June 9, 2015 
π΄Β Day NavigatorΒ π΄
1Β –Β 2Β –Β 3Β –Β 4Β –Β 5Β –Β 6Β –Β 7Β –Β 8Β –Β 9Β –Β 10Β –Β 11Β –Β 12Β –Β 13Β –Β 14Β –Β 15Β –Β 16Β –Β 17Β –Β 18Β –Β 19
After enjoying a lovely coffee, we decided to explore the ship to try and familiurise ourselves a little more, and find things to do. Bingo, getting drunk and burned on sun loungers were not something Sarah & i found entertaining.Β
The hair salon…
We found a hair salon and booked Sarah to get her hair done, and see if they had some ideas to cover her closed eye. I thought βBeing pampered and relaxed is just what Sarah needs after a traumatic day yesterday! π I managed to find my way back to the coffee port on my own to wait for Sarah, which should be at least an hour depending what she chooses to have done. It sounds feeble, but finding the coffee port, and the door handle, and even a spare seat without anyone sitting on it, is a massive achievement for me! πΒ
Sarah returned looking beautiful, but i noticed she was having another hypo, standing up i said βQuick, lets try and get back to the cabin as we know that Lucozade or hypo stop works for youβ. βOkβ Sarah said whilst struggling to stay on her feet. We were only 1 deck above our cabin, but after only a short walk Sarah really started to drop. I thought “There is no way iβm trying to navigate the stairs, and i canβt see to use the lifts”. Luckily we were at the entrance to a bar/lounge. We were greeted by a nice Filipino waitress. I said “My wife needs the sweetest drink you have as sheβs diabetic and having a hypoβ. She was confused, but showed us to some seats(as Sarahβs legs were really starting to give way) and disappeared. I prayed that she understood and would bring something before Sarah lost consciousness.Β
The waitress returned (having told the bar man our situation) with a bright coloured drink. She said it was the sweetest cocktail they did with a lot of syrup in. I thought βa little unorthodox, but we have no choice, Sarah needs sugar nowβ.Β
Having been a gamer my whole life and played some nerve racking, suspense filled and tense computer games over the years, nothing compares to this real life game of trying to encourage Sarah to drink something she doesnβt want, to absorb sugar into her body before passing out!Β
Within the next half hour, Sarah was back with us again (phew), but feeling sick from the hypo, We needed to get back to the cabin as we didnβt know if her blood would start to shoot up again, as we didnβt have any idea what was in the drink, which is why we try to always use the lucozade etc. as we know the effects. Sarah also now had the bone chill that only comes from a hypo.
Back in the cabin…
Yay, we found the cabin! π Iβm starting to remember how many doors to count from both sides depending which set of stairs we go down. Once Sarah had checked her blood sugar again and realised it was starting to rocket, it was back in the fridge for the crossbow boltsβ¦i mean syringes. Even with our video magnifier it was really hard to make out the measurements on the needle, but after another big bruised, and big holed injection, it was time for Sarahβs hot bath to try and get rid of that freezing cold bone chill!
A while later Sarah said βDiabetes has already ruined one evening, night and most of today. Iβm not going to let it ruin the rest of my holiday. Lets get dressed up and search for some nice live musicβ βFantastic idea, we both need cheering upβ.
Sunset…
Instead of walking down endless boring corridors, we walked outside to stroll along the deck down to the rear of the ship and look out over the huge ocean. This evening we were gifted with a beautiful sunset.
As we were out on deck 9, we walked all the way to the rear (non technical name) and entered the ‘Lido restaurant’. We were both a little hungry and as this is the buffet place, itβs fantastic for Sarah as she can have vegetables or salad etc without having any of the carbs, or sugar rich sauces which raise her blood sugar. π
We became a little disheartened after hearing a couple of the live bands playing some popular rubbish on deck 8, but we walked on past the reception and hair salon and walked into a dark elegant room. Sarah said βOh greatβ¦itβs the casino :(β. I said βIt looks like the Ultralux from Fallout New Vegas (PS3 game)β Sarah replied βIt feels like fallout to me, a shiny, depraved wasteland – just what Iβve come to expect of the entertainment on this boat π¦ lolβ. But then a classical piano started playing, just audible over the noise of the casino. βWhereβs that lovely piano coming from?β I said knowing that Sarah would love it. βThrough there, but iβm not sure what it is as itβs too darkβ βLetβs go find out anywayβ. i said as i took her arm.Β
The Delo piano lounge and cocktail bar…
We stood taking in the gentle atmosphere and fantastic piano playing and both said together βThis is more like it π β We found Sarah a seat at the bar right next to the piano, Sarah loves watching pianists as they play with professional ease and elegance. It brings back lots of her childhood memories of the classical piano lessons she enjoyed! πΒ
β§ Keith the pianist β§Β
After about an hour, we were so happy that we’d found another fave place, especially after the last 24 hours, we headed back to the cabin. Sarah did another blood test βSteve, my bloodβs still going up!β I said βThatβs impossible, youβve not had any sugar or carbs, and youβve already had insulin before we leftβ βI know, and now iβve got to take some more to try and bring it downβ βOk, take a little more and weβll keep an eye on itβ.Β
Β Sarah sat on the sofa with the magnifier reading the excursion options for the Azores. I opened Spotify on my iPhone and started playing my “β Acoustic Worshipβ playlist knowing itβs Sarahβs fave. I thought βTime for us to relax and reflect for a while on a lovely end to a hectic dayβ.Β
CODE ALPHA…
Sarahβs next words were βI think my bloodβs droppingβ βOh no, I thought, your voice is slurry again, your blood canβt be that low already. Can you manage a test?β Sarahβs test confirmed a huge drop in a short time. I jumped into survival mode and grabbed the lucozade and hypo stop. Sarah was fading fast βNo, no ,no, not the big oneβ i said wondering if this would result in a diabetic coma. I didnβt have to wait long before Sarah lost consciousness!!
