I had to get an MRI on my shoulder (I've had surgery on it before and think I have re-injured it. Oh boy.) Anyway, DH offered to drive me to the MRI facility. As we were waiting for me to be called, he mentioned that he was hungry. I told him I thought there was a snack dispensing machine around the corner in the same building. Then they called me back for the MRI.
The doggone procedure took twice as long as it should have because I needed to take deep breaths, but couldn't, and despite my best efforts, apparently I fidgeted inside that long cylindrical gizmo.
By the time I got back, DH had not, of course, even gone to look for the snack vending machine. He announced that he was light-headed, felt terrible, and HAD to get something to eat IMMEDIATELY. I knew where there were several fast-food places if he turned left, off the street from the medical facility, but he insisted on turning right (where I never go, so I had no idea of what might be there.) So we are passing all these stores - Target, Kohl's, Lowe's - but noplace to get any food. And he is keeping up this constant bellowing about how he is getting fainter and fainter. This was not much fun, as he was driving. (I'm afraid I was a little cynical, though. I figured that if he had enough energy left to bellow like that, he wasn't quite as faint as he was claiming. Am I wrong?)
Finally, we saw a McDonald's and turned in there. He got his food and seemed to bounce back very quickly after two cheeseburgers, a packet of fries, and a sugar Coke. (I vowed to myself on the spot that I would keep something non-perishable in the car at all times, like those Nature Valley Granola Bars that don't have a chocolatey coating and won't turn to slime inside a hot car.)
I don't like to be in the car with him anyway, because invariably, other drivers do things that set him off and make him want to "teach them a lesson." For 20 years, I have pointed out that this is not a good idea and that they probably would not be receptive students. Sometimes, he listens - sometimes not.
Is this what a "low sugar" meltdown really looks like?
My opinion, this is a "mild" low sugar meltdown
ReplyDeletehe was starting to get low -- didn't get really bad before he got the food
The anger did help him keep the sugar up -- (see DW's posts from last year )
The problem is that driving while low - if it goes on too long -- can be catastrophic -- like driving the wrong way on one-way streets, slowing down so slow that other drivers can't help but hit you, turning right from the left lane -- I've experienced them all.
Once you are in the car with him driving and low -- it is scary and you don't have a choice but to react. better to try to avoid the situation if at all possible -- not always possible.
good luck
hope your shoulder is going to get better.
I agree with Tom's Wife. I have seen so many of these meltdowns with my hubby that I will no longer get in the vehicle if he is driving. Reason? He will not pull over and let me drive if he starts to go low, and will argue instead. Gets pretty dangerous. After many fights and arguments over this, 95% of the time he doesn't fight it anymore; just lets me drive. However, it still doesn't prevent me from getting screamed at while I am driving. Never any fun!
ReplyDeleteDon't you hate it when you are trying to take care of yourself (in your case your shoulder), and you end up still taking care of your spouse at the same time?
Hang in there,
Lilly
There are a few other scary elements here. We only have the one vehicle. My husband decided to sell his truck a few months ago, to cut back on our gasoline usage. Patriotic, I suppose, but scary. No backup vehicle if anything happens to this one.
ReplyDeleteLilly, I SO hear you about trying to drive when DH is a passenger. I won't do it if there is any way to avoid it, because his ranting and screaming distract me so badly I can hardly focus on the road. I think I have written about this before - but I'm older than he is and have nearly 4 more years of driving experience. Furthermore, I have NEVER been responsible for an accident or had a driving ticket. He has had both. And yet he presumes to tell me how to drive. CAN I SCREAM NOW???
I had pretty much decided that regardless of what the shoulder doc says (later this week) that I would not go through surgery again, but DH argues that if it can be mended, it should be. But I don't handle incapacity very well. Surgery was a miserable experience last time (I think it was 5 or 6 weeks until I could lift my hand to the top of the steering wheel under its own power, without using the other hand to lift it) and I am just NOT excited about going through it all again.
I did everything I could to take care of my own needs, but there were things that I simply could NOT do for myself, and so I had to ask for help. DH was always very sweet about being there for me, But he wasn't diabetic and so short-tempered back then. Can you see why I would be more apprehensive this time around?
Aside from that, I'm older now (aren't we all??) and I just don't bounce back as readily from things as I used to. I'll just have to wait and see what the doctor says. If he says that the shoulder can't be repaired again, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I have adapted pretty well.
Hi, just stumbled across your blog and wanted to offer my 2 cents as a type 1. Lows can vary from person to person...personally, I get weak, shaky, sweaty and somewhat stubborn. I've heard of plenty of others who get angry and have major mood swings...and they resist sugar. So, even if they know they should get sugar in some form, it's not so easy because they can't think straight. If you suspect a low, I would encourage him to check his blood sugar first before getting in the car. Good luck!
ReplyDelete