Thursday September 25...8:00pm

It has been a long day. It started with a melt down in the kitchen over how many carbs are in cream of wheat...it should have been simple but it became very complicated. The recipe called for 2 tablespoons of cream of wheat in 1 cup of milk...and then when I read the side of the box to see how many carbs were in one serving, it used a 1/4 of a cup - 1/4 cup of what??? Cooked cream of wheat? Raw cream of wheat? Nothing made sense. So I looked in the carb book, which has been very helpful, and it used 6.5 ounces...how was I supposed to know how many ounces??? I don't have a food scale so there I was stuck - brain freeze, all over Cream of wheat. Why couldn't he just have oatmeal like yesterday? By then I was late getting into the shower and late for my coffee date with 2 friends. When I arrived at Starbucks, there sat the mother I had met in the ICU waiting room. Her son has pancreatitis - he went into the hospital 5 days before Robert. I ignored my friends and chatted with her for 30 minutes. She was so glad to run into me because she had no way of knowing where we were once we left ICU. We had a great time encouraging each other and comparing notes. Unfortunately it sounds like her son has a hard road ahead, probably including surgery. He is a drinker, so that definitely complicates things. We can pray that this will bring life changes in him, especially in his priorities...pray for him to be ready for his "departure date" through reconciliation with his Creator. That is the only thing that makes suffering and pain worthwhile...when it changes us and brings us into a relationship with God, whether for the first time or into a deeper knowing. That was a divine appointment today. I need to learn to trust even melt-downs over cream of wheat to be used in God's arrangements. Had I arrived on time, I would have been sitting across the room and may not have seen her at all.
I tried to work this afternoon. Jerry was there and he refused to let me work on the computer...I think he sensed I am not thinking real clear yet! So I went through some files and tried to get re-oriented. That lasted until Robert called to tell me his upper lip was turning numb. After that I couldn't concentrate so I came home. Thanks Jerry for sticking around and not leaving me with the bulletin to print! After a few hours Robert's lip got better. Not sure what it was about; we will ask the Dr. tomorrow. He sees his primary care physician tomorrow. Pray that he is able to absorb all the different angles to Robert's case and manage it well. Robert's itching is worse again tonight after being better the last 24 hours. We sure would like to know what is causing the itching...it must be a reaction to something, but why would it get better for awhile and then flare up again?
My observation for today: even when you eat foods very low in carbs, they somehow add up very quickly.
The good news of the day: Robert's blood sugars were below 150 every time he tested.
Thanks, Aunt Leola, for sticking with me. I will keep writing if I know at least one person is reading!

~Jeanette