Gary came home from work and started working outside in 96 degree heat around 4:00 in the afternoon trying to get the lawn mower ready for mowing. When I arrived home at a little after 5:00 he was outside, with no hat on, still working on the mower. I immediately asked him if he was drinking plenty of water and he said he had a cold drink in the refrigerator. I told him that wouldn't do him any good in there and I brought it out to him and told him he needed to drink it and come in for more. He said he had already drank a lot of fluids but when your body isn't use to the extreme heat it can dehydrate very quickly. I fixed supper and called him in around 6:00. He ate and was only in the house about 30 - 40 minutes and returned to finish his yard work. I got busy in the kitchen fixing a Zucchini Casserole to eat at a later time and then started working on making Salsa. Before I knew it, the time was after 8:30 and getting dark outside. Gary had only been in once to go to the restroom in that time frame. I went out to check on him and noticed he wasn't in the front yard so I went around the side of the house and still didn't see him. I called but he didn't answer. Finally I found him near the garden working on his blackberry plants and he had also been weeding the yard. He had failed to get his riding mower to work but he also had been weed-eating the yard and trimming with his push mower. He thought the riding mower had shorted out since he hosed off the blade after sharpening it so he didn't get the yard mowed - only trimmed. I didn't ask him if he was still drinking fluids but assumed that he still was. He came in a little after dark and took a shower. When he sat down in the living room later to rest, he looked troubled and knowing him after living together for over 39 years I said, "Honey is something troubling you?" he said that he was just tired. So I suggested that we go to bed as it was pushing 10:00 PM. I turned off the TV and we headed for bed. He immediately fell asleep and had taken a full glass of lemonade that I had made for supper to the bedstand by the side of the bed but he had not drank any of it. I had made it from scratch and had added some sugar but not a huge amount. He had already had about 3 large glasses of it and everything seemed fine. I remember dozing off and was in a deep sleep when all at once, he woke me up SCREAMING out in pain. He kept yelling that his leg was hurting and he grabbed it and screamed more. He kept jerking each time he had a muscle cramp and he hollered all the louder. I was terrified and kept asking him over and over what I could do. He wouldn't anwer but kept screaming out in pain. Finally he said he didn't know why his leg would be hurting so bad and then just like a light bulb went on in my head, I remembered an incident that happened similar to this a few years ago with our neighbor, Aaron. His wife Cindy, had called me in the night telling me that Aaron was experiencing the same symptoms. He was rushed to the hospital with extreme dehydration and they had to give him several IV units as he had heat exhaustion. It was very hot during that time of the year also and he had been outside for a long period of time. After remembering this, I called Cindy who was still up and she ran over and while I was on the phone with 911, she rubbed the muscles in Gary's leg and could feel it tighten up several times. Finally after several minutes, he started getting some relief. I have never seen Gary in so much pain and it scared me beyond words. I was still quite shaken after Cindy arrived and finally caught my breath. They did dispatch an ambulance as they were concerned that it might be something else like a blood clot and they kept asking me if he had heart problems and if he was alert and could talk. Also the fact that he is 59 years old, it could be something else. When they arrived, which was in just a short time, they took his vitals and besides the lower number being a little high, they were relieved to know he had experienced pain in both of his legs.....thus probably NOT a blood clot. They said his electrolites were low and also his potassium level was probably low as well and suggested we get him some Gatorade. Cindy ran to the store and came back with 2 bottles. THANK GOD FOR CINDY....she was a blessing to us last night. After drinking the Gatorade, he seemed to be better with the exception of his legs aching. He slept the rest of the night and went to work this morning.......WITHOUT THE GATORADE I might add. I have already called him on the phone about that one and he said it was for use at home. That was NOT A GOOD ANSWER so needless to say, he still needs to be WATCHED & MONITORED. He also told me that normally he would sweat so much that his clothes would be wet when he came inside but last night he didn't sweat. That is a major RED FLAG when you are outside in extreme heat. I called him at work today and he said his leg is still very sore but he is feeling okay. I WILL BE WATCHING HIM VERY CLOSE from now on. Thank God it was nothing more serious.... and I will update on his condition very soon.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
A Scare in the Night
Gary came home from work and started working outside in 96 degree heat around 4:00 in the afternoon trying to get the lawn mower ready for mowing. When I arrived home at a little after 5:00 he was outside, with no hat on, still working on the mower. I immediately asked him if he was drinking plenty of water and he said he had a cold drink in the refrigerator. I told him that wouldn't do him any good in there and I brought it out to him and told him he needed to drink it and come in for more. He said he had already drank a lot of fluids but when your body isn't use to the extreme heat it can dehydrate very quickly. I fixed supper and called him in around 6:00. He ate and was only in the house about 30 - 40 minutes and returned to finish his yard work. I got busy in the kitchen fixing a Zucchini Casserole to eat at a later time and then started working on making Salsa. Before I knew it, the time was after 8:30 and