Setting up a system

Dad came over this morning with all his old diabetes testing stuff. Jim helped him weed through all of it to see what's still usable and what should be thrown away. Then we had him do the test himself with his new machine. It was very difficult for him. I really don't think he'll be able to do this on his own.

He wanted me to write down all the foods he can have. His blood sugar has been so out of control I think he should cut out all breads and most dairy until his numbers come down. I made a simple list of meats and veggies that he can get for himself at the grocery store. Then he started asking questions. (Insert heavy sigh here.)

Dad has a talent for adding complexity to simple, straight forward situations. At first he only wanted to know what foods are ok for him to have. But then he wanted to get into the stuff that's forbidden. He's making notes all over the simple SHOPPING LIST that I gave him. His handwriting has gotten so bad now he can't read it. So then he has to ask questions about the stuff he's already written down. We had to explain everything over and over. He wants every available piece of information but you can't give it to him because he can't handle it. Then you have to add in all the stories he wants to tell that have NOTHING to do with what you're trying to accomplish. These sessions can take hours. HOURS!

Then he wanted to go out to lunch and have us explain how to order food in restaurants. I said, "No, I've already given my whole morning to this and now I'm done." By the time he left I was ready to jump out of my skin.

Right now Jim is making a form that Dad can use to record all this stuff. It's in calendar form and has spaces to check off his meds and vitamins and to record his blood sugar numbers. He can keep it in his bathroom or in the kitchen. We've tried to make it as simple as possible. Dad likes writing things down so maybe it will work.

Later, Jim and I are going to walk around Lake Evans at Fairmount Park. My stress level is getting pretty high and exercise really helps.

Sometimes I think I should exercise three or four times a day.