4 lows by 4 pm

I can't take it. Seriously. FOUR lows today. I know it's because he has changed his diet and he is exercising and they haven't reduced his insulin. But because he's on Humulin R U 500 - no one wants to mess with it. And his diabetic nurse is on vacation. He said he called and they wanted him to download his sugars. So he walked upstairs to get his meter cable. Remember, he just had open heart surgery and he is not supposed to do more than one set of stairs.

But he's in a low. So he doesn't have the ability to reason or remember. He's like a bull in a china shop.

He can't find the cable. He wants to know where it is, what I did with it. Of course, I haven't touched it and don't have a clue where he last had it - it was before surgery.

Hrumph. He said last night that he downloaded and sent his numbers to his nurse. Guess that was another lie. Are we back into our old patterns?

Oh, my mistake, he said he emailed her the numbers.

I seriously want to ask him for a copy of the email, but at that point - he would have gone ballistic. So I started looking through his drawers trying to find this cable. Note, he is a computer geek and there are at least 500 cables in his drawers/closte, etc. I don't find it. He's truly upset because I can't find it.

He says, "do we have any potatoes?"

I'm wondering why, thinking that he wants a baked potato and I say, "no, why do you want one?"

He looks at me like I'm an idiot and he says, "DO (pause) we (pause) have (pause) any (pause) potatoes?

I said, "we have raw potatoes in the pantry.

He said, can you bake me one?

I said, "Sweetie, we are having baked potatoes for dinner toinght."

He said, "that's 2 1/2 hours from now. I need one right now."

I said, "it will take an hour to bake it"

He said, "just put it in the microwave for 12 minutes".

So I did just that.

Then I asked him, "why do you want a potato? It's a fast acting carb."

He says, "no, it's long lasting carbs".

I said, "a potato is high glycemic, that means it's a fast acting carb."

He says, "look it up in the book - you don't know what you are talking about, you need to learn this stuff."

I go get the book, find the page, show him that it says "high".

He says, It's high in carbs and that's what I need right now, more carbs.

I said, "I think what you mean is that you need long acting carbs and a potato is a fast acting carb."

He said, "you don't have any idea what you are talking about!".

This is after he has had 2 things of smarties, a glass of orange juice, and 2 cookies.

(God help me. One of his employees sent him a gift basked filled to the brim with cookies and candies. Arrived at noon today. Must be an employee that wants him dead!)

I said to him, "I think you are a little confused right now."

He said, "get out. Just leave"

So I did. I walked upstairs and shut the door.

I can't help him when he's in a low. I can't do anything for him. But I did call the diabetic nurse and told her that I needed immediate help. I said I knew his nurse was on vacation but there has to be someone who can help me. I explained the whole scenario to her and she had me read the numbers to him from his machine. I did. She took it to the endocronologist and they called back in 10 minutes and are reducing his insulin starting today.

I am praying that tomorrow is a better day with less lows. How do other spouses handle the lows? I am already beyond exhausted from everything that we are doing as part of his cardiac rehab.....I can't take these lows and his argumentative moods. He has no idea how hurtful his words are. I can't take the blame. And I really do know what I'm talking about, but I know he's in a low and has no clue.

Want to know something funny? The baked potato is still in the microwave! :o)

DW