Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1130     Reading:  87

Blood Pressure:     Not taken

    She slept through the night, last night. I decided to awaken her exactly 12 hours after her light had gone out. She was easy to awaken. I guess she got her sleep out.
    Normal breakfast, no added meds except the extra teaspoon of Benefiber®. I haven't changed the med schedule but I'll do that today.

BM Non-stat Lunch
    She had a light lunch at about 1545: Two slices of yellow sharp cheddar and about 1/2 cup of MCS's bread & butter pickles. Damn but she loves those things!
    Her bowel movement occurred at 1345: Excellent volume; excellent consistency (no more shit rocks); very easy elimination; very easy clean-up.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  2011     Reading:  83

Blood Pressure:     Not taken

    Interesting dinner. I decided to make "french" bread pizzas. I used an artisan bread with roasted garlic baked in the dough and an extremely chewy crust. I covered the slices (two apiece) with home made tomato basil marinara with lots of crushed garlic and chopped grape tomatoes I had left over from something else. Topped the sauce strewn slices with sliced green pimiento stuff olives, fresh Bermuda onion, fresh green pepper, freshly grated Parmesan and pepperoni. Mmmm mmm, sounds good, huh? It was, except that when you second bake slices of artisan bread with an extremely chewy crust for 20 minutes the crust bakes to the consistency of drywall. So we spooned the softened, pizza topping slathered bread out of the slices to eat it.
    No additional meds. I'm predating this to fall into date line in the journal but Mom retired at 0006, December 18th. She extinguished her light at 0026. I'm not sure whether I'll give her a full 12 hours or awaken her at 1130 in the morning. I'll take my cue from how she's sleeping when I check on her.

Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  114     Reading:  1309

Blood Pressure:     Not taken

    Last night was another up and down night for my mother. During one of her middle-of-the-night arisings she wanted something to eat so I gave her some of MCS's bread & butter pickles and some toast. I can't remember which arising that was but I do remember that her last arising was a bit before 0400, as I remember looking at the clock just before I settled back in bed and it was 0417.
    She wasn't aggitated during any of her arisings last night. During one, the eating one, we had spent a little time in the Not Dead Zone. During another we talked about the book on Santa Claus we're reading in the evening. During one she watched a little TV. Each time she told me that I could go ahead and go back to bed, but I told her, nope, not tonight. She seemed relieved each time I said this. I know that very occasionally she'll have a middle-of-the-night rising when she happily sits alone, reading and, sometimes, drinking water. Last night, though, I sensed she wanted company and I guess I was right.
    Thus, her day today got a late start. I considered letting her sleep until she awoke but finally decided to awaken her at 1300. It wasn't easy to awaken her but I persisted. She remembered none of her middle-of-the-night episodes, but upon awakening we were back in the Not Dead Zone again.
    I wasn't alarmed at her blood glucose. I figured the toast and the pickles were still sluggishly working their way through her sleeping systems. She told me during her bath, though, that she was "ravenous" so I quickly thawed a big link of polish sausage to go with her egg. I also decided to wait until Monday to take her in for her blood draw. No sense trying to do it today.
    No extra meds except an extra teaspoon of Benefiber®. I think this is going to be her regular dosage, now, so I'll change the medication schedule.

Lunch
    Surprisingly, she insisted on taking a nap but it was a short one; less than 45 minutes late in the day. She complained of her back bothering her again just before laying down so I gave her 200 mg ibuprofen. She was up by 1730, "a little hungry", not ready for supper. I gave her some more of MCS's pickles and some radishes.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1932     Reading:  105

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1931     BP:  128/60     Pulse:  59

    I was surprised her blood glucose was so low because of the pickles earlier. Although her stats were taken at 1930 we didn't eat until a little after 2000, as we had KFC for dinner, her request, two Original Recipe thighs, some green beans and some cole slaw. She'd asked for their macaroni and cheese but they were out. It took me a half hour to get it and get back. She ate heartily, even asked for and got two pieces of chicken AND a bisquit, which she hardly ever does.
    She was up until 2300. Her light went out at 2330.

Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1150     Reading:  117

Blood Pressure:     Not taken

    Awoke at 1130; normal breakfast; added, again, an extra teaspoon of Benefiber.

