Black Pearl by Old Collingwood - FINISHED - 1/72 Scale

[cog]

Sorry to hear about the missus. Hope she's doing better. Give her my best wishes, and lots of strength to you mate!

[popeye the sailor]

echoing the same sentiment my friend......hope the misses recovers well in time for the holiday.   take care of her mate,  the model can wait   

[EJ_L]

O.C., sorry to hear about the wife. Best wishes for a speedy recovery into good health. Take care of both her and yourself and we will be here when you are able to get back to it.

[Old Collingwood]

8 hours ago, cog said:

Sorry to hear about the missus. Hope she's doing better. Give her my best wishes, and lots of strength to you mate!

Thank you so much.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

5 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

echoing the same sentiment my friend......hope the misses recovers well in time for the holiday.   take care of her mate,  the model can wait   

Thank you denis.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

5 hours ago, EJ_L said:

O.C., sorry to hear about the wife. Best wishes for a speedy recovery into good health. Take care of both her and yourself and we will be here when you are able to get back to it.

Thank you EJ.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

A huge warm thanks for the replies about the admiral  - it was her Diabetes causing all sorts of  problems  from sickness/diarrhea/dissyness, she was still rough today so I called a Fast Respnder out who stayed with us at home for over an hour,  she was checked thoroughly but was decided it wasn't serious enough to go back to hospital - instead our local doctors surgery was contacted by the Fast Responder requesting a Doctor to come out and review the admirals diabetic situation - not long had a call from the surgery,   no doctor could be found to do the home visit and I have to go there in person tomorrow to pick up a new diabetic test machine, and to ask then about her diabetes as she is not strong enough to visit the surgery yet.

 

Appologies if that didn't make sense I've not been to sleep yet since Tuesday Night.😵

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

your not alone.........I haven't heard of a doctor in these parts,  that makes house calls either.    I think that service stopped quite some time ago....when they invented the ambulance.   does she have to prick her finger?  I know it can be rather hard to 'dial in'.  I just hope she's better,  so she can enjoy the holidays  

[Old Collingwood]

3 minutes ago, popeye the sailor said:

your not alone.........I haven't heard of a doctor in these parts,  that makes house calls either.    I think that service stopped quite some time ago....when they invented the ambulance.   does she have to prick her finger?  I know it can be rather hard to 'dial in'.  I just hope she's better,  so she can enjoy the holidays  

Thank you denis,  yes she has two of those machines (look like a large cycle computer)  they have those sharp pins that like you say prick the finger then you are supposed to put a small speck of blood on the end of a plastic strip - that is inserted into the machine,  but however we have tried over the last 12months we cant get them to be accurate,  so I have to get  - yet another one from the doctors surgery tomorrow.

 

So needs an easier machine thats less finnicky.

 

OC.

[cog]

it seems the further we are "digitised" the less social and humane we become. I get the feeling some organisations think we have the StarTrek transporter at hand and money is no longer an issue Get some rest and try to keep your spirits up, you know where to find us ...

[popeye the sailor]

here in the states,  we have some that fit in the palm of your hand........got digital readout and everything.  they don't have them where you live?

[Jack12477]

My Admiral is also type 2 diabetic, she uses this Bayer brand Contour meter to test her blood sugar.  She periodical gets more lancets and test strips at the pharmacy. Very easy to use, very accurate,  and not expensive. Is it available where you live?  

[Old Collingwood]

2 hours ago, cog said:

it seems the further we are "digitised" the less social and humane we become. I get the feeling some organisations think we have the StarTrek transporter at hand and money is no longer an issue Get some rest and try to keep your spirits up, you know where to find us ...

Thanks mate.

 

OC.

[nikbud]

I don't know if this will help but I use a Gluco/Rx Nexus, bought from the pharmacy in Tesco's for £25. I find it consistently accurate and very easy to use. The downside is a pot of strips cost £20 for 50.

I hope the Admiral is feeling better, my thoughts are with you both

[Old Collingwood]

1 hour ago, Jack12477 said:

My Admiral is also type 2 diabetic, she uses this Bayer brand Contour meter to test her blood sugar.  She periodical gets more lancets and test strips at the pharmacy. Very easy to use, very accurate,  and not expensive. Is it available where you live?  

