No-stat Day:
Lunch: Grilled cheese and pepperoni sandwich with V-8 juice.
Dinner: Home made apple pie and ice cream.
Dinner: Home made apple pie and ice cream.
posted by Gail Rae @ 23:47
0 comments
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Friday, December 30, 2005
Today's Stats:
BM Breakfast
As you can see, I was feeling significantly better this morning and awoke Mom exactly 12 hours after she fell asleep last night.
I'm not sure what to say about her blood pressure. The unit malfunctioned the first time and showed an error. I attributed it to the fact that Mom bent over and tried to pet The Little Girl while I was trying to take her blood pressure, as the battery registered OK. So, I had to take it a second time which, as you know, irritates Mom even more than having her blood pressure taken once in the morning does. However, I think I'll manage to get 20 mg of lisinopril in today as follows: 5 mg each at breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime. If that seems to do the trick, I'll begin, tomorrow, giving her 10 mg at breakfast and 10 mg at bedtime. I'll measure her BP both before breakfast and dinner just to see how she's doing on 20 mg per day.
We reverted back to bacon for breakfast this morning, thank the gods. I was officially in ham-for-breakfast overload this morning. So, she had a completely normal breakfast. It could be that all the ham she's been consuming may have something to do with my imagining that she is retaining torso fluid...she probably is...and, as well, her lately higher blood pressures. Over the next few days we'll be slowly cutting back on salts and nitrites. I'm hoping this will show in lowered blood pressures. She gets a fair amount of sodium, anyway, since she's not on sodium restriction, and she does love breakfast meats, salad dressings, cheese, pickles and olives, A-1 steak sauce, popcorn, the normally salted V-8 juice and Worchestershire Sauce (the least sodium of offensive of anything in the list). It could have been my imagination but it seemed to me that she looked a little puffy. However, at 1500 this afternoon she had a Bowel Movement. My guess is that she will probably no longer look "a little puffy" when she arises from her nap. BM stats: Good volume; excellent consistency; easy elimination; very easy clean-up.
Non-stat Lunch
Typical light lunch at 1745: Cottage cheese (heavily peppered); MCS's Bread & Butter Pickles; coffee.
Dinner
Dinner: Home made ham & bean soup with loads of vegetables, made with what was left of the Honey Baked ham. Started administering 10 mg lisinopril morning and evening.
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 1144 Reading: 106 |
Blood Pressure: Time: 1203 BP: 141/66 Pulse: 52 |
As you can see, I was feeling significantly better this morning and awoke Mom exactly 12 hours after she fell asleep last night.
I'm not sure what to say about her blood pressure. The unit malfunctioned the first time and showed an error. I attributed it to the fact that Mom bent over and tried to pet The Little Girl while I was trying to take her blood pressure, as the battery registered OK. So, I had to take it a second time which, as you know, irritates Mom even more than having her blood pressure taken once in the morning does. However, I think I'll manage to get 20 mg of lisinopril in today as follows: 5 mg each at breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime. If that seems to do the trick, I'll begin, tomorrow, giving her 10 mg at breakfast and 10 mg at bedtime. I'll measure her BP both before breakfast and dinner just to see how she's doing on 20 mg per day.
We reverted back to bacon for breakfast this morning, thank the gods. I was officially in ham-for-breakfast overload this morning. So, she had a completely normal breakfast. It could be that all the ham she's been consuming may have something to do with my imagining that she is retaining torso fluid...she probably is...and, as well, her lately higher blood pressures. Over the next few days we'll be slowly cutting back on salts and nitrites. I'm hoping this will show in lowered blood pressures. She gets a fair amount of sodium, anyway, since she's not on sodium restriction, and she does love breakfast meats, salad dressings, cheese, pickles and olives, A-1 steak sauce, popcorn, the normally salted V-8 juice and Worchestershire Sauce (the least sodium of offensive of anything in the list). It could have been my imagination but it seemed to me that she looked a little puffy. However, at 1500 this afternoon she had a Bowel Movement. My guess is that she will probably no longer look "a little puffy" when she arises from her nap. BM stats: Good volume; excellent consistency; easy elimination; very easy clean-up.
