Lending Excitement To Those Around Me
After my stroll on Sunday, I donated blood. For the first time in my life, I felt just a little light-headed after the donation. I spent a few minutes in the canteen and had some sugary fluids (2 aseptic boxes of green tea). Then, I headed home and down to my sister's house for lunch.
When I got there, the kids were playing with a toy that has a ring that goes around the ankle, a roughly two foot cord, and a rolling weight. It's a skipping or hopping toy. You start the weight, then lift your foot over it. So, you are almost dancing, or perhaps for those of us who are a runner, like a high-knees drill.
I did that for perhaps 30 seconds or a minute, then stopped, a bit out of breath. I walked into the kitchen and sat down. I told then that I felt like I was going to black-out. The next thing I knew, my wife was shouting and had ice on me. My brother-in-law was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, and my sister was rushing around trying to get one thing or another to help me.
Once I came to, I felt a tiny bit woozy, and in a few moments, two cops arrived and administered oxygen. Moments later, some EMTs arrived. They took my vitals and questioned me. Then, a few moments later, paramedics arrived. By this time, my blood pressure was essentially normal, my oxygen saturation was 98%, and my pulse was normal. I declined to be transported to the hospital.
I'm not sure if the problem was hypoxia (low oxygen level), dehydration, or overheating. (The air conditioning had been off.) I guess I learned my lesson - ignore the post donation warnings from the phlebotomist at your own risk.
BTW - another stroll this AM - 7 laps of the 0.8 mile park in 1:12.
When I got there, the kids were playing with a toy that has a ring that goes around the ankle, a roughly two foot cord, and a rolling weight. It's a skipping or hopping toy. You start the weight, then lift your foot over it. So, you are almost dancing, or perhaps for those of us who are a runner, like a high-knees drill.
I did that for perhaps 30 seconds or a minute, then stopped, a bit out of breath. I walked into the kitchen and sat down. I told then that I felt like I was going to black-out. The next thing I knew, my wife was shouting and had ice on me. My brother-in-law was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, and my sister was rushing around trying to get one thing or another to help me.
Once I came to, I felt a tiny bit woozy, and in a few moments, two cops arrived and administered oxygen. Moments later, some EMTs arrived. They took my vitals and questioned me. Then, a few moments later, paramedics arrived. By this time, my blood pressure was essentially normal, my oxygen saturation was 98%, and my pulse was normal. I declined to be transported to the hospital.
I'm not sure if the problem was hypoxia (low oxygen level), dehydration, or overheating. (The air conditioning had been off.) I guess I learned my lesson - ignore the post donation warnings from the phlebotomist at your own risk.
BTW - another stroll this AM - 7 laps of the 0.8 mile park in 1:12.
Labels: life
posted by Scooter at 12:54 PM
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