The two the wife has are called  TRUE You, they are basicaly the same as the one you shown.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

2 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

here in the states,  we have some that fit in the palm of your hand........got digital readout and everything.  they don't have them where you live?

Thanks mate,  think alot are similar.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

7 minutes ago, nikbud said:

I don't know if this will help but I use a Gluco/Rx Nexus, bought from the pharmacy in Tesco's for £25. I find it consistently accurate and very easy to use. The downside is a pot of strips cost £20 for 50.

I hope the Admiral is feeling better, my thoughts are with you both

Does your diebtes give you unbalance/dizzyness feeling if your sugar is low/high?

 

OC.

[nikbud]

10 minutes ago, Old Collingwood said:

Does your diebtes give you unbalance/dizzyness feeling if your sugar is low/high?

Not for me, however I have to qualify that answer;

My diabetes was diagnosed very early 18 months ago as a result of a medical that I have every year for work. My initial hb1ac result was 6.6, the NHS threshold for having diabetes is 6.4. I control my diabetes with diet and exercise, no medication. I have to keep my blood sugar levels strictly between a certain range for work so I have to be very careful.

My mother also had diabetes and although she was never unbalanced she did fell dizzy when she had what she called a "hypo".

I saw a nutritionist through my GP and she warned me to be aware of the "crash" effect. Meaning that if you raise your blood sugar level too fast and to high, the resulting fall is also too fast. Im not sure but could this be what your admiral is experiencing? I was told to always eat protein if I am eating carbs; the protein helps to slow down the effect of the carbs on your blood sugar level. Apparently bacon is an excellent Carb slowerer!

Hope this helps.

[Old Collingwood]

9 minutes ago, nikbud said:

Not for me, however I have to qualify that answer;

My diabetes was diagnosed very early 18 months ago as a result of a medical that I have every year for work. My initial hb1ac result was 6.6, the NHS threshold for having diabetes is 6.4. I control my diabetes with diet and exercise, no medication. I have to keep my blood sugar levels strictly between a certain range for work so I have to be very careful.

My mother also had diabetes and although she was never unbalanced she did fell dizzy when she had what she called a "hypo".

I saw a nutritionist through my GP and she warned me to be aware of the "crash" effect. Meaning that if you raise your blood sugar level too fast and to high, the resulting fall is also too fast. Im not sure but could this be what your admiral is experiencing? I was told to always eat protein if I am eating carbs; the protein helps to slow down the effect of the carbs on your blood sugar level. Apparently bacon is an excellent Carb slowerer!

Hope this helps.

The admirals was 19.1  last night when the ambulance checked her, and 18  today when the Fast responder checked her, but we are not sure what her normal range might be.

 

OC.

[nikbud]

I would test first thing in the morning over a week or two, that should give you a good idea of her "rest" state. As long as she doesn't indulge in late-night snacks 🍰….

It took me a couple of months but I eventually worked out that milk was shooting my blood sugar up, won't touch the stuff now. I did have a mouthful in the summer and swore at my admiral - it tasted like she had put 3 spoonfuls of sugar in it!

Don't quote me on this, i'm no expert, but I think that high levels cause problems over time rather than instantly - I think the dizziness/unbalance might be more to do with blood sugar shooting up and/or crashing. but like I said I could be wrong on this.

From what my nurse said I think the aim is to get a result of around 7 for a diabetic. Again don't take that as gospel. I am allowed to work with levels between 5 and 15 so 18 doesn't sound too bad.

The other problem of course is that stress and worry can play havoc with the blood sugar levels. the more I worry about having a (for me) high result the harder it is to get the level down.

[Old Collingwood]

3 minutes ago, nikbud said:

I would test first thing in the morning over a week or two, that should give you a good idea of her "rest" state. As long as she doesn't indulge in late-night snacks 🍰….

It took me a couple of months but I eventually worked out that milk was shooting my blood sugar up, won't touch the stuff now. I did have a mouthful in the summer and swore at my admiral - it tasted like she had put 3 spoonfuls of sugar in it!