Non-stat Lunch
Typical light lunch at 1745: Cottage cheese (heavily peppered); MCS's Bread & Butter Pickles; coffee.
Dinner
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 1952 Reading: 105 |
Blood Pressure: Not taken |
Dinner: Home made ham & bean soup with loads of vegetables, made with what was left of the Honey Baked ham. Started administering 10 mg lisinopril morning and evening.
posted by Gail Rae @ 23:59
0 comments
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Today's Stats:
Breakfast
Once again, my cold got the best of me and I couldn't face handling my mother until about 1300, so she got an extra hour + a little of sleep.
Normal breakfast with Honey Baked Ham.
Non-stat Lunch
She didn't nap as long as she has been napping lately, probably because I've been putting her on tanked oxygen during the day, as she's been indulging in a fair amount of mouth breathing. Her lunch took place at about 1645, just before the news: Cottage cheese, 6 pimiento stuffed green olives and 11.5 oz V-8 juice. I tried to coax a bit more on her, some cheese, maybe, or a slice of bread, because I wouldn't be able to feed her dinner until between 2100 and 2130, considering when she had her breakfast meds. She wasn't hungry enough for anymore than what she ate, though, so I kept her coffee cup full of fresh coffee throughout the evening.
Dinner
I'm a little concerned about her blood pressure. I don't think she's retaining fluid in her torso, again, but I'm thinking I need to step her dosage up 5 more mg to 20 mg per day, administered in 10 mg doses at breakfast and bedtime. I'm going to give the 15 mg per day one more day, tomorrow, see how it goes and make a decision based on that.
Yes, I know, I'm taking her blood pressure quite a bit. I didn't plan to do this, but considering how high it's registering in the morning, I continue to feel that I need to take it in the evening and, considering the results, it's probably a good thing that I am.
For dinner she had our usual mac & cheese with extra meat, chopped onion, green pepper and celery. I was accidentally very liberal with the vegetables tonight but she didn't mention anything.
She headed for bed at 2315 and read until 2345. I gave her 5 mg lisinopril just before bed.
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 1318 Reading: 115 |
Blood Pressure: Time: 1317 BP: 137/64 Pulse: 53 |
Once again, my cold got the best of me and I couldn't face handling my mother until about 1300, so she got an extra hour + a little of sleep.
Normal breakfast with Honey Baked Ham.
Non-stat Lunch
She didn't nap as long as she has been napping lately, probably because I've been putting her on tanked oxygen during the day, as she's been indulging in a fair amount of mouth breathing. Her lunch took place at about 1645, just before the news: Cottage cheese, 6 pimiento stuffed green olives and 11.5 oz V-8 juice. I tried to coax a bit more on her, some cheese, maybe, or a slice of bread, because I wouldn't be able to feed her dinner until between 2100 and 2130, considering when she had her breakfast meds. She wasn't hungry enough for anymore than what she ate, though, so I kept her coffee cup full of fresh coffee throughout the evening.
Dinner
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 2101 Reading: 100 |
Blood Pressure: Time: 2100 BP: 138/60 Pulse: 54 |
I'm a little concerned about her blood pressure. I don't think she's retaining fluid in her torso, again, but I'm thinking I need to step her dosage up 5 more mg to 20 mg per day, administered in 10 mg doses at breakfast and bedtime. I'm going to give the 15 mg per day one more day, tomorrow, see how it goes and make a decision based on that.
Yes, I know, I'm taking her blood pressure quite a bit. I didn't plan to do this, but considering how high it's registering in the morning, I continue to feel that I need to take it in the evening and, considering the results, it's probably a good thing that I am.
For dinner she had our usual mac & cheese with extra meat, chopped onion, green pepper and celery. I was accidentally very liberal with the vegetables tonight but she didn't mention anything.
She headed for bed at 2315 and read until 2345. I gave her 5 mg lisinopril just before bed.
posted by Gail Rae @ 23:59
0 comments
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Today's Stats:
BM Breakfast
Although it never bothers my mother to be allowed more sleep, the late arising was my fault. I was up but I was not feeling good and waited until I thought I could stand having to focus sharply on another person. Around 12:15 I shrugged my shoulders and decided, "Now or never."