I now switched from survival mode, to what will Sarah need if she goes to hospital mode.Β
Sarah was sat upright on the sofa, and as i balanced to hold her head upright (there were no pillows in reach) i grabbed the cabin phone and dialled 999! A man answered and asked βHow can we help?” I said βMy wife is diabetic and she’s having a hypoglycaemic episode and is unconscious but still breathingβ He said βSheβs unconscious now? Whatβs your cabin number iβm on my way!”
He arrived in about 60 seconds. I told him what had happened as he was frantically inserting needles etc. He then called the bridge to tell the captain and his team, and a few seconds later i heard βCODE ALPHA, CODE ALPHA cabin 7062β. I thought βThatβs blasting out of the tannoy system that goes around the whole ship, and within minutes our cabin was full of people, and a wheelchair. After a few minutes Sarah slowly started to respond, but only groans. The female doctor was now in the room and after checking everything, she said theyβd take Sarah to the hospital to try and stabilise her.
The hospital…
After grabbing Sarahβs bag and a few things i thought might help, i was kindly guided down behind Sarah to the hospital waiting room. Sarah was in a private room next door.
A woman sat me down and read through a couple of papers that made sure we had health insurance etc, she then said to my surprise βYou really seem to love and care for Sarahβ I said βI really donβt deserve her, she is amazing. I lay down my life for herβ¦and give her my all. Iβm so blessed to share my life with my best friend, sheβs beautiful inside and out. Isnβt that what love is?β It seemed like sheβd never heard a response like that, and just said βWow, thatβs lovelyβ and went quiet for what seemed like minutes!Β
I was then able to see my lovely wife. Sarah was still not conscious yet but was in what seemed like a peaceful sleep. I sat down and the doctors and nurses were coming in and out, checking drips, machines and Sarahs breathing etc.Β
Sarah then moved and slowly started to come round, she said βOh noβ her usual response after realising where she is, i said βItβs ok my love, we are just making some nice new friends, just relax and enjoy being pamperedβ. After another hour of checks from nurses and the doctor, suddenly the nurse panicked and said something to the doctor. All 3 of them surrounded Sarahβs bed frantically adjusting and checking, The doctor kept shaking Sarah and shouting her name but got no response. I thought βIt canβt be another hypo as sheβs being monitored closely, so what is this?β Soon after i was told by the concerned doctor to wait in the waiting room next door.Β
The waiting room…
Now i was worriedβ¦. i sat here alone in a hospital thatβs swaying side to side in the middle of the atlantic ocean. My thoughts started to get the better of me..
βWhat if this is it, and i donβt get to speak to Sarah again”
βWhat if i never hear her amazing laugh, or feel the warmth of her hug again”
βWhat if iβm now on my own struggling to face the rest of life (never mind the holiday) without my lovely wife”
ENOUGH!! i thought and desperately gave it to God in prayer.
βOh Lord please help, if this is Sarahβs passing to paradise, then i want to say iβm not happy about it, and iβd like to spend more time with her on earth BUT thank you so much for blessing me with such a priceless gift, i canβt express how much i love her and iβve tried to be the husband you commanded me to be. Sarah has shown me such love, happiness, forgiveness, acceptance and a life i simply didnβt know was possible BUT if itβs not her time, please comfort her and bring her back to me, Amenβ.
A short while later the nurse said i could come back and sit with Sarah again. Sarah was awake and fighting with the oxygen mask. She said βWhereβve you been? I told them that my diabetes was unstable which is why i have the pump but they didnβt believe me, they never do, and now theyβve given me a second hypo after pumping me full of insulin againβ. I said while kissing her forehead βOh my lovely, iβm glad to have you backβ. πΒ
Weβd been in the hospital for about 2 hours, it was just coming to 3am. Sarah kept asking if i was alright and did i need anything. βI bet youβre hungry and need a coffeeβ βItβs ok, iβm enjoying being here with you, please get some sleep as youβve had a rough couple of days, iβll be right hereβ.Β
It was 6:30am when Sarah was allowed to leave. She was given more supplies to last for the rest of the holiday. Then the doctor explained about how fast acting insulin is absorbed into the body with the syringes, and how it differs and works a lot slower than the insulin pump. She said βOnce youβve had the injection, the insulin will not start to work for 1Β½ hours and it will be completely out of your system in 3 hours. And as you donβt have the pump giving you little bits all of the time, your blood sugar will rise on itβs own, so you need to give bigger (and overlapping) doses to compensate.
Sarah had never been instructed on any of this over the years because everything had ben controlled by the pump and i certainly didnβt know anything about insulin absorption, as with the pump it pretty much works straight away. We also wondered why she hadnβt explained this to us yesterday, which wouldβve helped.
We now headed back to the cabin to try and set up another plan of action, we knew this was going to be a difficult task, never mind adding things like food etc. lol π Β
Wow, what a night! Thatβs 2 nights without sleep already, and itβs time to set up the alarms for every 2 hours on my phone. Sleep is not going to come easy from now onβ¦is the coffee port open yet? Might as well have a nice coffee if iβm awake! π
Only 3 more days at sea (iβll merge into one post) until we reach Horta, Azores, where we can hopefully do some more excursions! πΒ
Β β Previous Day ~ Next Day β
π΄Β Day NavigatorΒ π΄
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iChristian 
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