Oh my, could the title above be any longer! I started off writing about passing out and then lots of other things started pouring out in my writing so here it is!
Saturday before last I ate a good breakfast, three homemade blueberry muffins, water, and coffee. I went outside to plant more of my precious little sprouting vegetables in the main garden. I was sitting on a small stool so there would be no bending over and mostly so I wouldn’t resort to sitting my but in the dirt while planting. I began feeling lightheaded but since I was just sitting I figured it wouldn’t get worse. It did. I went to get my phone out of my pocket to call for Roy and had difficulty doing that. I got it out and called Roy. He didn’t answer.
I called again and heard him come out of the house saying he was on the phone with someone about $2000 being charged to our credit card fraudulently. I dropped the phone and things are foggy after that. I heard through the fog that he told the phone caller we had a medical emergency and he’d have to call them back. I don’t remember how but I know he got me to a nearby chair and he put a cold towel over my head.
Roy later told me that while sitting sprawled out in the chair I passed out with my eyes rolling back in my head and that lasted a while. The eye rolling back thing happened when I had to be rushed to the hospital two years ago because of a bleeding ulcer. Both times this scared Roy a lot. I don’t remember getting inside but I know that I stayed in bed for a long time that day. Roy took my blood pressure and it was low for me at 90/50.
I take blood pressure medicine, Avapro 300 mg once a day. I’ve taken it for 20 to 25 years and it always keeps my blood pressure at 120/80 which I have always been very happy about. This was the first time ever that I can remember that it has been low. Because every time I go to any doctor or hospital my blood pressure is always perfect I never attribute feeling bad to low blood pressure so it’s never been taken at that time, before Saturday.
Sunday I still felt bad but not nearly like Saturday. My blood pressure was more normal each time Roy took it. I never thought to stop taking my blood pressure medicine, duh………….
Roy “allowed” me to go outside in the garden for no more than 30 minutes at a time and then had to stay in bed or on the sofa for a while after that. He helped me more than usual with the gardening and it allowed me to get more done with less effort. He’s kinda good like that! He knows I usually prefer to handle it all myself but he pitched in when needed. All of the remaining vegetables were planted and today they are all so happy and growing beautifully.
Last Monday when I contacted my doctor he said for me to stop taking the blood pressure medicine for two days, drink 6-8 glasses of water and take my blood sugar and blood pressure often. Being the brilliant lady with dementia that I am, I took my blood pressure medicine Monday and Tuesday because I forgot I wasn’t supposed to.
Anyway, I made a sign on fluorescent pink paper that said to not take my blood pressure medicine so on Wednesday and Thursday I didn’t take it. My blood pressure has been fairly normal both days.
This medical event sent my dementia into a tailspin. Last Wednesday I was, however, able to have a nice visit with our pastor, Bro. Avery, down by the pond and I was thankful for that. Later I realized I bounced all around in our conversation and told him things he may not have wanted to know (!) but he didn’t run off which I appreciated!
The last few days I’ve worked in the yard pulling weeds and moving some vines from one location where they are plentiful to another location that needs them, planted carrot seeds, pulled weeds and lots of other things outside. As long as I keep it under an hour I seem to be okay and don’t see any signs of possible passing out!
On one of the dementia facebook groups I am a member of I asked if others with dementia had issues with passing out from low blood pressure when they’d never had that before. All those that responded said yes and that it was caused by a change in their brain that made the blood pressure medicine not work in the correct manner any longer. Time will tell if this is a new brain thing for me or if it is something different. It’s been normal every day so for now being off my blood pressure medicine seems to be the thing to do!
We are having our daughter in law Misty’s family over for a picnic on Easter next Sunday and we are really looking forward to getting to visit with them. I’ve stuffed candies into plastic eggs for an Easter egg hunt and just finished wrapping the utensils in Easter napkins with homemade decorated paper napkin holders. I love having family visit and also love these events because I do special cleaning so they don’t think we live like slobs!!
I gave to several of the kiddos at church one of my painted rocks that have 1 Cross + 3 Nails = 4 Given painted on a cross. I asked them to hide them to help share with others about Jesus.
On Sunday our adult choir at church sang a beautiful Easter Cantata titled Jesus, Only King Forever. I always love hearing them sing and especially Easter and Christmas music.
Roy’s eye surgery to remove the spidery floater is back on and will be this Thursday, the 18th in Baton Rouge at 9 am. Please pray for him and his doctor, Dr. Robert Mason.
We’ve had some magnificently beautiful cool sunny days here in Louisiana recently. So thankful for a God that provides us with days like this!
Ya’ll have a blessed Holy Week!
BECAUSE HE LIVES 