Breakfast was what has become normal since I brought a Honey Baked Ham into our house: Ham and egg, toast with real unsalted, sweet cream butter (which I've been using for baking and which my mother loves), cinnamon on toast, O.J. with Benefiber®.
I was moving v-e-r-y s-l-o-w, which my mother always appreciates. Generally I manage to get her up on her feet within about 20 minutes after awakening her, sometimes earlier, and a full bath takes us just under half an hour, now; less if I'm really moving. Today, though, since I was feeling drained, I let her loll in her bedroom as long as she wanted while I played what I call "Carpet" with our cat and Mom and I chatted. I think it was about 1300 when we made it into the bathroom, which is why her blood pressure reading took place about a half hour after her blood glucose reading. Thus, she had finished dressing but hadn't yet emerged from the bathroom when her Bowel Movement occurred, at 1330: Very good volume; good consistency, a little soft, though; easy elimination; somewhat challenging clean-up.
Non-stat Lunch
I couldn't stand it. I felt so bad that when my mother went down for a nap at 1630, so did I. I slept for three hours, so hard that she awoke at 1900 and, considering that, on the rare occasions that I attempt to take a nap, I usually awaken when she does because I hear her get up and, often, I'm not sleeping deeply, I'm just dozing. Today, though, I slept like the dead. I awoke to my mother standing in my bedroom door directly over my head saying, softly, "Gail, Gail, are you all right?"
Thus, lunch took place at about 1945. It was a normal lunch: Cottage cheese; MCS's bread & butter pickles; 11.5 oz V-8 juice. Immediately after her lunch my mother asked, "What are you planning for supper?"
I was surprised. "Why? Are you still hungry? I can't give you your medication until between 2100 and 2130, considering how late you ate breakfast today. If you're still hungry, though, you can certainly have something else to eat, now. If necessary, I can just give you toast with your pills for dinner."
"Well, no, I was thinking of something else for dinner." She had that sugar-sparkle gleam in her eye.
"Uh oh," I said, grinning. "If you want something sweet, dinner is a better time."
"That's what I was thinking."
"What's on your stomach's mind?" I asked.
"Forget whatever you were planning for dinner and let's have some of that wonderful pie you baked with ice cream."
I laughed. "Remember, I told you when I started baking, this year, I knew I was going to regret it?"
"And, if I was on my toes I probably told you not to bother."
"My memory doesn't serve me well but I'll take your word for it. That sounds like a made-to-order-Mom response!"
"How about it? I feel great. I'm sure my blood sugar is fine."
If her blood sugar was running in the 500's and she was dragging through the day she'd say this, if sugar was on her mind. "The only problem..."
...she looked as though she was gathering herself to argue...
"...is that we don't have any ice cream. I'll need to go out and get some."
Normally, being the easy going woman that she is, she would have said something along the lines of, "Oh, no, don't bother. Just pie will be fine." Tonight she responded, "What flavor are you planning to get?"
"Well, since I'm not really in the mood for pie or ice cream, I'll let you choose."
She took a few seconds to think. "I can't make up my mind," she said.
"What if I go to Baskin Robbins, get a quart of French Vanilla and a quart of some sort of chocolate..."
"Don't get that dark chocolate, I don't like that."
"...okay, a quart of some mild chocolate..."
"...maybe something with nuts..."
"...a mild chocolate with nuts, any other requests?"
She grinned. "Not at the moment. When will you be leaving?"
"Immediately. I don't think they stay open very late in the winter."
"Okay. That's fine. Some kind of vanilla and some kind of chocolate. Hurry. You don't want to get there after it closes."
"Oh. Excuse me. Do you feel a hypoglycemic fit coming on?"
"You never know..."
With that her plans for dinner were completed.
Dinner
Considering that I measured her blood glucose about an hour and a half after she finished her lunch, which included bread & butter pickles, which are made with sugar, her reading isn't bad, and, anyway, she would be getting her medication with the pie.
