My mom is 81 and diabetic. While that, in itself, normally wouldn’t pose a problem, there are many diabetics who either don’t eat the right foods or(like my mom) drink enough liquids. (’I hate water!’ is her battle cry!) AND LIQUIDS ARE VERY IMPORTANT! Especially WATER. The natural minerals in water, help keep your electrolyte level in your blood up to par. Why are electrolytes so important? Read on.
I noticed that she developed a dry hacking cough which at first didn’t seem too bad, but within days, became increasingly worse. (I should mention that mom isn’t on injected insulin. She takes Dibeta, the oral tablet.)
At first, I purchased some sugar-free cough syrup from our local pharmacy. It didn’t help.
Three days later, she could barely lift her head off her pillow and her energy level was next to nothing. Although she didn’t run a fever, she found it extremely difficult staying awake. Within a 24-hour day, she slept about 19 hours. That worried me more than her cough.
I called the doctor who encouraged me to bring her in for an immediate exam. It was then we learned she had pneumonia.
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Okay, by now, I know you’re wondering what on earth all this has to do with diabetes and oxygen. Read on, please. There’s more!
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Her examination revealed that in addition to the pneumonia, she was in a state of extreme dehydration. Her blood oxygen leven was 90 when it should have been 97. Those 7 points make such a big difference in a persons life. What it means is that the blood cells were suffocating making her weak, causing her to lose her appetite and sleep much more than normal.
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*Here’s an indication of how your blood oxygen makes you react. watch and count your breaths.
ONE breath is equal to one inhale and one exhale.
For the average adult, your breathing should be between 12 and 20 breaths per minute. The faster you breathe, the less oxygen your blood is getting. The less oxygen your blood is getting, the more lethargic you become, causing sleepiness and mental confusion.** (Mom’s respiration(breathing count) was 29 per minute!)
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Now, I have an elderly, stubborn woman on my hands who is diabetic, hates water, developed a bad cough and has just been diagnosed with severe dehydration and pneumonia.
The doctor gave her a prescription for antibiotics for the pneumonia, but was at a loss how to get her to drink water. As I said, water is essential because the minerals replace the much used electrolytes in your blood stream that replace the much needed oxygen you use every day.
That’s right. Why do think athletes drink so much Gatorade? It’s loaded with electrolytes. The only problem is that it’s also loaded with sugar! If I gave that to my mom, she’d slip into a diabetic coma!
After consulting the pharmacist, he suggested PEDIALYTE. It’s made for children and therefore isn’t loaded with as much fructose as Gatorade - which, by the way, is also considered an’energy booster’ for athletes.
Yes, there is still sugar in Pedialyte, but unlike sports drinks, Pedialyte consists of a balance between sugar and electrolytes, better known as potassium, sodium, minerals and magnesium.
Unlike Gatorade, Pedialyte has only 96 calories in one quart bottle.
The correct does for a child of 2 years and older is ONE quart daily divided into about 1/2 cup every 4 hours. It is usually recommended when children experience that nasty diarrhea that can quickly dehydrate them. Pedialyte keep that from happening. They drink this stuff until the diarrhea stops.
While mom didn’t have diarrhea, she is, as I said, diabetic and a whole lot older than a 2 year old child. Therefore, I further discussed the dosage with the pharmacist. He suggested ONE CUP every three hours and 8 ounces of water every hour.
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Okay, so mom didn’t like the taste. Mom is also a fussy eater. It was something she’d just have to tolerate.
Four days later, we returned to the doctor for a follow-up and found her blood-oxygen level had risen to 93! Although still lower than normal, it was on the rise. Her breathing began to ease also. Now, instead of panting like someone who’d just run down the street, she eased a comfortable 24 breath count. Again, still not normal, but definitely getting better.
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Pedialyte shouldn’t be mixed with other liquids because it contains the appropriate amounts of carbs and electrolytes for maintaining proper fluid and electrolyte balance in the blood. It must also be refrigerated after opening, but should never be’frozen’.
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While I’m not trying to’push’ or’sell’ Pedialyte, I felt it important to emphasize the importance of such a liquid in the diet of a diabetic. If you hate water(like my mom), drinking a glass of Pedialyte a day won’t make your sugar count rise, but it will help maintain the electrolytes in your blood.
It’s not easy being diabetic. It’s harder, still, caring for one who’s elderly and obstinate. But having a bit of’extra’ knowledge about what to do in an emergency just might be the difference between life and death.
I ought to know. I came very close that summer to losing my mom to dehydration, but the advise of my pharmacist and the use of Pedialyte saved Mom’s life.