Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Although there was a significant lag...
...between the time I awoke Mom (1030) and the time she commenced breakfast (1215), it wasn't a stressful lag. She resisted sitting up for about 10 minutes, at which time, as I'd "warned" her, I set her up. From that point on we talked and cat watched for almost 45 minutes until about 1130. Good conversation. We observed and talked about: Our cats' psychology; Muggins, the cat of my mother's extreme youth, whom she always wanted to give birth to puppies; the weather, which is a bit stifling right now since the monsoons have arrived but without rainfall in this area, yet. I don't ever mind stuff being put off to accommodate conversation, even bathing, so, it was that we got what would normally be considered a "late start", but wasn't, really.
I do want to mention that I did some further research on supplemental agents that have shown, in some or all cases, to be useful in increasing cells' sensitivity to insulin, which is the problem with type 2 diabetes. I've decided on adding aloe vera juice (specifically juice with 80% aloe vera gel) to her diet and will pick up some the next time we go to Costco. Siberian Ginseng is also supposed to help but that is contraindicated for her because of the lisinopril. Alpha lipoic acid also look good but I'm going to wait to see what sort of results happen with the aloe vera gel, specifically because this supplement has been used successfully both with and without the administration of glyburide. Although my mother isn't on glyburide she is on glipizide which is of the same class as glyburide: They are both sulfonylurea drugs.
The increase in her fiber intake over the last year has probably also helped, according to the information, as has the recent increase in tuna. I think, though, I'll switch back to the oat bran bread I was previously giving her. The potato bread was a dietary compromise she and I worked out a few months ago but, after talking to her this morning about how the increase in fiber in her diet was part of the reason that her diabetes was under much better control, she agreed that I could switch her back to oat bran bread after we ran out of potato bread (probably in a week or so) and until she got sick of the oat bran bread, again. That's okay with me. If the aloe vera gel helps, considering the amount of fiber she is now getting, I don't think we'll have a problem.
Right now I'm going to take her out to do some walkering. She seems to need the energy burst that moving delivers.
I do want to mention that I did some further research on supplemental agents that have shown, in some or all cases, to be useful in increasing cells' sensitivity to insulin, which is the problem with type 2 diabetes. I've decided on adding aloe vera juice (specifically juice with 80% aloe vera gel) to her diet and will pick up some the next time we go to Costco. Siberian Ginseng is also supposed to help but that is contraindicated for her because of the lisinopril. Alpha lipoic acid also look good but I'm going to wait to see what sort of results happen with the aloe vera gel, specifically because this supplement has been used successfully both with and without the administration of glyburide. Although my mother isn't on glyburide she is on glipizide which is of the same class as glyburide: They are both sulfonylurea drugs.
The increase in her fiber intake over the last year has probably also helped, according to the information, as has the recent increase in tuna. I think, though, I'll switch back to the oat bran bread I was previously giving her. The potato bread was a dietary compromise she and I worked out a few months ago but, after talking to her this morning about how the increase in fiber in her diet was part of the reason that her diabetes was under much better control, she agreed that I could switch her back to oat bran bread after we ran out of potato bread (probably in a week or so) and until she got sick of the oat bran bread, again. That's okay with me. If the aloe vera gel helps, considering the amount of fiber she is now getting, I don't think we'll have a problem.
Right now I'm going to take her out to do some walkering. She seems to need the energy burst that moving delivers.