Since having taken a real nap today, although still feeling like I'm running on empty, my mind was in better shape. I decided to go ahead and leave her normal lisinopril dosage in the mix of her dinner pills and give her an extra 5 mg just before she retired, which happened at 2333; light went out at 2347.
Yes, she enjoyed the pie, a wedge measuring an eighth of a 9.5 inch deep dish pie, with German Chocolate Cake Ice Cream. I selected this as the "chocolate" kind, as it was a hearty but not too hearty chocolate with pecans and a caramel ribbon in it, plus bits of milk chocolate brownie and coconut, which she hates, but I tasted it before purchase and I didn't think her sense of taste would detect the coconut. I was right.
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 1229 Reading: 104 |
Blood Pressure: Time: 1308 BP: 138/64 Pulse: 54 |
Although it never bothers my mother to be allowed more sleep, the late arising was my fault. I was up but I was not feeling good and waited until I thought I could stand having to focus sharply on another person. Around 12:15 I shrugged my shoulders and decided, "Now or never."
Breakfast was what has become normal since I brought a Honey Baked Ham into our house: Ham and egg, toast with real unsalted, sweet cream butter (which I've been using for baking and which my mother loves), cinnamon on toast, O.J. with Benefiber®.
I was moving v-e-r-y s-l-o-w, which my mother always appreciates. Generally I manage to get her up on her feet within about 20 minutes after awakening her, sometimes earlier, and a full bath takes us just under half an hour, now; less if I'm really moving. Today, though, since I was feeling drained, I let her loll in her bedroom as long as she wanted while I played what I call "Carpet" with our cat and Mom and I chatted. I think it was about 1300 when we made it into the bathroom, which is why her blood pressure reading took place about a half hour after her blood glucose reading. Thus, she had finished dressing but hadn't yet emerged from the bathroom when her Bowel Movement occurred, at 1330: Very good volume; good consistency, a little soft, though; easy elimination; somewhat challenging clean-up.
Non-stat Lunch
I couldn't stand it. I felt so bad that when my mother went down for a nap at 1630, so did I. I slept for three hours, so hard that she awoke at 1900 and, considering that, on the rare occasions that I attempt to take a nap, I usually awaken when she does because I hear her get up and, often, I'm not sleeping deeply, I'm just dozing. Today, though, I slept like the dead. I awoke to my mother standing in my bedroom door directly over my head saying, softly, "Gail, Gail, are you all right?"
Thus, lunch took place at about 1945. It was a normal lunch: Cottage cheese; MCS's bread & butter pickles; 11.5 oz V-8 juice. Immediately after her lunch my mother asked, "What are you planning for supper?"
I was surprised. "Why? Are you still hungry? I can't give you your medication until between 2100 and 2130, considering how late you ate breakfast today. If you're still hungry, though, you can certainly have something else to eat, now. If necessary, I can just give you toast with your pills for dinner."
"Well, no, I was thinking of something else for dinner." She had that sugar-sparkle gleam in her eye.
"Uh oh," I said, grinning. "If you want something sweet, dinner is a better time."
"That's what I was thinking."
"What's on your stomach's mind?" I asked.
"Forget whatever you were planning for dinner and let's have some of that wonderful pie you baked with ice cream."
I laughed. "Remember, I told you when I started baking, this year, I knew I was going to regret it?"
"And, if I was on my toes I probably told you not to bother."
"My memory doesn't serve me well but I'll take your word for it. That sounds like a made-to-order-Mom response!"
"How about it? I feel great. I'm sure my blood sugar is fine."
If her blood sugar was running in the 500's and she was dragging through the day she'd say this, if sugar was on her mind. "The only problem..."
...she looked as though she was gathering herself to argue...
"...is that we don't have any ice cream. I'll need to go out and get some."
Normally, being the easy going woman that she is, she would have said something along the lines of, "Oh, no, don't bother. Just pie will be fine." Tonight she responded, "What flavor are you planning to get?"
"Well, since I'm not really in the mood for pie or ice cream, I'll let you choose."
She took a few seconds to think. "I can't make up my mind," she said.
"What if I go to Baskin Robbins, get a quart of French Vanilla and a quart of some sort of chocolate..."
