Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1131     Reading:  110

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1128     BP:  124/65     Pulse:  59

    Today is the first day of instituting 10 mg lisinopril once a day. The pills are pretty big, in case I decide to split them and deliver it as 5 mg twice a day. We'll see how it goes. I'm starting as it's been prescribed.
    Breakfast was normal.

BM Lunch

Blood Glucose:     Not taken

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1652     BP:  110/54     Pulse:  59

    I forgot to take her blood pressure until about 30 minutes after she'd finished her lunch because of the "excitement" of her Bowel Movement, which occurred at 1545: Poor volume; excellent consistency; very easy elimination; very easy clean-up.
    Although she hadn't moved much, today, she was hungry when she awoke. She also asked if we "had something sweet around." So for lunch I gave her cottage cheese heavily peppered, about 1/2 cup of MCS's Bread & Butter pickles, 11.5 oz V-8 juice and a slice of eggnog bread.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1920     Reading:  182

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1919     BP:  116/51     Pulse:  58

    You can see the eggnog bread standing up and shouting "Hello" in her blood glucose.
    For dinner I made corned beef hash (from scratch with a fresh corned beef brisket) sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and cabbage lightly steamed with a mixture of classically Italian herbs and generously sprinkled with tarragon vinegar immediately before serving. She ate well.
    I'm very pleased with how her blood pressure is doing on the new dosage and administration of lisinopril. I notice she's been very tired today. She decided she was ready for bed at 2115. In addition, she took a two hour nap, which she hasn't done in awhile, and commenced it fairly soon after breakfast. I looked up lisinopril and tiredness at the beginning of a new, higher dosage is not uncommon. It's not uncommon when one begins lisinopril. I don't remember how she reacted when she began it some years ago, though. I should probably check my journals. At that time, too she was decidedly more active in her life.

Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1154     Reading:  108

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1152     BP:  122/66     Pulse:  60

    Her breakfast was a bit varied, this morning. As I took the egg carton out of the refrigerator I dropped it. Upside down. So it opened on the way down from the weight of the 8 eggs left in it. No egg for breakfast for Mom, today, although, game trooper that she is, she suggested I "gather up what isn't on the floor yet and make that for me." I offered cottage cheese instead. That sounded good to her but I discovered we're out of cottage cheese.
    "How about pickles?" she suggested. Pickles it was.
    She got two 2.5 mg lisinopril tablets with her breakfast. We'll do two more tonight then start her on the 10 mg lisinopril tablets tomorrow. I'm going to try evening administration first.

Lunch

Blood Glucose:     Not taken

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1644     BP:  119/55     Pulse:  60

    I'm liking more and more what the doubled dosage of lisinopril is doing. This time, she's ready for it.
    For lunch she's eating (as I write) about 3/4 cup 4% milkfat, small curd, heavily peppered cottage cheese; 11.5 oz V-8 juice; approx 1/2 cup MCS's Bread & Butter pickles.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1916     Reading:  115

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1915     BP:  136/64     Pulse:  56

    5 mg lisinopril dispensed as two 2.5 mg tablets.
    We had a wonderful dinner tonight. I made a salad out of the leftover roast chicken, the leftover long and wild rice with extra veggies and olives, added lots of greens, lots of salad vegetables including carrot, green pepper and Bermuda onion, sprinkled the plates (constructed individually) with fresh grated parmesan and a combo Greek/Italian dressing. I warmed the chicken and rice. The vegetables warmed themselves as they sat waiting to be augmented.

Today's Stats:

BM Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1154     Reading:  101

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1148     BP:  126/61     Pulse:  59

    Normal breakfast this morning. I administered two 2.5 mg lisinopril pills this morning.
    Her Bowel Movement occurred at 1140: Good volume; excellent consistency; very easy elimination; very easy clean-up.