Don't quote me on this, i'm no expert, but I think that high levels cause problems over time rather than instantly - I think the dizziness/unbalance might be more to do with blood sugar shooting up and/or crashing. but like I said I could be wrong on this.

From what my nurse said I think the aim is to get a result of around 7 for a diabetic. Again don't take that as gospel. I am allowed to work with levels between 5 and 15 so 18 doesn't sound too bad.

The other problem of course is that stress and worry can play havoc with the blood sugar levels. the more I worry about having a (for me) high result the harder it is to get the level down.

Thanks for all that - much appreciated  - when I get to the docs tomorrow and get a replacement meter and strips,  I will tell the admiral to check herself in the mornings (if she gets this one to work as it should and not eat through a million strips)

 

OC.

[Jack12477]

My Admiral takes her blood sugar reading before she eats anything in the morning ("Fasting" or "rest" as NIKBUD phrased it) , then again 2 hours after breakfast,  then again 2 hours after lunch,  2 hours after dinner and keeps a daily log (her meter will keep a log also).  Your wife should not eat after 8 PM in the evening, unless her blood sugar drops dramatically.  What NIKBUD said above is what we were told also, except his numbers must be metric because I can't relate to his readings. Here (US) the numbers are mg/dL and range from about 80 mg/dL to less than 200 mg/dL, over 200 mg/dL is too high and under 60 mg/dL is very low blood sugar. 

 

In the US, the American Diabetes Association standard is a hemoglobin A1C of 6.5 to 7.0 is diabetic under control, i.e., well managed, 6.0 to 6.4 is pre-diabetic, below 6.0 is non-diabetic.  Over 7.0 not good.  Food portion and balance is key also; picture a dinner plate, divide in half, then divide the one side again in half - one quarter is protein, one quarter is carbohydrate and the half is leafy green vegetables.  The protein and carbohydrate portion should be about the size of a woman's palm.  That's the US ADA recommendation, don't know what EU and UK recommend.  Also as we age our A1C increases with age. (Just had this conversation with my Admiral's doctor today).

 

49 minutes ago, nikbud said:

I think the dizziness/unbalance might be more to do with blood sugar shooting up and/or crashing. but like I said I could be wrong on this.

In my Admiral's case, this is caused by too low a blood sugar, i.e. less than 60 mg/dL.   Keep some orange juice on hand, test her blood sugar when she gets a dizzy spell and give her a small glass of it if her blood sugar drops too low - wait 15 minutes and re-take her blood sugar reading.

 

Hope your wife's health improves. Managing diabetes is not easy. 

Edited December 14, 2018 by Jack12477

[Old Collingwood]

4 minutes ago, Jack12477 said:

My Admiral takes her blood sugar reading before she eats anything in the morning ("Fasting" or "rest" as NIKBUD phrased it) , then again 2 hours after breakfast,  then again 2 hours after lunch,  2 hours after dinner and keeps a daily log (her meter will keep a log also).  Your wife should not eat after 8 PM in the evening, unless her blood sugar drops dramatically.  What NIKBUD said above is what we were told also, except his numbers must be metric because I can't relate to his readings. Here (US) the numbers are mg/dL and range from about 80 mg/dL to less than 200 mg/dL, over 200 mg/dL is too high and under 60 mg/dL is very low blood sugar. 

 

In the US, the American Diabetes Association standard is a hemoglobin A1C of 6.5 to 7.0 is diabetic under control, i.e., well managed, 6.0 to 6.4 is pre-diabetic, below 6.0 is non-diabetic.  Over 7.0 not good.  Food portion and balance is key also; picture a dinner plate, divide in half, then divide the one side again in half - one quarter is protein, one quarter is carbohydrate and the half is leafy green vegetables.  The protein and carbohydrate portion should be about the size of a woman's palm.  That's the US ADA recommendation, don't know what EU and UK recommend.  Also as we age our A1C increases with age. (Just had this conversation with my Admiral's doctor today).

 

In my Admiral's case, this is caused by too low a blood sugar, i.e. less than 60 mg/dL. 

