First off, I’m feeling fine this morning.
But I didn’t feel so fine yesterday afternoon, when I fainted — twice, in rapid succession — in our bedroom at home. I was standing at my dresser, pulling out my running gear, when I felt woozy; the next thing I knew, I was on the floor, listening to my wife’s worried voice call my name. Not wanting to make her overly anxious, I bounced back up too quickly, and tumbled down again.
My mother-in-law drove me to Huntington Hospital, where I spent six hours in the Emergency Room, awaiting and then receiving treatment. I was dehydrated with low blood sugar, and though my pulse was where a runner’s should be (hovering around 40), my pressure was much higher than normal. The doctor considered me to be afflicted with stress, lack of sleep, and too much caffeine (and not enough water). I was pumped full of a litre of fluid, patted on the head, and sent home.
With a newborn and other obligations, getting uninterrrupted sleep is not realistic now. With my teaching duties, caffeine is essential. But I can follow the general rule of drinking more water than I drink caffeine –for each ounce of the latter, two ounces of the former. I’ve got a roomy bladder, thank goodness. And I’ll try and eat more regularly. To be honest, my anxiety about gaining weight (as a result of not being able to work out nearly as much thanks to the coming of the blessed baby girl) has left me cutting my calories.
Lots of lessons in here, chief among them the paramount importance of self-care. In so many areas, I’m good at matching my language and my life. But that addictive personality, tinged even now with the neurotic desire to always be in motion, always connected, means that I can run myself ragged to the detriment not only of myself but also of my growing little family. For someone who wants to see an awakening of healthy masculinity in this country, my own penchant for workaholism is hardly an encouraging character trait.
So, more water, more rest, less multi-tasking.
On a related note: it’s very familiar to be hooked up to EKG machines and IVs. In my troubled younger years, I was hospitalized many times due to drink, drug, or self-injury episodes; at times, I was in pretty poor shape. Last night, I found myself in the same ER room one bed over from where I had been one foggy morning in June 1996. Except thirteen years ago, I was wacked out on pills, covered in my own blood. I had to be strapped down and catheterized, and my pulse was a frantic, overdose-accelerated 195. Last night, I was as friendly and as gentle and as apologetically accomodating as I could be to the harried emergency staff, knowing that they had far more serious cases than mine to cope with — but also knowing that in my younger years, I had not been so easy a patient for their colleagues to deal with.
I’d like to stay out of ERs for a good long while now. So Peet’s coffee and Steas Organic Energy Fuel, yes — but plenty of good clean tap water too. Promise.
Glad you’re back.
thank goodness you didn’t pass out during your run.
Hey Hugo - glad you’re going to be taking better care of yourself. You are valuable!!!
I’m sorry to hear about your emergency room scare! Frightening! Try drinking the sport drinks triatheletes drink before you run which contains electrolytes. I also make a point of drinking one full glass of water prior to all exercise and some type of small nourishment such as a small glass of protein shake, a bit of yogurt, or a spoon-full of almond or peanut butter and part of a banana. You should never exercise without doing this! Even after having a bit of yougurt this morning I was hungry while swimming today and when I got out of the pool and was driving home I almost experienced a similar incident to yours (though not as bad as yours-thank God!) Good thing, because I was driving! When I got home I experienced it again so I immediately made a protein shake and in addition ate a toasted piece of bread with olive oil and sprinkled salt on it. I felt better almost immediately………I think it was due to a loss of electrolytes and hunger, water alone won’t re-charge.
a little nap here or there works too. i’ve found i work better if i take an occasional 5-15 minute nap between classes (sometimes during class). a 5 minute nap is better than no nap!
I always saw you drinking tons of caffeine in class and it worried me!
Glad to know you’re okay.
Be sure to stay hydrated!
Wow, glad you were OK.
Don’t tell me - of that six hours, five and a half were sitting around waiting for medical staff to actually pay attention to you.
I’m glad you’re OK, Hugo, but if you fainted twice in quick succession, you need more than one opinion. Jerry Garcia, who was no paragon of clean living, felt a little woozy in his bathroom one day, sat down and went into a diabetioc coma so severe, he had to relearn how to play the guitar. It’s you’re call, of course, but if I were you, I’d get a second opinion.
Thanks, Doug, but I did get a battery of blood tests run and an EKG — and I’m fit as a fiddle, just dehydrated and a bit run-down. And my tendency towards powering through no matter what, as depressingly typical as it is, brought trouble about.
But if symptoms return, I will pop in to see my GP. Lately, I have been hanging out with midwives and pediatricians and OB?GYNs only.
For fuck’s sake, Huges, rest! If I see you in class with your diet sodas or your coffees or your teas I’ll kick your ass (unless you have water too.)