Rough week
Lots of pain, new drug
Hey there, it’s me, Kathy. How’s it going this week? This week for me was awful. Starting out, the new pills I started taking were great the first couple of days but when they really kicked in, it was too much. I was sleeping almost all day.
I couldn’t get up to go to the flea market. My friend Carol went in and did the day for me. I felt so bad that I couldn’t go and I couldn’t get in touch with her on the phone. I was staying in bed until 4 p.m. Then I would want to go back to bed since everything hurt and the headaches were nasty. So the medicine was lowered and my sleeping habits are starting to improve.
My pain level is still a nine. But I will see the doctor soon. She will get me back on track. I have to get a Cortisone shot in my right shoulder again since the last one wore off. And most of you that follow my column know that I hate needles. Those of you that don’t know I really, really hate needles, to the point if I see it I’ll faint. Since I had the last needle in that shoulder I forgot how bad the pain was until I woke up the other morning and wham there was, the pain was back again and I could hardly move my arm. It was awful.
I shouldn’t complain though since I had a couple of really good days this week. And I am still here to complain about it.
My friend Mary came over last night. She is really stressed. She needed a hug - as many as she can get so if you see her just give her a hug.
Vicky came over and got me to go to town. She always knows when I’m down. I think she senses it.
One stop was at the New Beginnings shop in the Summer Street building. It’s such a cute shop. The dressing room is as big as my small bedroom. They are having their 50 per cent off summer wear sale and the prices are great to start with. Everything is ready to wear. A summer top is about $4 or $5 and with the sale on, it’s $2. Can you imagine getting a new pair of Clark shoes for $8 dollars? Well you can there and they weren’t even on sale. If you haven’t been in yet stop by and check it out. They even have seniors day.
I’m almost at that point - it’s creeping up on me. It’s hard to believe I’m starting to slide down the other side of the hill. I’m at the top of the hill anyway.
I want to talk a bit about low blood glucose levels. Anyone who is not a diabetic may not know that you can have low blood sugar and it can be awful. When my sugar drops I call it having the hee bee gee bee’s. I start shaking and I would just grab anything I could get my hands on and eat it to stop the lightheaded feeling. If it goes on too long you can pass out.
My mother was a diabetic and my brother and I have hypoglycemia. I used to have to get my sugar checked a lot and yes it takes needles, two hours apart for that test but once I learned how to take care of it, I didn’t have to get checked as much anymore. What is low blood glucose? It’s when the sugar in your blood has dropped below the target range. Less then 4 mmol/L, it is called low blood glucose or hypoglycemia. The signs are shaking, lightheadedness, sweating, weakness, a numbness or tingling in your tongue or lips, nervousness, hunger and your heart rate is faster.
What causes hypoglycemia? More physical activity than usual, not eating, skipping meals, eating less than you should, taking too much medication and the effects of drinking alcohol.
When you don’t take care of it right away you can become confused, lose consciousness or even have a seizure.
To treat it right away, eat or drink a fast-acting carbohydrate of at least 15 grams. You can get glucose in the form of glucose tablets but a cup of juice or a regular soft drink will work the same or candy or one tablespoon of honey. I just make sure I get the sugar in me when I start to feel shaky and I feel better in a few minutes. You can find out if you are hypoglycemic by getting your doctor to get your sugar level tested.
My son in law Dave got in a car accident coming home from work yesterday and with the four hour time difference, I was so stressed out waiting to find out if he was OK. He was a bit injured but it’s not life threatening. I was so worried for him. It’s hard when they are so far away.
My new pup Thunder is doing good. I just have to watch I don’t walk on him. He thinks we go outside to chase the moths because we can be out there for what seems forever then he comes in and lifts his leg on whatever is the first thing he comes in contact with.
The other night I heard this thump and then little paws running around to my side of the bed I put my arm down picked him up and threw him back on the bed, he went right back to sleep.
Well have a good week folks. And yes, you really are seeing the Halloween stuff already being put out in the stores.