BM Non-stat Lunch
   nbsp;Immediately after she arose, a little before 1700, Mr. Everything stopped by with a plate of banana bread slices, which Mom saw. So, for lunch I gave her 11.5 oz. V-8 juice and two slices of banana bread.
    Her Bowel Movement occurred just before 1400: Good volume; excellent consistency although it was rocky; very easy elimination; very easy clean-up.
    After her bowel movement she complained of her middle back hurting, about which she rarely complains. I could tell by the way she was walking that it was giving her some trouble. I gave her a slice of home made white bread toast and a 200 mg ibuprofen tablet. About 45 minutes later she decided to nap.

Non-stat Dinner
    I simply forgot. As I was beginning dinner preparations at around 2000 the doorbell rang; it was a late package delivery to which MCS had tipped me: more pickles, some home made wooden Christmas decorations, a beautiful home made carry-all Christmas bag, some books for Mom and some lotion for bathing. Excellent! Anyway, in the confusion of Mom opening the package and me having to continue with dinner preparations, since it was a quickie of bulk sausage with scrambled eggs, sauteed onion and MPBIL's Southwestern Fire spice blend accompanied with the last of the banana bread, I completely forgot to take stats until after dinner. I think that's okay. It probably would have been high because of the banana bread slices a few hours earlier, maybe even above 200. But, we'll never know and I don't think it matters.

Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1209     Reading:  112

Blood Pressure:     Not taken

    Once she settled back into bed last night, her light didn't go off until almost midnight. My intention this morning was to awaken her between 2300 and 2330 but that didn't quite work out. I became entangled in a business call and didn't manage to free myself until just before noon. This put her night sleep right on the money at 12 hours but I was hoping to shave a bit less than an hour off it this morning. The best laid plans, I guess...
    Normal breakfast, no changes in food. I decided, though, to add, yet again, and extra teaspoon of Benefiber to her orange juice. I'm thinking that I may be amending her Benefiber dosage permanently. We'll see.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1927     Reading:  85

Blood Pressure:     Time:  1912     BP:  145/64     Pulse:  54

    Not sure why Mom's systolic is up but I'm not worried enough about it to increase her lisinopril. I might check it again tomorrow morning. Then again, I may not.
    For dinner I served leftovers: Macaroni and cheese with meat and vegetables and that turkey concoction with loads of vegetables. A little high on sodium but she doesn't seem to be retaining fluids in her torso.
    Since I haven't reported much, lately, I should probably mention that although she isn't doing more than sticking her nose out the door to confirm that, despite the sun it's cold in them thar hills she's breathing easily enough so that I haven't seen any need to hook her up to oxygen except at night.
    I should also mention that, once again, she took a late and hefty nap today: Two and a half hours, ending at 1830. Thus she had only two meals today.

Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1037     Reading:  127

Blood Pressure:     Not taken

    This morning looked to me like a good morning NOT to have sweet rolls.
    Normal breakfast in all respects. Only one medication addition: I added an extra teaspoon of Benefiber® to her orange juice in the hopes that it would stimulate a somewhat more prodigious bowel movement tomorrow or, perhaps, a companion movement today to her movement yesterday.

Non-stat Non-Lunch
    No lunch today. I'm not sure why but we both slept through it. Surprised us both. I usually don't nap and Mom rarely naps as long as we napped today.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1856     Reading:  84

Blood Pressure:     Not taken

    Blood glucose looks good.
    We had fresh turkey sandwiches for dinner. Mom's was prepared with a light film of mayonnaise on her bread, pepper on the turkey and, at her request, a healthy slice of sharp yellow cheddar, on soft wheat bread, grilled. I also gave her 11.5 oz V-8 juice and four green pimiento stuffed olives.
    About an hour after dinner (just a few minutes ago, in fact) she decided she was up for "something a little sweet". I offered a cup of hot chocolate, which put a gleam in her eye. She'll probably work on it all evening.

BM
    The extra teaspoon of Benefiber this morning seems to have helped. After Mom had retired at 2300 before she turned her light off I heard her heading into the bathroom. Sure enough, at 2315 she had a Bowel Movement: Good volume; good consistency despite being a bit rocky; very easy elimination; very easy clean-up.

