So many of the doomer prep blogs I read advocate for being prepared, much like the boyscout motto. Be prepared for anything and everything. One thing that is important to consider is yourself. Who knows you better than yourself? Who knows what you'll be likely to come across more than yourself?
I, yet again, forgot this wisdom.
I have had problems with both low blood sugar and low blood pressure. I don't eat well, and I'm often not fully hydrated. As a result of all of the above plus 90 degree weather, I nearly passed out on the subway yesterday. And by "nearly passed out" I mean I nearly blacked out standing, was given a seat, and continued to nearly pass out while sitting. When I had to get off, I barely made it four feet out of the train before having to collapse against a sign. A very nice young lady stayed with me, I called Mister, and the train officials went and got me juice and a donut and made sure I left the building properly.
Now! What of this was avoidable? All of it I'm sure. Yes, I'm not feeling well, and haven't for a couple of days. But I should have taken that into account, as well as the weather, and taken care of myself by bringing food and drink with me (I actually did have a bottle of water, but forgot to refill it before I left my appointment).
This particular episode was not the worst one that I've had (that involved passing out twice within 20 mins of my first day at work :-P), but it was the second worst probably. I haven't had the heat effect me this poorly in years, but it is still an issue. And I always have problems eating and drinking enough calories to keep me alive. (A couple years ago, I had these terrible stomach cramps all the time -- turns out I was eating an average of 1000 calories a day!)
Now, Mister proceeded to give me hell about trying to push myself too far (he thinks that I should have gotten off an earlier stop and had help reach me sooner, rather than go the one or two stops further to meet him), and recommends that I discuss with my doctor whether or not this is an issue or ways to prevent this. I feel it's entirely preventable, and that it's not an issue.
Thoughts?
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ReplyDeleteAwww, T! *hugs*
ReplyDeleteAs someone who also passes out in the heat (but not because of low BP, a few months back my BP was in fact 180/137 -- my doc was amazed I didn't collapse), this is not an 'issue' by itself. But sweetheart, it helps to have a whole battery of tests -- ECG, BP, blood sugar, blood cholesterol et al -- if you can afford it. One never knows what might be going on, right?
HOWEVER, although I'm a directory of diseases myself, I can still take care of the passing out issue by always carrying about half a litre of water on me, and when summer first sets it (I mean, when the temp. first soars past the 35C mark), I try to remember to either carry a smaller bottle of home-made well-sugared lemonade or fruit juice. Or I buy a chocolate from the many tiny cigarettes-and-sweets shop that dot our pavements.
So I think it's time to invest in a nice big bag, girl! With bottle holders and special cubbies for chocolate or diced fruit or doughnuts. Go get one today!
Yeah, I keep not getting around to taking care of myself. When I was on the train, I kept going "when I get off I'm gonna buy like six donuts!" So I gotta get my prep put together statim!
ReplyDeleteI think that part of the difficulty here is likely that the worse you feel, the less able you are to think coherently. Or, perhaps, to summon enough energy to take the action you might decide you should take. Knowing this, however, is a formidable weapon! Plan AHEAD - EXPECT to feel crappy in this weather, and have a couple of stainless water bottles in your bag; have some goldfish crackers or whatever pre-stashed with your gear. This is seriously a time for the ounce of prevention, girlfriend.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry! I've only ever felt like that during pregnancy, and the only thing that helped was lying down with my feet up (which I had to do in public places on a couple of occasions). Gardening should help you focus on good nutrition - how's your garden coming along?
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