"Don't get that dark chocolate, I don't like that."
"...okay, a quart of some mild chocolate..."
"...maybe something with nuts..."
"...a mild chocolate with nuts, any other requests?"
She grinned. "Not at the moment. When will you be leaving?"
"Immediately. I don't think they stay open very late in the winter."
"Okay. That's fine. Some kind of vanilla and some kind of chocolate. Hurry. You don't want to get there after it closes."
"Oh. Excuse me. Do you feel a hypoglycemic fit coming on?"
"You never know..."
With that her plans for dinner were completed.
Dinner
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 2124 Reading: 137 |
Blood Pressure: Time: 2122 BP: 133/62 Pulse: 66 |
Considering that I measured her blood glucose about an hour and a half after she finished her lunch, which included bread & butter pickles, which are made with sugar, her reading isn't bad, and, anyway, she would be getting her medication with the pie.
Since having taken a real nap today, although still feeling like I'm running on empty, my mind was in better shape. I decided to go ahead and leave her normal lisinopril dosage in the mix of her dinner pills and give her an extra 5 mg just before she retired, which happened at 2333; light went out at 2347.
Yes, she enjoyed the pie, a wedge measuring an eighth of a 9.5 inch deep dish pie, with German Chocolate Cake Ice Cream. I selected this as the "chocolate" kind, as it was a hearty but not too hearty chocolate with pecans and a caramel ribbon in it, plus bits of milk chocolate brownie and coconut, which she hates, but I tasted it before purchase and I didn't think her sense of taste would detect the coconut. I was right.
posted by Gail Rae @ 23:59
0 comments
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Today's Stats:
Breakfast
Mom's breakfast still involves Honey Baked ham and probably will until I decide, deep in ham overload, to freeze the rest.
So, here's what I'm thinking about her blood pressure. I'll take it tonight just prior to dinner. If it is in an okay range, I'll wait until she retires to administer what is normally her dinner dose of lisinopril. If it's out of range I'll administer the normal dose, then give her 5 mg more just before she retires.
It also occurred to me today that perhaps her body isn't handling fluid that well anymore. Every time I look at her, now, I'm scanning for signs of fluid retention and scaring myself. When she was sitting on the toilet I thought, "Aha, her belly looks a little full." Then, when she arose for torso bathing I realized that the pouch I took as fluid retention was due to the way she chose to sit on the toilet. Later today she complained of a back ache, for which I gave her 200 mg so ibuprofen about an hour before she napped, so chances are good that she was sitting strangely on the toilet in order to accommodate an iffy back.
I've promised her Cobb Salad with ham, of course, and baked apples later in the evening. I also promised her that I'd let her nap, in order to work out her aching back, as long as she wants until 1800 approaches, so we'll probably be eating dinner rather late and she may forego much of a lunch. That's okay. It's one of those days.
Non-stat Lunch
At first, upon awakening, Mom said she didn't want any lunch, she wanted to wait until dinner to eat. Then she complained about her back, again. I suggested she might want another 200 mg ibuprofen tablet, to which she assented. That's how I know something is really bothering her, when she assents to pain medication. I insisted that she needed something to eat with it. She turned down my offers of cottage cheese, MCS's bread & butter pickles and even a slice of pumpkin/apple/walnut bread.
"How about a slice of plain bread and butter?"
"That sounds best," she agreed.
Her nap lasted for awhile, although I didn't have to force awaken her at 1800, as she was up on her own at a little after 1730.
Dinner
Her blood glucose is showing the bread she had exactly two hours prior to me taking her blood sugar. Her BP looks good. Unfortunately, I was dragging from my cold and completely forgot to cull out her 5 mg lisinopril before she downed it. So, I vowed to give her an extra 5 mg at bedtime and forgot that, too. Oh well. I don't think one more morning of high blood pressure will hurt her.
For dinner, as scheduled, she had Cobb Salad with home made Ranch dressing. I didn't get around to making the baked apples, though. I thought I might be able to get by without mentioning them, but Mom remembered. I offered her a slice of home made apple/raspberry/toasted almond pie instead, which she accepted with pleasure.
