# 4 It Happened Again

    


Monday morning I woke up & got a few things done on the computer before I started to get dressed to go to the dr's. This was just a follow up visit that  was scheduled for when I had been on my insulin pump for a month.
The insulin pump has been an unexpected blessing to my other medical aides.
I agreed to go on the pump last November and I said I wouldn't go on until my immediate family members were comfortable with the idea. My body has never reacted the way it should to medical procedures, medicines etc. So my husband & kids (son 25, daughter 16) were naturally skeptical that this medical device was going to be different.I spent the first few months researching & talking to my family about why I should at least try the pump. I can't remember now what came up that I kept having to delay but as the last days of March rolled around my husband Billy, daughter Sarah & I went in for our education class on pump set up/hook up.
As I got ready for my appointment, I soon realized it was not going to be a good leg day. My thighs were very sore & weak feeling. My balance was off, this meant I was going to need my cane today. Jeff (my son) & I got in the car. He checked to make sure I had at least 3 oxygen tanks and one of my canes. We were all set to go. As we drove along I commented that the AC didn't feel as cold as it usually does. FWIW I had to give up driving 6 years ago. It was no longer safe for me or others for me to continue driving and it was a waste of my spoons to drive, tires me & my muscles out & then I have less of everything to do the things I want to do.
After my name was called I wobbled back to the back offices, with my son, loaded down with everything that needs to accompany me, my bag that carries my oxygen tank, the bag that I had my bp machine in,folders containing the papers I wanted to share with my Dr, my BG meter, my Powerade zero drink. I asked to skip the scale, knowing that I did not have the balance it would take to stand on the scale without falling off.
    Dr. W is very happy with how my blood sugars are coming down nicely & not so many huge swings but that info is for another blog another day.
      During our conversations I was trying to convey to her how unwell I was during my prep for my colonoscopy & the next morning waiting for the procedure to start. The colonoscopy will be the subject of yet another blog. I tried several times to explain just how unwell I was and she kept saying then everything was okay, right? well, yeah do you mean I survived the procedure? Yeah I survived, could it have been easier on my body, yes IMO it could have been a lot easier if the dr.s & nurses would take the time to listen to their patients but  I digress.
     After we  left her office, we went to grab a bite to eat, on our way to run a few more errands. I have a very limited amount of spoons and I try to maximize my time out, as it takes me days to recover from a day out.
     I kept mentioning that it was warm in the car & that the AC was not really working. We ate in the car in front of the eye dr's, the next stop on our list. As I neared the end of my meal, Jeff called the dr's office to see what their hours were. We were informed that that office was closed on Mondays, so we left that parking lot & headed back to our town & CVS our next stop. As we rode on, the heat was becoming intolerable to me. The over whelming need to sleep enveloped me. I shut my eyes & gave in.
    We started into town & Jeffrey said I'll just take you home mom and I protested saying no, it will only take a few minutes at CVS. We pulled into the parking lot as I woke up again before we could even park I said that I had changed my mind, I could not get out of the car & I was way too hot to sit in the car & wait, lets just go home please. I rolled down the window in an attempt to get some air as the heat was now overwhelming me, Jeff said Mom, the air coming out of the vents is actually cooler than the air outside. I rolled the window up & directed the air vents towards myself.
    Jeff helped me up the stairs & into my room. All I wanted to do was surrender to the darkness that kept rolling over me like tidal waves. He gave me 20 mg Cortef  and I went to sleep a little bit later he was rousting me again telling me to swallow these 2 down too. Stop hollering at me I said, having no idea how much time had passed since the last time he had woken me, he gentle said mom, I'm not hollering at you, I've been standing here calling your name & shaking you unable to get your attention, take these 2 tablets too & dad said to give you this ½ of fludrocort too. I swallowed them all washing them down with purple powerade zero. Drink a little more, Jeffrey encouraged as the fog started to dissipate. My room was comfortable & cool with the little window unit blasting forth it's cooling breeze.
      I knew I was on the other side of this latest episode. Thanks to Jeffrey I survived another one.
When Billy came home we pondered what brought this one on. You got overheated, Billy said.Yeah Jeffrey nodded his head in agreement with his father, it had to be the heat. You just kept saying how hot you were & that you needed some air. Thing is, it wasn't THAT hot, Jeffrey said but then again you were already having a rough time that day. Yes, I said in agreement remembering that I had even asked to skip the weigh in as I was  unbalanced enough just trying  walk never mind balance on a square about 3 inches of the ground.
         I  said it is scary that just being hot can bring on an episode like that. Billy reminded me of one of the postings that was made on the Addison group yahoo page a few years ago about one of our members getting rushed to the hospital after collapsing on the beach in Hampton NH because he failed to stress dose according to the rising temperature outside that day.
         Who knows if I was not a little off that day would the heat have been enough to start me on my decent downward into the darkness? I don't know. We are assuming it was the combination of me not being quite right and the AC not working right that started me on my way, all I know is that is was very scary for all of us & reminds us how things for me can change in an instant.