getting dark outside. Gary had only been in once to go to the restroom in that time frame. I went out to check on him and noticed he wasn't in the front yard so I went around the side of the house and still didn't see him. I called but he didn't answer. Finally I found him near the garden working on his blackberry plants and he had also been weeding the yard. He had failed to get his riding mower to work but he also had been weed-eating the yard and trimming with his push mower. He thought the riding mower had shorted out since he hosed off the blade after sharpening it so he didn't get the yard mowed - only trimmed. I didn't ask him if he was still drinking fluids but assumed that he still was. He came in a little after dark and took a shower. When he sat down in the living room later to rest, he looked troubled and knowing him after living together for over 39 years I said, "Honey is something troubling you?" he said that he was just tired. So I suggested that we go to bed as it was pushing 10:00 PM. I turned off the TV and we headed for bed. He immediately fell asleep and had taken a full glass of lemonade that I had made for supper to the bedstand by the side of the bed but he had not drank any of it. I had made it from scratch and had added some sugar but not a huge amount. He had already had about 3 large glasses of it and everything seemed fine. I remember dozing off and was in a deep sleep when all at once, he woke me up SCREAMING out in pain. He kept yelling that his leg was hurting and he grabbed it and screamed more. He kept jerking each time he had a muscle cramp and he hollered all the louder. I was terrified and kept asking him over and over what I could do. He wouldn't anwer but kept screaming out in pain. Finally he said he didn't know why his leg would be hurting so bad and then just like a light bulb went on in my head, I remembered an incident that happened similar to this a few years ago with our neighbor, Aaron. His wife Cindy, had called me in the night telling me that Aaron was experiencing the same symptoms. He was rushed to the hospital with extreme dehydration and they had to give him several IV units as he had heat exhaustion. It was very hot during that time of the year also and he had been outside for a long period of time. After remembering this, I called Cindy who was still up and she ran over and while I was on the phone with 911, she rubbed the muscles in Gary's leg and could feel it tighten up several times. Finally after several minutes, he started getting some relief. I have never seen Gary in so much pain and it scared me beyond words. I was still quite shaken after Cindy arrived and finally caught my breath. They did dispatch an ambulance as they were concerned that it might be something else like a blood clot and they kept asking me if he had heart problems and if he was alert and could talk. Also the fact that he is 59 years old, it could be something else. When they arrived, which was in just a short time, they took his vitals and besides the lower number being a little high, they were relieved to know he had experienced pain in both of his legs.....thus probably NOT a blood clot. They said his electrolites were low and also his potassium level was probably low as well and suggested we get him some Gatorade. Cindy ran to the store and came back with 2 bottles. THANK GOD FOR CINDY....she was a blessing to us last night. After drinking the Gatorade, he seemed to be better with the exception of his legs aching. He slept the rest of the night and went to work this morning.......WITHOUT THE GATORADE I might add. I have already called him on the phone about that one and he said it was for use at home. That was NOT A GOOD ANSWER so needless to say, he still needs to be WATCHED & MONITORED. He also told me that normally he would sweat so much that his clothes would be wet when he came inside but last night he didn't sweat. That is a major RED FLAG when you are outside in extreme heat. I called him at work today and he said his leg is still very sore but he is feeling okay. I WILL BE WATCHING HIM VERY CLOSE from now on. Thank God it was nothing more serious.... and I will update on his condition very soon.
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6 comments:
I tell you what...those men think that we don't know what's best for them...but we do! Brad did the same thing a couple of weekends ago during that extreme heatwave. He worked outside all day, didn't drink enough (even though I reminded him), then felt sick to his stomach the rest of the day. I swear, it's a good thing they have us!
I was sorry to hear about Gary's ordeal. That can be quite painful..I know. A couple of summers ago, I had gotten dehydrated while doing some work outside. I remember so well how my legs hurt. It is kind of a scary thing. I learned my lesson from it and try to drink more water when I am outside.
That is not good way too hot out there not to be drinking water. Scott(my fiance)also had heat exaustion a couple weeks ago and ended up in the ER getting 4 bags of fluid!! Tell Gary that I will put an IV in him if he doesnt start drinking himself!! Like the profile on SDC. See you next week!!
Glad to hear that he is o.k. but he does NEED to be watched.
Wow, Sissy, that is scary! Why can't our men use some sense. My precious brother, Boyd, was out during the summer when he was 44 years old and had a heart attack caused from working in the heat!! He, also,had a major heart attack at age 58 years old and had several bypasses and major repairs on his heart from heart damage. Now you guys, take heed!! Boyd is alive by the grace of God but has multiple health problems. He carries an oxygen bottle with him now and his heart is enlarged and diseased. Gary, I hate to tell you this, but we are not as young as we used to be. Take care of your body as I don't think Janet will do very well as a widow!! I love you both very much!
Sure good to hear that Gary is doing ok now. Those heat strokes sneak up on you. Good thing he has a caring wife....have you told him that????
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