Lunch

Blood Glucose:     Not taken

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1715     BP:  108/58     Pulse:  62

    Now, that's a nice afternoon pressure!
    For lunch she had a homemade pumpkin cranberry muffin and an 11.5 oz glass of V-8 juice. Later, watching a movie, she had a little over half a bag of microwave popcorn, extra butter on hers.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1936     Reading:  186

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1934     BP:  101/48     Pulse:  66

    Yeow! Her diastolic's a touch lower than I'd like but I have to remember The Law of BP Averages. We'll see how it shakes out over the next few days when I start the 10 mg pill once a day. Although the Rx says morning administration, I believe, it might work better for Mom at night. We'll see.
    I guess it's easy to notice the pumpkin cranberry muffin and the popcorn waving hello from her blood. She never really had a fasting time this evening. Once she awoke she nibbled on something every hour or so. Her "dinner" was about 10 oz left-over homemade bean & ham soup with all those veggies in it.
    Tonight with dinner she got two 2.5 mg lisinopril tablets, to mimic the new prescription of 10 mg/day.

Bedtime

Blood Glucose:     Not taken

Blood Pressure:     Time:  2130     BP:  123/61     Pulse:  63

    She went to bed a good hour to hour and a half earlier than usual, tonight. I didn't argue with her. She had a long reading session, though. Her light didn't go out until 2215. I think she's got jet-lag from the trip.
    I'm pleased with her blood pressure.

Blood Pressure Averages per Month

June 2004 Breakfast BP Average

124/57

June 2004 Lunch BP Average

113/59

June 20004 Dinner BP Average

132/60

July 2004 Breakfast BP Average

134/64

July 2004 Lunch BP Average

131/58

July 2004 Dinner BP Average

147/65

August 2004 Breakfast BP Average

130/64

August 2004 Lunch BP Average

106/56

August 2004 Dinner BP Average

137/63

September 2004 Breakfast BP Average

135/69

September 2004 Lunch BP Average

106/56

September 2004 Dinner BP Average

124/62

December 2004 Breakfast BP Average

150/70

December Lunch 2004 BP Average

136/61

December 2004 Dinner BP Average

141/66

January 2005 Breakfast BP Average

144/68

January 2005 Lunch BP Average

120/54

January 2005 Dinner BP Average

135/62

February 2005 Breakfast BP Average

140/69

February 2005 Lunch BP Average

124/58

February 2005 Dinner BP Average

120/57

March 2005 Lunch BP Average

135/60

April 2005 Lunch BP Average

132/62

April 2005 Dinner BP Average

139/68

May 2005 Breakfast BP Average

139/64

May 2005 Lunch BP Average

125/63

May 2005 Dinner BP Average

132/62

June 2005 Breakfast BP Average

139/67

June 2005 Lunch BP Average

124/58

June 2005 Dinner BP Average

128/60

June 2005 Bedtime BP Average

138/60

July 2005 Breakfast BP Average

117/58

July 2005 Lunch BP Average

116/55

July 2005 Dinner BP Average

130/63

July 2005 Bedtime BP Average

148/67

August 2005 Breakfast BP Average

120/61

August 2005 Lunch BP Average

122/59

August 2005 Dinner BP Average

131/61

August 2005 Bedtime BP Average

152/74

September 2005 Breakfast BP Average

125/63

September 2005 Lunch BP Average

121/59

September 2005 Dinner BP Average

131/63

September 2005 Bedtime BP Average

142/73

October 2005 Breakfast BP Average

131/64

October 2005 Lunch BP Average

124/60

October 2005 Dinner BP Average

139/66

October 2005 Bedtime BP Average

131/64

November 2005 Breakfast BP Average

121/65

November 2005 Dinner BP Average

128/59

November 22, 2005 - December 21, 2005 Breakfast BP Average

133/66

November 22, 2005 - December 21, 2005 Dinner BP Average

127/63

February 7, 2006 - March 26, 2006 Breakfast BP Average

137/66

February 7, 2006 - March 26, 2006 Dinner BP Average

120/60

April, 2006 Breakfast BP Average

133/67

April, 2006 Dinner BP Average

123/61

May, 2006 Breakfast BP Average

131/65

May, 2006 Dinner BP Average

130/62

June first Half, 2006 Breakfast BP Average

117/62

June First Half, 2006 Dinner BP Average

129/63

6/15/06 - 7/19/06 Arising BP Average

126/66

6/15/06 - 7/19/06 Dinner BP Average

135/67

Combined Stats: 11/1 - 11/2/05

BM Traveling Day: 11/1/05

Blood Glucose:     Time:  0641     Reading:  124

Blood Pressure:     Time:  0701     BP:  134/67     Pulse:  56

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1402     BP:  132/60     Pulse:  68