No more ibuprofen was necessary this evening.
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 1134 Reading: 113 |
Blood Pressure: Time: 1204 BP: 156/69 Pulse: 53 |
Mom's breakfast still involves Honey Baked ham and probably will until I decide, deep in ham overload, to freeze the rest.
So, here's what I'm thinking about her blood pressure. I'll take it tonight just prior to dinner. If it is in an okay range, I'll wait until she retires to administer what is normally her dinner dose of lisinopril. If it's out of range I'll administer the normal dose, then give her 5 mg more just before she retires.
It also occurred to me today that perhaps her body isn't handling fluid that well anymore. Every time I look at her, now, I'm scanning for signs of fluid retention and scaring myself. When she was sitting on the toilet I thought, "Aha, her belly looks a little full." Then, when she arose for torso bathing I realized that the pouch I took as fluid retention was due to the way she chose to sit on the toilet. Later today she complained of a back ache, for which I gave her 200 mg so ibuprofen about an hour before she napped, so chances are good that she was sitting strangely on the toilet in order to accommodate an iffy back.
I've promised her Cobb Salad with ham, of course, and baked apples later in the evening. I also promised her that I'd let her nap, in order to work out her aching back, as long as she wants until 1800 approaches, so we'll probably be eating dinner rather late and she may forego much of a lunch. That's okay. It's one of those days.
Non-stat Lunch
At first, upon awakening, Mom said she didn't want any lunch, she wanted to wait until dinner to eat. Then she complained about her back, again. I suggested she might want another 200 mg ibuprofen tablet, to which she assented. That's how I know something is really bothering her, when she assents to pain medication. I insisted that she needed something to eat with it. She turned down my offers of cottage cheese, MCS's bread & butter pickles and even a slice of pumpkin/apple/walnut bread.
"How about a slice of plain bread and butter?"
"That sounds best," she agreed.
Her nap lasted for awhile, although I didn't have to force awaken her at 1800, as she was up on her own at a little after 1730.
Dinner
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 1957 Reading: 194 |
Blood Pressure: Time: 1955 BP: 120/55 Pulse: 59 |
Her blood glucose is showing the bread she had exactly two hours prior to me taking her blood sugar. Her BP looks good. Unfortunately, I was dragging from my cold and completely forgot to cull out her 5 mg lisinopril before she downed it. So, I vowed to give her an extra 5 mg at bedtime and forgot that, too. Oh well. I don't think one more morning of high blood pressure will hurt her.
For dinner, as scheduled, she had Cobb Salad with home made Ranch dressing. I didn't get around to making the baked apples, though. I thought I might be able to get by without mentioning them, but Mom remembered. I offered her a slice of home made apple/raspberry/toasted almond pie instead, which she accepted with pleasure.
No more ibuprofen was necessary this evening.
posted by Gail Rae @ 23:59
0 comments
Monday, December 26, 2005
Today's Stats:
BM Breakfast
Well, goodness! Her blood glucose is a surprise! So, frankly, is her blood pressure. I decided to do a morning monitoring stint, mainly because, as I've mentioned before, I've been concerned that her sleeping schedule compressed the delivery of her medication. By the time she has breakfast she's gone a good 16 hours without any medication. This isn't a problem with her blood sugar but I've been wondering if it is a problem with her blood pressure. It appears as though it is. I'm going to give it a few more days then make a decision about whether to give her an extra 5 mg lisinopril just before bed. That might do the trick. You'll notice I took it twice. I do this in order to determine how much of a high reading is irritation that I'm deigning to take her BP in the morning and how much is high BP. Morning is rarely a good time to take her BP, since, despite her naturally always good mood, all our morning activities irritate the shit out of her, regardless of the tone of her morning. When her systolic drops by at least 10 points within a few minutes, I know the problem is irritation. When is rises, as it did this morning, I know it's on a genuine high run. I'll put her through at least one more morning reading before I decide to give her extra lisinopril before bed.
Again we had what could be considered her normal holiday breakfast: Ham with her egg. Once again, I gave her a choice of toast or pumpkin/apple/walnut bread. No surprise: She chose the sweet bread, slathered with sweet butter.
