Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1036     Reading:  104

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1125     BP:  153/64     Pulse:  55

Breakfast:  1150  & Meds What she ate:  1 hard over egg, heavily peppered 2 slices thick cut sugar cured lean bacon a 3/4" (at the wide end) wedge of panettone with .75 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
100% Aloe Vera gel/1 oz	just before meal	helps increase the cells' sensitivity to insulin when used with glipizide
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 breakfast and dinner med to increase cells' sensitivity to insulin
aspirin/81 mg	1 tab with breakfast	standard breakfast med - given for anti-coagulant properties
lisinopril/1.25 mg	1/4 of 5 mg tab with meal	given for kidney protection when her blood pressure can handle it
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; a natural antibiotic and anti-coagulant
vitamin E/400 IU	with meal	given for anti-coagulant properties; among other reasons; appears to be of benefit to type 2 diabetics, as well, in its role as a smooth muscled organ protectant, particularly the pancreas, which produces insulin

    Although her blood pressure was higher than I like, it wasn't as bad as yesterday, so I gave her the normal dose of lisinopril. I'm curious to see how the panettone is going to shake out, since it is a sweet yeast break with raisins and bits of candied fruit. That's why she got such a small piece.
    I was going to let her get up on her own, today, seeing as how it's a rain day and she doesn't like those. But, at 1030 I decided to awaken her.

Lunch

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1609     Reading:  155

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1643     BP:  150/66     Pulse:  58

Lunch:  1645  & Meds What she ate:  2 ears corn on the cob with margarine to taste 3 Milton's Multigrain Crackers with a thin spreading of garden vegetable cream cheese and one chopped green olive on each 11.5 oz V-8 juice with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Med/Dose	Administration	Explanation
18 mg Iron Protein Succinylate	1 18 mg tab 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
lisinopril/1.25 mg	1/4 of 5 mg tab with meal	given for kidney protection when her blood pressure can handle it

    Well, you can see this morning's panettone, even though it was a thin slice, in her blood glucose reading. Of course, she's also been asleep for most of the day.
    I gave her a dose of lisinopril for lunch, which is unusual, but, until I figure out why she's running high, I figure I'd better do what I can without knocking her out (lisinopril can make one dizzy and tired...my mother doesn't need anything that does either to her). The truth is, I'm thinking that her blood pressure might be a reaction to me. I'm, well, not the friendliest person, lately; my motivation toward what I do with and for my mother is, as well, absolutely nil, right now. More about this later at The Mom & Me Journals dot Net.
    She's eating lunch so late and sleeping so much, today, that if I can't keep her up, this may be the last meal she has today. I hope not. She could definitely use another dose of iron and glipizide, as well as aloe vera gel. But, we'll see. And, if she decides to go to bed within the next four hours, well, I'm not going to fight her. I seem to have lost the energy to push and encourage and bolster her.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  2025     Reading:  145

Blood Pressure:     Time:  2034     BP:  153/67     Pulse:  55

Dinner:  2050  & Meds What she ate:  An enhanced dinner salad, on the order of a small Cobb salad, really, with along with all the vegetables, a little lean pastrami and shredded Parmesan cheese and, of course, the homemade buttermilk ranch dressing 1 slice oat bran toast with 1 Tbl Fleischmann's margarine and 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Med/Dose	Administration	Explanation
100% Aloe Vera gel/1 oz	just before meal	helps increase the cells' sensitivity to insulin when used with glipizide
36 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
glipizide ER/10 mg	1 pill with meal	standard breakfast and dinner med to increase cells' sensitivity to insulin
lisinopril/2.5 mg	1/2 of 5 mg tab with meal	given for kidney protection when her blood pressure can handle it
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

    The salad was at my mother's request, after she saw a fast food salad advertised during The Eukanuba Dog Show. Earlier in the day, before lunch, she'd asked that we have macaroni and cheese (with the usual sauteed vegetables, browned meat and extra cheese) for dinner, but her system was still pretty full from her lunch and salad seemed right to her, tonight. I was pleased with her choice. As is typical, her system was still working off the panettone tonight, although that was nowhere near as difficult for it to work off than the sweet roll we had a few days ago.
    Still, her blood pressure is on the high side for her. Tonight I decided to give her half a lisinopril. Although there is always the possibility that within the next 48 hours it will become apparent that she has another UTI, I'm fairly convinced, now, that her blood pressure is a reaction to me, as well as to the lowered level of activity I've allowed over the last few weeks.

It's been a month and a day...