Today's Stats:

BM Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1334     Reading:  104

Blood Pressure:     Not taken

    Yep, very late awakening this morning. I started on her at 1130, worked on her every half hour and was finally successful at 1330. I don't blame her, really. It was cloudy, today, even with the blinds open little light came into her bedroom. As well, I retired at almost 0200 this morning. Soon after I settled into bed I noticed Mom heading for the bathroom. I arose, we changed her underwear and she went back to bed. Then at 0330 I was awakened by the sound of a door. She was in the bathroom again. I headed in to assist her again. Then at around 0600 she was up again. Each time she peed. Each time I checked her underwear. Only one change was necessary during those times, although when she finally consented to arise at 1330 her bed and pajamas were soaked. Each time I asked her if she was okay. She was. She not only confirmed this for me but I could tell. Just a busy, uncomfortable night, I guess. Because of all the interruptions I, myself, didn't decide to arise until 0930.
    Breakfast was what has become normal in the last few days, which includes a sweet roll. Because I was concerned about Mom returning to her normal BM schedule, as well, I added an extra tsp. of Benefiber to her O.J. I did this, though, before she had a bowel movement during her bath (I always have everything prepared, except what is to be cooked, ahead of breakfast). Considering the details of her Bowel Movement, I think the addition was justified: Fair volume; rock shit (although fairly large rocks) consistency; very easy elimination; very easy clean-up.

Non-stat Lunch
    Considering Mom's very late arising, thus a short event horizon for her day, what I guess could be called lunch happened at around 1800 and consisted of 3/4 of a 3.5 oz bag of popcorn. That's all she wanted.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  2105     Reading:  215

Blood Pressure:     Time:  2103     BP:  124/64     Pulse:  57

    In case you're wondering, I'm not alarmed about her high blood glucose. I was wondering when those breakfast sweet rolls were going to become a bit of a load for her sluggish insulin uptake receptors. Seems we've hit the limit. She should be fine tomorrow.
    It also seems that taking her BP every other day is going to work splendidly.
    Tonight for dinner I gave her a choice between potato soup with the usual additions and macaroni and cheese with the usual additions. She chose the latter. Yes, it's high in refined carbohydrates and will be a bit of a challenge for her blood gluose but she'll have her medication and all night to work it out.
    We were both unexplainably beat in the evening. We both retired at 2200. I noticed that her light went out at 2230. I'll probably start my arousal process on her at 1030 tomorrow.

Today's Stats:

Breakfast

Blood Glucose:     Time:  1206     Reading:  102

Blood Pressure:     Not taken

    Slightly abnormal breakfast: She had another sweet roll, since her body handled it so well yesterday. No additional meds.

Lunch
    Lunch occurred, as usual, after yet another short nap. I've been surprised and pleased that she seems to be ready to arise soon after laying down. She claimed, today, that she didn't sleep; she was down less than half an hour.
    Lunch was pretty much the same as yesterday minus the radishes.

Dinner

Blood Glucose:     Time:  2007     Reading:  65

Blood Pressure:     Not taken

    Whoa! I guess it's a good thing that she had a sweet roll at breakfast. I can't imagine how low her blood glucose might have gone if she hadn't.
    I served her a luscious dinner: 6 oz marinated rib-eye grilled to what she considers perfection (a little more done that I prefer) slathered with her favorite Original A-1 sauce; a hefty side salad full of a variety of fresh vegetables including brocolli slaw, Bermuda onions, greens (excluding iceberg lettuce), radishes, carrots and green pepper with her favorite home made Ranch dressing. She ate all but about a spoonful of the salad.
    I am also pleased to report that she was up until a little after midnight. Sometimes she and I talked, sometimes she read, there were a couple of Animal Planet shows she wanted to watch, one about gorillas and one about pandas. I was continuing work on networking our systems, trying to troubleshoot a necessarily download, muttering under my breath. At one point she asked what the problem was, I turned the computer toward her and with keen interest she watched me work while I explained what I was doing and she asked questions.
    Her days may currently be starting late but she is sleeping somewhat under 14 hours, which is a relief, and very alert. Her appetite is good, as well, and she's up and down a lot although she is continuing to refuse to go out. Friday we'll be going for a blood draw. It'll be interesting to see how she takes to our cool (high 40's to low 50's) but very sunny weather.