Her Bowel Movement occurred at 1430: Very good volume; excellent consistency, no shit rocks; easy elimination; fairly easy clean-up.
Lunch
Although her nap was, again, abbreviated, she wasn't interested in food until a little over an hour after she awakened. I think this is probably connected with higher blood sugar, usually kicking in from having something sweet at breakfast, which happened this morning. When she finally decided she was "a little hungry", at about 1700 as I clicked in the news for her, all she wanted was cottage cheese; not even any of MCS's bread & butter pickles, which was a surprise.
Dinner
Well, I'm impressed! Her body is managing sugar very well! My cold has taken away my appetite so I was not particularly dinner oriented. To my surprise, Mom decided against ham. I found one left-over, frozen serving of that chicken concoction, heated it and that satisfied her.
I want to note that her thirst seems to have been operating well, today, too. Her body is probably making up for all the water she lost due to the furosemide.
She was a lively companion this evening. Bedtime occurred at 2330, after M*A*S*H and a good half hour of conversation. Her light went out almost immediately after she retired.
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 1125 Reading: 117 |
Blood Pressure: Time: 1140 BP: 148/74 Pulse: 58 |
|
Blood Pressure: Time: 1146 BP: 157/74 Pulse: 56 |
Well, goodness! Her blood glucose is a surprise! So, frankly, is her blood pressure. I decided to do a morning monitoring stint, mainly because, as I've mentioned before, I've been concerned that her sleeping schedule compressed the delivery of her medication. By the time she has breakfast she's gone a good 16 hours without any medication. This isn't a problem with her blood sugar but I've been wondering if it is a problem with her blood pressure. It appears as though it is. I'm going to give it a few more days then make a decision about whether to give her an extra 5 mg lisinopril just before bed. That might do the trick. You'll notice I took it twice. I do this in order to determine how much of a high reading is irritation that I'm deigning to take her BP in the morning and how much is high BP. Morning is rarely a good time to take her BP, since, despite her naturally always good mood, all our morning activities irritate the shit out of her, regardless of the tone of her morning. When her systolic drops by at least 10 points within a few minutes, I know the problem is irritation. When is rises, as it did this morning, I know it's on a genuine high run. I'll put her through at least one more morning reading before I decide to give her extra lisinopril before bed.
Again we had what could be considered her normal holiday breakfast: Ham with her egg. Once again, I gave her a choice of toast or pumpkin/apple/walnut bread. No surprise: She chose the sweet bread, slathered with sweet butter.
Her Bowel Movement occurred at 1430: Very good volume; excellent consistency, no shit rocks; easy elimination; fairly easy clean-up.
Lunch
Although her nap was, again, abbreviated, she wasn't interested in food until a little over an hour after she awakened. I think this is probably connected with higher blood sugar, usually kicking in from having something sweet at breakfast, which happened this morning. When she finally decided she was "a little hungry", at about 1700 as I clicked in the news for her, all she wanted was cottage cheese; not even any of MCS's bread & butter pickles, which was a surprise.
Dinner
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 1931 Reading: 115 |
Blood Pressure: Not taken |
Well, I'm impressed! Her body is managing sugar very well! My cold has taken away my appetite so I was not particularly dinner oriented. To my surprise, Mom decided against ham. I found one left-over, frozen serving of that chicken concoction, heated it and that satisfied her.
I want to note that her thirst seems to have been operating well, today, too. Her body is probably making up for all the water she lost due to the furosemide.
She was a lively companion this evening. Bedtime occurred at 2330, after M*A*S*H and a good half hour of conversation. Her light went out almost immediately after she retired.
posted by Gail Rae @ 23:59
0 comments
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Today's Stats:
BM Breakfast
Although she was up and talking a little before noon, it took awhile to coax her hand over the bed and convince her that her day had begun. The furosemide drainage that took place over the last 24 + hours and the fact that everything she drank yesterday went right through her ushered in yet another "short bath" morning because she'd only barely leaked through. She and I were both thrilled about this.
