I should have recognized it
All the symptoms
Anxious. Needy. Demanding.
He needed a certain, specific power adapter.
First said my brother had it. I quietly said I had already asked him and he didn't have it
Then said I had to find it.
Mind you, it's for something of his....that I never use.
I looked in all the usual places - where we keep extra power adapters. Nothing fit.
Then I got out all the travel converters thinking something might work.
Went to the garage and went through 2 huge bins of electrical wires and stuff.
(Wondering why any one man needs to keep all this stuff?)
He came out to the garage. Stood right in front of me. So close, I couldn't move. So I asked him politely to move aside so I could get to the bins. He snorted. Sighed. Harumphed. You know how they do.
Went to the basement and went through 4 boxes of electrical stuff. In the process I found about 30 different power adapters. Brought them all inside and/or upstairs.
Nothing worked.
By now, he is so agitated, I realize it's a sugar low. Why this isn't my first reaction I will never know. I think I am ever optimistic!
Found a bag of candy and opened it up and offered him some.
In 10 minutes, he was a perfect gentleman once again.
I think I just realized why my in-laws pantry looks like a candy store. My MIL got smart years ago! ha ha!
I'm still trying to do the healthy route....but I may give up and just feed him chocolate.
He sure is nicer!
He cut 2 different adapters apart and wired them together and got what he needed working to work.
It's 10:55 pm. I have just spent the last hour and a half of my life looking for something that he probably would have found himself if he ever just put things back where they belong. Not this guy. He's an electrical nightmare! :o)
But I do think the problem is ME. I think I will never learn to think diabetes first. I will never learn to suspect diabetes until we are half way through an ordeal. And don't bother ask why I even started to help him tonight. I'm just a complete idiot! Maybe one of these days I'll learn to say "NO" to him! But I doubt it.
So where's the line between love - and we do it because we love them, and waking up and realizing their stupid behavior is due to a sugar imbalance? Something I probably will never know.
DW
PS, I'm going to the grocery store tomorrow and filling the pantry with chocolate.
(just kidding!)
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1 comment:
Hi DW,
I deal with similar issues at my home too. One of my friends mentioned early onset of Alzheimer's disease. I am wondering if diabetic symptoms mimic Alzheimer's symptoms. My husband exhibits nearly all of these symptoms (plus the diabetic symptoms) and he is 48 years old!
MaryM
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Here are the symptoms of Alzheimer's from mayoclinic.com
Memory loss
Everyone has occasional lapses in memory. It's normal to forget where you put your car keys or to blank on the names of people whom you rarely see. But the memory problems associated with Alzheimer's disease persist and worsen. People with Alzheimer's may:
* Repeat things
* Often forget conversations or appointments
* Routinely misplace things, often putting them in illogical locations
* Eventually forget the names of family members and everyday objects
Problems with abstract thinking
People with Alzheimer's may initially have trouble balancing their checkbook, a problem that progresses to trouble recognizing and dealing with numbers.
Difficulty finding the right word
It may be a challenge for those with Alzheimer's to find the right words to express thoughts or even follow conversations. Eventually, reading and writing also are affected.
Disorientation
People with Alzheimer's disease often lose their sense of time and dates, and may find themselves lost in familiar surroundings.
Loss of judgment
Solving everyday problems, such as knowing what to do if food on the stove is burning, becomes increasingly difficult, eventually impossible. Alzheimer's is characterized by greater difficulty in doing things that require planning, decision making and judgment.
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Once-routine tasks that require sequential steps, such as cooking, become a struggle as the disease progresses. Eventually, people with advanced Alzheimer's may forget how to do even the most basic things.
Personality changes
People with Alzheimer's may exhibit:
* Mood swings
* Distrust in others
* Increased stubbornness
* Social withdrawal
* Depression
* Anxiety
* Aggressiveness
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