Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  0903     Reading:  136

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1004     BP:  146/70     Pulse:  56

Breakfast:  1017  & Meds What she ate:  2 oz pork sage sausage scrambled with one egg, heavily peppered 1 slice toasted oat bran bread with 1 tbl Fleischmann's margarine 1/4 tsp cinnamon on bread 6 oz orange juice diluted w/8 oz water
Med/Dose	Administration	Explanation
Niferex-150 [150 mg elemental iron]	1 hour before breakfast	to pull her out of what I hope is her temporarily severely anemic state
vitamin C/500 mg	1/2 1000 mg tab with Niferex-150	helps the body metabolize iron
Protonix/40 mg	1 pill at least 1/2 hour pre-meal	standard pre-breakfast med
glipizide ER/10 mg	1 pill with meal	standard pre-breakfast and pre-dinner med
aspirin/81 mg	1 tab with breakfast	standard breakfast med - given for anti-coagulant properties
lisinopril/2.5 mg	1/2 tab with meal	Her blood pressure could take it, this morning
Daily Senior Multivitamin	with breakfast	standard breakfast supplement
folic acid/400 mcg	with breakfast	standard breakfast supplement
garlic/1250 mg	with meal	standard breakfast supplement

    Her type of glipizide changed this morning. She's been switched to the extended release version, which is taken with meals, as per the generic, printed pharmacy instructions; I did ask the pharmacist for specific instructions and he simply read from the bottle before handing it to me. The doctor's prescription had no specific directions included. I'll probably look it up later to see what really works, but, in the meantime, I'll follow the generic printed pharmacy intructions.
    Otherwise, there's nothing unusual about breakfast except her blood pressure seems to be back to normal for readjusting to Prescott, so I've continued lisinopril, although, of course its administration will depend on her blood pressure readings morning and evening.
    The 136 BG is, I imagine, a reflection of the tomato biscuit pie last night, which, although healthy and flavorful, was also loaded with sweet, fruity tomatoes and, as well, the biscuit crust was simple-carb heaven, even with half of the flour consisting of whole wheat flour.
    I think we're working back into routine. Feels good.

Lunch

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1426     Reading:  127

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1448     BP:  98/52     Pulse:  72

Lunch:  1455  & Meds What she ate:  1/2 a stuffed bell pepper I had frozen from the batch I made over a month ago with barley, celery, onion, green olives, sausage, artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese, greek feta dressing and I can't remember what other wonderful stuff was in it 11.5 oz V-8 juice with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Med/Dose	Administration	Explanation
18 mg Iron Protein Succinylate	2 18 mg tabs with meal	to pull her out of what I hope is her temporarily severely anemic state
vitamin C/500 mg	1/2 1000 mg tab with iron supplement	helps the body metabolize iron
Aloe Vera gel 100%/2 oz	with meal	to help increase sensitivity of her cells to insulin

    Yeah, I know, that blood pressure surprised me, too. I even took her blood pressure twice. The first reading, taken at 1432, was 92/51, Pulse 69. I don't think it's dehydration, this time, and I don't think it's anemia. I think it's the lisinopril. I think, now that she is exercising a fair amount on a regular, daily basis, at least a good 2 hours a day (which includes therapy exercises and walkering), maybe her normal blood pressure is "improving" by regulating itself and giving her 2.5 mg of lisinopril, even when her systolic is 140+, is a bit too much. I'll keep this under close observation, though, in case the problem is something else. I'll find out if it's anemia after next week's blood draws. The next time her blood pressure can handle lisinopril, too, I think I'll give her a quarter of a tablet, which will work out to 1.25 mg. Maybe, now, that will be her optimal dose. Of course, I'll discuss these developments with her doctor.
    The truth is, it's hard for me to know, now, with these "new" guidelines regarding hydration, if it is dehydration or not. I thought I'd be able to tell from her blood pressure, and, as long as her blood pressure remains unaltered by lisinopril, I think this is a safe bet. But, when lisinopril enters the picture, it's hard. According the the old guidelines, when she laid down for her nap she "looked" dehydrated, but, according to the new guidelines, she didn't. Fuck. This is a difficult issue to negotiate.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1906     Reading:  109

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1940     BP:  112/54     Pulse:  66

Dinner:  1945  & Meds What she ate:  1/6th of the Spirit of Tomato pie 4 green olives 1/4 cup pure cranberry juice in 12 oz water Later at about 2130: 2 sugar-free York Peppermint Patties, 2 sugar-free Cerrita's wrapped chocolates, 1 sugar-free Brachs Starlight Mint, 1 sugar-free Brachs Hard Creamy Caramel
Med/Dose	Administration	Explanation
36 mg Iron Protein Succinylate	2 18 mg tabs 1/2 hour before dinner	to pull her out of what I hope is her temporarily severely anemic state
vitamin C/500 mg	1/2 1000 mg tab with iron supplement	helps the body metabolize iron
glipizide ER/10 mg	1 pill with meal	standard breakfast and dinner med for type 2 diabetes
vitamin E/400 IU	with meal	given for anti-coagulant properties
garlic/1250 mg	with meal	given for anti-coagulant properties
calcium-vitamin D/500-200 mg	with meal	believed to be an osteoporosis preventative

Conspicuously Absent Meds & Supplements
Med/Dose	Administration	Explanation
lisinopril/2.5 mg	1/2 tab with meal	blood pressure wouldn't have been able to handle it

    I am seriously considering that Mom may, for the most part, be able to handle only one dose of lisinopril a day, now, with adjustments depending on readings throughout the day and to what I attribute ups and downs in her blood pressure. So, I think, from now on, as standard practice (with which I have sort of been fooling, anyway), when I do not give her lisinopril, I won't consider it a "Conspicuously Absent Med".
    She continues to eat very well and savor everything she eats. I am very pleased with how her blood sugar is performing, so far, on the glipizide E(xtended) R(elease). It will take a week or so to notice a pattern, and a few days, anyway, before I experiment with extending her diet to include, here and there, some of her favorites that I've previously shunned on her behalf. I am, though, for instance, curious to see how one of those Costco Oatmeal Raisin cookies is handled, between the glipizide ER, the cinnamon and the Aloe Vera 100% gel.
    She reports, by the way, that the Aloe Vera gel has no flavor, thus is not unpleasant.