I, again, have no explanation for her high blood glucose. I expect it to be high tomorrow, what with the variety of sweets, etc., that she's already had and will be having.
For breakfast she had, yet again, a thick slice of Honey Baked Ham with her egg. We'll also be having it for dinner. I gave her a "choice" of whole wheat multi-grain toast or 1.5 oatmeal/raisin/pecan cookies (the last of the batch that got lost in the freezer and I discovered last night when I was cleaning it out to accomodate the rest of the ham and the breads and pies I'll be baking today and over the next few days). You tell me what she chose!
Her Bowel Movement occurred at 1230 during her morning stint in the bathroom: Fairly good volume; good consistency, a few shit rocks; fairly easy elimination; very easy clean-up.
Non-stat Lunch
The smell of all-day baking chiseled Mom's nap to almost nothing. When she awoke the primary aroma was of the pumpkin/apple/walnut bread; I sliced a decent piece of it for her lunch and joined her.
My intention is to let her blood sugar do what it wants, today. Out of curiosity, though, I will be measuring it at dinner. As usual, even if it's high, as I'm sure it will be, no action will be taken.
Dinner
Our Christmas Dinner consisted of: Slices of Honey Baked Ham simmered with in-its-own-juice pineapple slices; a nuked yam which Mom insisted on slathering with real sweet cream unsalted butter, which I've got around for baking; very lightly steamed asparagus with my extraordinary, easy Hollandaise sauce. After dinner we were both full so I suggested that we either have dessert later or put it off entirely for some other day. "The pies will keep," I said.
"We'll have it later tonight," Mom insisted. Thus, a couple hours later I sliced the pumpkin pie. I offered to sweeten and whip some heavy cream. Much to my surprise, my mother refused this. Considering how late we had dessert, my guess is that her blood glucose will be roaring with sweet pleasure in the morning.
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 1221 Reading: 130 |
Blood Pressure: Not taken |
Although she was up and talking a little before noon, it took awhile to coax her hand over the bed and convince her that her day had begun. The furosemide drainage that took place over the last 24 + hours and the fact that everything she drank yesterday went right through her ushered in yet another "short bath" morning because she'd only barely leaked through. She and I were both thrilled about this.
I, again, have no explanation for her high blood glucose. I expect it to be high tomorrow, what with the variety of sweets, etc., that she's already had and will be having.
For breakfast she had, yet again, a thick slice of Honey Baked Ham with her egg. We'll also be having it for dinner. I gave her a "choice" of whole wheat multi-grain toast or 1.5 oatmeal/raisin/pecan cookies (the last of the batch that got lost in the freezer and I discovered last night when I was cleaning it out to accomodate the rest of the ham and the breads and pies I'll be baking today and over the next few days). You tell me what she chose!
Her Bowel Movement occurred at 1230 during her morning stint in the bathroom: Fairly good volume; good consistency, a few shit rocks; fairly easy elimination; very easy clean-up.
Non-stat Lunch
The smell of all-day baking chiseled Mom's nap to almost nothing. When she awoke the primary aroma was of the pumpkin/apple/walnut bread; I sliced a decent piece of it for her lunch and joined her.
My intention is to let her blood sugar do what it wants, today. Out of curiosity, though, I will be measuring it at dinner. As usual, even if it's high, as I'm sure it will be, no action will be taken.
Dinner
|
Blood Glucose: Time: 2009 Reading: 185 |
Blood Pressure: Not taken |
Our Christmas Dinner consisted of: Slices of Honey Baked Ham simmered with in-its-own-juice pineapple slices; a nuked yam which Mom insisted on slathering with real sweet cream unsalted butter, which I've got around for baking; very lightly steamed asparagus with my extraordinary, easy Hollandaise sauce. After dinner we were both full so I suggested that we either have dessert later or put it off entirely for some other day. "The pies will keep," I said.
"We'll have it later tonight," Mom insisted. Thus, a couple hours later I sliced the pumpkin pie. I offered to sweeten and whip some heavy cream. Much to my surprise, my mother refused this. Considering how late we had dessert, my guess is that her blood glucose will be roaring with sweet pleasure in the morning.
posted by Gail Rae @ 23:59
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