...since I last posted stats here. I've been taking them, although mostly only at breakfast and dinner, until two days ago, in Prescott and often only at breakfast when we were doing our interminable day trips to Mesa during September as we closed down the mobile home, there, for sale. I intend to catch up with these stats. However, the following conditions will circumscribe my efforts:
1.    The blood pressure monitor I use records only 20 blood pressure/pulse readings back.
2.  I have no memory of any meals we ate past the last two days.
3.  I have no memory of the exact medications I've administered to my mother past the last two days.
4.  Up until a few days ago my mother was arising late so, often, the day involved only two and a half meals, anyway, the middle "meal" usually being 11.5 oz V-8 juice and a 3 oz. bag of "lite" microwave popcorn.
    So, for the most part, this stat ketchup will consist of BG and BP readings only, and then, after 20 BP readings, only BG readings. As I post I may remember a few details, here and there, about what medications she might have been taking that were unusual or maybe a meal, here and there, but, for the most part, past the day before yesterday, stats will consist of bare bones information. I will, of course, back date the posts as I go.

Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  0818     Reading:  107

Blood Pressure:     Time:  0858     BP:  175/69     Pulse:  58

Breakfast:  0910  & Meds What she ate:  1 hard over egg, heavily peppered 4 oz slice sugar cured ham 1 slice toasted oat bran bread with 1.5 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
100% Aloe Vera gel/1 oz	just before meal	helps increase the cells' sensitivity to insulin when used with glipizide
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 breakfast and dinner med to increase cells' sensitivity to insulin
aspirin/81 mg	1 tab with breakfast	standard breakfast med - given for anti-coagulant properties
lisinopril/2.5 mg	1/2 of 5 mg tab with meal	given for kidney protection when her blood pressure can handle it
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; a natural antibiotic and anti-coagulant
vitamin E/400 IU	with meal	given for anti-coagulant properties; among other reasons; appears to be of benefit to type 2 diabetics, as well, in its role as a smooth muscled organ protectant, particularly the pancreas, which produces insulin
1/4 cup pure cranberry juice w/12 oz water	with or after meal	standard once a day supplement for kidney protection and enhancement of waste management

    Her blood pressure is surprisingly high, this morning, so I increased her lisinopril. Otherwise, I'm pleased. After that sweet roll a couple of days ago, her blood glucose seems to have settled back into line. She arose early, on her own, this morning, which also pleased me. Hopefully, we'll get in three well spaced meals, today, and possibly some exercising.

Lunch

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1335     Reading:  117

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1357     BP:  156/72     Pulse:  70

Lunch:  1415  & Meds What she ate:  8 oz Marie Callendar's Yankee Pot Roast soup with approx 1 oz added meat (chopped beef jerky) and 1 chopped green onion 3 multigrain crackers with approx .25 oz Garden Vegetable cream cheese and 1 chopped olive per cracker 11.5 oz V-8 juice with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Med/Dose	Administration	Explanation
18 mg Iron Protein Succinylate	1 18 mg tab 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
lisinopril/1.25 mg	1/4 of 5 mg tab with meal	given for kidney protection when her blood pressure can handle it

    Although everything else, including her appetite, looks good, I am alarmed about her blood pressure, so I gave her a low dose of lisinopril at lunch. I hope this isn't yet another UTI developing. On Saturday we just finished a 10 day course of 250 mg levaquin per day to heal a UTI.
    No exercise, yet, today, but she's remained up and in good spirits. We'll see how the day shakes out.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1821     Reading:  101

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1828     BP:  168/75     Pulse:  57

Dinner:  1830  & Meds What she ate:  Cobb Salad, this time with approx 1 oz chopped lean pastrami, radishes, cherry tomatoes, green olives, Bermuda onion, carrot, purple cabbage, 1/2 a boiled egg, approx 1 oz shredded parmesan cheese, crumbled Nachos Doritos and appox 2 oz of a store bought butterfly pasta salad with feta cheese, chopped squash and a bit of Italian spices, on a bed of mixed dark green and red leaf vegetables with approx 2 Tbl home made Buttermilk Ranch dressing.
Med/Dose	Administration	Explanation
100% Aloe Vera gel/1 oz	just before meal	helps increase the cells' sensitivity to insulin when given with glipizide
36 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
glipizide ER/10 mg	1 pill with meal	standard breakfast and dinner med to increase cells' sensitivity to insulin
lisinopril/2.5 mg	1/2 of 5 mg tab with meal	given for kidney protection when her blood pressure can handle it
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

    I'm definitely not happy about her blood pressure, which continues to run high, today. I suppose I will find out, in a few days, whether it is due to yet another UTI. I'm beside myself about this.
    No exercise today, nor walkering; the weather has been unusually cold and very windy, working up to what promise to be a stormy day, tomorrow. The lack of an exercise session is mostly my fault. I spent so much time, today, sorting through stuff we brought up from Mesa and finding places for some of it that I simply forgot. She did not spend an inordinate amount of time asleep, though; she took a nap of only an hour and a half.