. God has blessed you with friends close by to help. Please take care of yourself and tell Jim if he does not eat properly, I will be the first to crown him when we see you.

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  4. Stubborn old coot! Good for you for getting him to ER. Hope all is now well and you both have a wonderful Christmas.

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  5. Oh thank goodness he is better. How scary for you both. Saying a prayer right now that his blood sugar stays stable.

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  6. Oh, Sandie, that is so scary - if it ever happens again, call 911. The ambulance personnel will get him tested and on the road to recovery quickly. You should never try to drive alone with Jim if he is acting that way again. I was happy to see you had some help. You could have been in an accident. Really scary. Thank goodness it turned out well. I hope you had a stiff drink, you deserved it, and probably needed it. Assuming you partake in spirits. If not, a hot fudge sundae is in order. :)

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  7. Oh my. Scary. Thank you Mickey and Ginny. I hope that Jim has learned that lesson. Hugs to you both!!

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  8. I've been thru that low blood sugar bit and its the weirdest feeling... Dizzy and despondent with the cold sweats... Usually happens when you take your meds and then don't eat something for them to work on.. Wendy's Frosty malt works for me every time....

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  9. I echo the thoughts & concerns of the other commenters. A very scary situation indeed. My best friend in public school had diabetes & I was with him twice when he went into convulsions. Something I will never forget. Better make sure Jim eats his Wheaties for breakfast after this.....or else!!

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  10. I'm glad that Jim had you to do what he needed despite his protesting. It's hard when someone you love is so out of sorts, but you dug in and got him the proper care.

    Thank God everything turned out all right and so quickly. You are Jim's Guardian Angel.

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  11. That must have been pretty scary! So glad it worked out in the end.

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  12. Ditto to what everyone else has said. Sam is also diabetic so thanks for this info as I did not know low blood sugar could cause such an extreme personality change. Glad,though serious, is all it turned out to be. Have a Merry Christmas

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  13. Cindy gets wobbly and incoherent at 70, so I can only imagine what 55 would be like.

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  14. Scary is right. Sure glad Jim's o.k. now. I'll bet you'll be having a big breakfast tomorrow morning.

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  15. You know, I live with a diabetic, and I find that most times, especially for breakfast, I just have to put the food down in front of her. I don't ask, because she WOULDN'T eat otherwise. And I think that that bad habit is what probably brought on the diabetes in the first place. Not sure.
    Sure glad you got everything sorted out and Jim is OK. Hang in there.

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  16. Oh, that would have been so scary, for someone to be acting that abnormally, glad things have smoothed out and are better!

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  17. Go glad that you had the help close by and Jim will be feeling better soon. I can relate to the low blood sugars, disoriented and cold sweets but never the personality change, that is very scary. Take care of each other and have a very Merry CHRISTmas. Becki & J.D.

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  18. What an awful experience. So happy to hear that Jim is okay. I was holding my breath all the way through reading your post. You are such a strong lady but glad that you had friends close by to help.

    Hugs to You and Jim.

    Sharon

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  19. Scary stuff. My brother is currently in a rehab facility because he can't keep his blood sugar under control. Tell Jim no more skipping meals! And maybe I should be better about eating breakfast myself.

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  20. Having diabetes is not fun, I have learned to eat something as soon as I take my pills, and I know what the symptoms are for low or high blood sugar.Tell Jim you are going to eat with him even if just something small, to keep him in rhythm with his meds. Sam & Donna...

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  21. Jim and Sandie - Glad you navigated through that one well. Appreciate sharing that --- good example of how to handle it. Hope things are settled down and are back to normal. Merry Christmas and all the best in 2014!

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  22. The first time this happens is VERY scary....I can remember this with my dad once or twice....whenever we went to dr appts or knew we were going to be gone most of the day we always brought along a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Merry Christmas to both of you!

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  23. I'm just getting caught up with blogs... and can only echo what else has been said. How Scary! And so glad you were able to get help so soon. Sure hope all's well now and that you have a Merry Christmas.... and Jim eats all the right stuff.

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  24. That's scary! But at least you know now the symptoms and can get a handle on it before it gets to that point again. I did go back and read in an earlier post that Jim's medication was changed. That's always a concern for us.

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  25. Very scary indeed--hope he is feeling better today. Any illness out of the ordinary, even a simple cold, can wreak havoc on a diabetic's blood sugar levels.

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  26. It's a good thing Jim had you there! Very scary indeed.

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  27. No, no, no! No getting sick... we have a date soon for time together in Yuma! Seriously, we are keeping good thoughts that this episode and health scare is all taken care of now, and that you both remain healthy and happy! Hugs, D & T

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  28. Wow, how scary is that. Glad it wasn't more serious. Jim, behave yourself and eat on time.

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  29. Gee, I hope you guys have a quiet Christmas Day! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and some uneventful resting time . . .

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  30. Oh My Oh My Oh My !!! You guys sure have had more than your share to deal with lately !!

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  31. Hugs to both of you. Dealing with diabetes is not always easy and not feeling good does throw things off. Orange juice seems to work well. for getting back on track.

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  32. Good lord! that's scary, Sandie... I'm reading backwards to catch up on blogs ... sure am glad everything's ok... low blood sugar will do that??? man

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  33. Very, very scary, as said. Hope you keep an eye on him. We have to do this as we age. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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  34. WOW, glad everything turned out ok.

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