    All pertinent stats and casual data for the entire day are contained within this post, including meals, hydration and elimination.     Her sort of surprise of a Bowel Movement occurred around 1120. She hadn't had one in awhile and I'd been worried since last night that she might not have one before we left and then have an accident on the trip. I prepared for it but, you know, accidents are always messy and inconvenient. However, she recognized, right after we'd been seated at Marie Callender's one of Mom's favorite luncheon restaurants and not necessarily for their pies (not so much for dinner). This was our first bathroom stop after the trip down. I ushered her in by plan, assuming she would only pee, and she ended up having a quick, decent Bowel Movement: Good volume (could have been better); excellent consistency; very easy elimination; very easy clean-up. Although she was not happy about it, I insisted on cleaning her afterward. She had, by the time she allowed me into her stall (I allowed her the privacy of "being alone with [her] thoughts" because she was so robust yesterday; as it turned out, it was a good choice) already "wiped" herself, which is okay now that she's on Macrodantin but a self-wipe is now always followed by my wipe.
    Our meals:

• Breakfast: four slices Canadian Bacon, slightly burnt; one pumpkin-cranberry muffin; O.J with 2 tsps Benefiber®; approx. 8 oz instant decaf coffee
• Lunch: small salad consisting of greens, gorganzola, chicken breast slices, candied pecans, a balsamic vinaigrette dressing, plus all the fries on my sandwich plate for which I forgot to substitute cole slaw at the time of ordering, slathered with her usual amount of ketchup. She ordered a piece of pumpkin cheese cake to immediately follow her meal but her eyes were bigger than her stomach so it's awaiting her in our refrigerator. She drank a fair amount of liquid, maybe 24 oz. brewed decaf coffee. She wanted caffeinated coffee but I discreetly reminded her caffeine loosens her bowels so for forewent it. Of course, some brewed decafs do the same thing so I don't think it's only the caffeine, but I figured it would be best not to plant the suggestion.
• Snack: Around 1530 she had a pumpkin cranberry muffin at MCF's to wash down a 200 mg ibuprofen before taking a nap.
Dinner: Around 1845 we all sat to a hearty meal of oven barbecued ribs, baked beans, cauliflower with a thick, savory, cheesy cheese sauce; a crescent roll with an extraordinary organic butter; a small slice of gingerbread with sweetened whipped cream. She ate hearty.
• Miscellaneous Liquids:
  • About 24 oz. diet Root Beer throughout our entire visit with MCS & family
  • Enforced drinking of about 12 oz water while we traveled from point to point.

Day After Traveling Day: 11/2/05

Blood Glucose:     Time:1115     Reading:  112

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1126     BP:  127/68     Pulse:  66

    These were the only stats I took today, right after Mom awoke. Breakfast was normal. The rest of the day was not. We both recovered from yesterday with long naps. Mom went down and got up a couple hours before me in both cases. She ate her way through lunch and up to dinner, downing a couple of pieces of homemade 100% whole wheat bread slathered with margarine and some chokecherry jam we got from MCF and about 1/3 of a jar of MCS's Break & Butter pickles. When I awoke, around 1930, although I have no idea when she downed the last pickle, she was hungry for dinner and decided to have her hunky piece of Marie Callender's pumpkin cheesecake and a couple of cups of her instant decaf coffee.
    I tried to keep her on tract with liquids by making her bedtime, which occurred at about 2245, light off at 2300, an extra 16 oz glass of water, which she downed quickly with no prompting so I know she was thirsty.
    All pills and supplements were administered as usual except that she received 5 mg lisinopril at breakfast and dinner.
    Although I am curious about her BP yesterday, I am glad it occurred to me not to take her BG. I shudder to think how high it soared yesterday!

Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1101     Reading:  111

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1116     BP:  126/63     Pulse:  50

    This morning breakfast included a substitution of a pumpkin cranberry muffin for her usual toast. In addition, instead of bacon and eggs (I forgot to put more bacon out for thawing last night, eggs scrambled in sausage seasoned with Southwestern Fire Seasoning. I also rounded her usual two teaspoons of Benefiber in an effort to hopefully coax her body to eliminate today.
    She awoke at 1045 on her own she was eating by 1145. I think someone's getting excited about tomorrow's trip!

Lunch

Blood Glucose:     Not taken

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1728     BP:  142/54     Pulse:  55

    I served her lunch a good 45 minutes before this but I forgot to take her blood pressure until I cleared away teh glass she emptied of 11.5 oz V-8 juice and her empty yoghurt carton. I gave her a 2.5 mg lisinopril right after I took her blood pressure.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Not taken

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1954     BP:  159/76     Pulse:  55

    I was so surprised by Mom's BP that I forgot to take her blood glucose. She did, of course, get her regular lisinopril dose. I'll be taking her BP again before she goes to bed, of course, to see if a fourth lisinopril might be necessary.
    We had exactly what I'd planned for dinner: Roasted garlic herb chicken; broccoli with homemade Hollandaise sauce; Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice with added chopped Bermuda onion, celery, green pepper, garlic and pimiento stuffed green olives. Afterwards we tried the eggnog bread, we each had a 1/4" slice. Mom loved it. I thought it tasted, well, interesting. Not sure I'll make it again.

Bedtime

Blood Glucose:     Not taken

Blood Pressure:     Time:  2154     BP:  146/72     Pulse:  65

    She got a fourth lisinopril. I think I'll ask the doctor tomorrow if there is a different BP medication that continues to protect the kidneys and helps lower the systolic while leaving the diastolic alone.

Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1132     Reading:  106

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1149     BP:  117/64     Pulse:  54

    Hmmm...considering her very nice BP and that she got a total of 10 mg lisinopril, maybe she is at the point where doubling her dosage of lisinopril permanently would be a good move.

Non-stat Lunch
    She had an easy, restful day, today. When she awoke from a rather long nap she was not hungry, although she was dehydrated so I insisted that she work on a 12 oz of her instant decaf coffee and an 11.5 oz glass of V-8 juice. She knew what we were having for dinner, one of her favorite meals: Homemade hamburgers with cheese, dill pickle relish and a thick slab of Bermuda onion on very fragrant onion buns with a half a baked potato marinated with a blend of piquant Italian and Greek dressings and covered with Parmesan. I think this is why she considered herself "not hungry", although considering that today was a not-much-movement day for her after an unusual string of vigorous (for her) movement days, it could be that her appetite is adjusting to movement.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1906     Reading:  80

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1929     BP:  142/64     Pulse:  54

    The unusual divergence in times between her BG and BP readings happened because I knew we wouldn't be eating dinner until about 200 or so and was concerned that, without much lunch, her BG might be plummeting. It wasn't.
    As far as her BP is concerned, since I'm forcing myself not to retake it over and over and over when I get a high reading I didn't question it. I want to note that she was a little tense when I took it. She was watching "The West Wing", there never seemed to be a time, including during the commercials, when I could either turn off the TV for a few moments in order to get her to relax or when she wasn't hunched forward trying to catch every word of the show. So, I just went with it.
    Dinner is described in the Lunch post for today. Afterwards I offered her a homemade pumpkin cranberry muffin, which she accepted and enjoyed.
    She retired after the news at 2230. Her light went off at 2315. I gave her a third 2.5 mg lisinopril before bed but decided not to take her BP to see if she could use a fourth, even though I have a feeling that her normal dosage will be upped to 5 mg twice a day after we see the doctor.
    Tomorrow I'm going to let her be as lethargic as she wants so she rests up for Tuesday. I'll probably also try to promote a bowel movement before tomorrow.