Well my trip to Seattle was great going out; I picked up my Grandson and their dog fresh in from Okinawa and headed back; got it a couple of hundred miles before stopping for the night yesterday.  Then today at lunch time on the road it was time to change out my insulin supply and set. While I was doing that in the Loves parking lot I had a bad insulin crash; unconscious, fell and hit my head, messed up my back and tailbone, seizures.  First people who came over thought I was drunk and wanted to take the dog and grandson.  He's 12 and managed to tell them it was an insulin reaction and get someone to call 911. (And some folks gave them what for because they didn't help my medical emergency!)  Off to the ER for 6 hours, four staples in my head, no concussion this time, all other tests negative.  Meanwhile the policeman put my Insulin in the HOT cab of the truck instead of the ice chest.  I hope it's still good as it was my back-up bottle!

So I'm in Ontario Oregon at an expensive hotel waiting for my Daughter and a friend to drive out and pick up the Dog and Grandson and have my friend drive me home.  My great idea to save money has seriously gone into a hole big time!   And I feel battered from the seizures, head impact, my back locks up so I can breathe and I will have to be sitting on a pillow all the way home.  Probably not able to work in the shop till after it gets electric and my back calms down---after I get home.  First Vacation in almost 2 years, WHEEEE!

 

Hope you get better quickly

Thomas 

Well the costs may put a kibosh on my Quad-State trip this year---if my wife doesn't put on her spiked shoes and jump up and down on me if I suggest driving out on my own...

Glad the grandson knew what was going on.  Take care and consider listening to your wife. (grin)

Married 37 years as of Aug 5th, she tells me she's not ready to trade me in yet!

  Neither are we!  OUCH is right.  Take care and get well.... 

VERY OUCH!!!

Glad you're okay, but sorry you had to go through this. Kudos to your grandson!

I glad your okay Thomas,

what concerns me is the random people in the parking lot thinking it was okay to take off with the kid and dog.? Even if you had been drunk or any other reason that’s kinda creepy, and illegal? 

im very glad to hear the boy has a head on his shoulders and was able to take control of the situation. 

That all sounds rough Thomas. Glad it didn't turn out worse from the sounds of the situation. Hope you heal up soon. 

One concern I have is how will you know if that insulin is still good to use? Experimenting with your life doesn't sound like a good idea. 

Tailbone injuries Hurt. I've been there.

Well not having the pump on for 6 hours; I was running high. So I connected it up with a new charge of insulin and checked it every hour; ran high into the night but when I got up around 2 am it was spot on!  So it looks like it's at least usable till I get home!

Rough trying to sleep when any movement causes back/tail pain.  I'm learning to breathe deeply before moving so when my back locks up and I can't breathe I have enough air on hand till I can breathe again.

What road trip would be complete without some kind of excitement or adventure? Sorry things took such a turn for you. Hope your getting some quality time with grandson.

Congrats on the anniversary.

Prayers for a speedy recovery and hoping all is well. 

Little ouch OK, Big ouch not so much. Happy your grandson took control and got you help. Many times I would get a call about someone being drunk and upon arrival the sweet odor of an insulin crash clued me in as to what was going on. I always carried some sweet's to help, if the person was able to suck on them, until the EMS folks could get there.

I don't want to hear about a crusty old Blacksmith not being able to get back on their feet. So I'm ringing the anvil in the garden to send healing light your way.

"Ouch " is right. Glad you're the one to relate the story to us. Get better quick, willya?

Steve

Good GRIEF Thomas! I take a day or two away from the computer and you have ANOTHER BG adventure. Sounds like your insulin is good enough to get you home. It can take a few hours or a day for BG stabilize after a severe imbalance. 

I've had a wrenched back, locked up after a blinding pain at the slightest wrong move. Got my tailbone once too. I haven't had staples in my head though, stitches a couple times but no staples. Going to let your Grandson pull them? Maybe forge something for him from all the ones you've had pulled out of you.

I'm thinking we need to take up an Iforge collection and buy you a set of full face helmets: One for every day, one for the shop, one for Pennsic, a formal helmet and one for bed, just in case.

Tell your Grandson Frosty gives him a HUGE attaboy!

Frosty The Lucky.

Helmets won't prevent concussions but they will sure stop needing staples.

Frosty,  the helmet thing might help, 

but seeing as how some of us are always broke from buying tools and materials…

maybe the collection should take up a collection of home forged helmets instead and just cut out buying the commercial stuff?    
 

Glad you are doing ok. 

 

15 hours ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said:

Helmets won't prevent concussions

Nothing is perfect but the padding and or webbing in a proper helmet prolongs impact mitigating damage. A fall from 6' at less than 10m/sec sq. isn't going to impart the kind of energy hitting the road off a bicycle can. A decent helmet will provide 100% concussion protection from banging your head during convulsions. 

So, admittedly a helmet is not 100% protection but we're not talking getting body slammed by a couple linemen.

Wear your Helmet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD-f45TbvEw

Frosty The Lucky.

They make riding helmets shaped like cowboy hats these days. A cursory look online turned this one up, which is the closest I could find to the famous red felt:

That’s the coolest thing I’ve seen all day! Lol

I'm home and see the Dr tomorrow afternoon. The ER did a lot of tests on head, chest, etc but didn't cover the back and as it's the back giving me trouble.

A problem with wearing a helmet in the truck is spine compression when you go over a big bump; back when I was a mudlogger I left a dent in(out)  my vehicle roof when I hit a big problem with a rig road...

I just hope my Eldest Grandson will be willing to do more trips with me in the near future; the last one was a bit rough for a 12 year old!

I bet if you teach him to drive, he would be all over it. I learned at that age in a '53 Plymouth Fluid drive, had a clutch but didn't need it.

Well it sounds like that 12 year old has more smarts than most adults I come across, I’m glad you had him with you!

But I understand that trip and all the excitement would probably be a mental overload for a kid

Right after flying to Seattle from Okinawa too.