 

Hope your wife's health improves. Managing diabetes is not easy. 

Thanks jack,   the wife is also on a good mix of other important drugs she has to take all her life,  the diabetes was the last condition to be detected - just last year,  she has also been told the side affects of some of her drugs could leed to insuline  issues, our diet is quite good  very little sugar quite a lot of chicken and just a  treat once a week when I cook a chicken curry.

The problem the admiral has is a constant dry mouth (again due to her medication) so she is constantly looking for things to cure her dry mouth, she tries water but she cant stomach it (she hates it)  so she started resorting to zero sugar fizzy drinks like cola,  we have been weining her off these and resorting to to normal tea no sugar with skimmed milk.

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

not sure what happens when the sugar is too high,  but if it's too low,  it can cause those symptoms.  we had a guy at work that was diabetic,  and a few times,  we had to pull him out from under the trailer,  because he was hitting bottom.........get him into the break room and eat a candy bar.   then his doctor changed his meds and he got all messed up........very easy to screw up the balance.  you just have to find it and stick with it.  

 true about bacon........fat is converted to carbs,  but it's the wrong kind

[Jack12477]

Yes, medications can interfere with insulin production and use by the body.   My wife drinks a lactose free fat free filtered milk which has only 6 g of sugar compared to 12 g with regular milk.  Don't know if you have anything equivalent over there.  Talk to your pharmacist about the dry mouth condition, there is a non-prescription (over-the-counter in our lingo) medication for that called Biotene (here in US) comes in a spray or drops format. Make sure there are no interactions with her other medication tho.  I brew green tea with no sugar, no lemon, no milk, etc. and drink that instead of sodas (colas).

 

Oh and I had to look it up but I think NIKBUD is referring to  millimoles per liter (mmol/L) - so 7.0 mmol/L is the same as 126 mg/dL (milligrams per decaliter) which is used here.  Normal fasting blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dL or 5.6 mmol/L.

Edited December 14, 2018 by Jack12477

[Old Collingwood]

14 minutes ago, Jack12477 said:

Yes, medications can interfere with insulin production and use by the body.   My wife drinks a lactose free fat free filtered milk which has on 6 g of sugar compared to 12 g with regular milk.  Don't know if you have anything equivalent over there.  Talk to your pharmacist about the dry mouth condition, there is a non-prescription (over-the-counter in our lingo) medication for that called Biotene (here in US) comes in a spray or drops format. Make sure there are no interactions with her other medication tho.  I brew green tea with no sugar, no lemon, no milk, etc. and drink that instead of sodas (colas).

 

Oh and I had to look it up but I think NIKBUD is referring to  millimoles per liter (mmol/L) - so 7.0 mmol/L is the same as 126 mg/dL (milligrams per decaliter) which is used here.  Normal fasting blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dL or 5.6 mmol/L.

Thanks jack,   yep diabetes can certainly be a minefield,   my late farther died some years ago as a dirrect result of it,   basicaly it destroyed all his organs.

 

OC.

[Piet]

Hello OC,

 

Just caught up with your log. So sorry hearing about your wife's diabetic problems.  I sure hope you and the medical folks can bring it under control.

Stay strong my friend and tell your wife that I and all of us are on her side.

 

Sincerely yours,

[Old Collingwood]

18 minutes ago, Piet said:

Hello OC,

 

Just caught up with your log. So sorry hearing about your wife's diabetic problems.  I sure hope you and the medical folks can bring it under control.

Stay strong my friend and tell your wife that I and all of us are on her side.

 

Sincerely yours,

Piet  - that means so much to me Thank You,   all my friends in here  are so  invaluable and feel like an extended family, I have Never felt so cared for.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Just a small update on the admiral  - I got to the surgey today and picked up a new diabetes meter, at the same time I spoke to the GP there  he also confirmed that it looked like the admiral was suffering from Vertigo ontop of everything else,  and this probably had also affected her diabetes levels aswel, so he gave me some drugs to treat that also.

It doesn't rian it poors.

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

sorry to hear....hope things get better for the misses