Hi friends,

I'm sending this newsletter out to let you all know I am still here, still writing and still dealing with "life altering events". I am trying to get back to normal in spite of set-backs. Hopefully there will be a new article or two very soon.

This week was far from what I used to call normal. Along with the melting snow (yes, it IS melting although it is far from gone) and constantly changing weather ... I had to make another call to 911. Two calls in a six month period are just beyond the pale.

You may be aware that my husband suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) along with a multitude of broken bones and other injuries late last fall. Well, we discovered today that a low blood sugar episode is a lot scarier when you are recovering from a TBI. I returned from a visit to find him disoriented, unaware of where he was or who I was and talking gibberish that reminded me way too much of week three of his eight week hospital stay.

Needless to say, I panicked. My first thought was that he'd had a relapse related to his brain injury - perhaps a fall? I checked him head to toe as I tried talking to him, reasoning with him, reassuring him. I'm embarrassed to say it took me a while before it occurred to me to call 911.

Thank God for Alaska's active and well trained volunteer EMTs. They responded to my call within 10-15 minutes in spite of our rural address. By the time they pulled up in front of the house, I had realized that this could at least possibly be blood-sugar related since he is diabetic (although surely unlike any reaction he'd ever had before), so I checked his blood sugar and found it was very low (30). I got some sugar/carbs down him after a struggle (he wasn't cooperating and is a strong man). He was coherent and finally starting to come around when the EMTs arrived, saving us another ambulance ride. They hung around until we were sure his blood sugar was up to normal and his mind was functioning OK. Wow, what a scare.

I love Alaska. I love our home here and the spectacular mountain scenery that surrounds this beautiful valley ... but some days I think maybe we live too far from town.

Please visit alaska.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Alaska.

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Alaska located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=433

I am trying to get our Alaska forum up and running more actively after too long an absence on my part. I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback - and these days I can use all the thriving I can find!

Feel free to pass this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge and there is plenty of it to be found at BellaOnline!


Deb Frost, Alaska Editor
http://alaska.bellaonline.com

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