Weekly Bread #276

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I learned something this week. On Friday, it was a hot day and we took a short, flat, mostly shady hike. It was only 3.5 miles and I thought I drank enough water from my hydration pack. When we got home, I drank some more water, then took a dip in the pool and went in the hot tub right after my swim. I didn’t stay long. It was clearly too hot to be in hot water. I was already in hot water, I just didn’t know it.

After my shower, I felt a little lightheaded, so I drank more water and ate some tortilla chips for the salt. I thought I was OK to go over to our neighbors house for pizza. The pizza might have been fine, but I also ate an edible (so weird it is legal now) and then had a couple of strong martinis. The result wasn’t good. The alcohol dehydrated me even more and in the midst of a fun and rather stoned conversation, I suddenly felt very warm, nauseous, and clammy and wound up fainting in my chair for a few seconds. Apparently a couple of times. I was still feeling bad when I came to, so Anne and our friends called the paramedics. They came really fast, checked me out, no stroke or heart symptoms, blood sugar, and oxygen levels OK, an EKG was fine, but my blood pressure was very low. After I told them about my day, dehydration was the most likely explanation for the drop in my blood pressure. They offered, but I said I didn’t want a ride to the emergency room. Been there, done that, and it is no fun at all. They helped me walk back across the street to our house and Anne helped me into bed after some more water. I woke up at 2 AM and drank another glass full. I felt fine at 7 AM when I got up for the day.

This happened to me once before after a long hot hike and one drink at dinner. If your blood pressure is too low, your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen and you faint. I probably should have laid down after the first episode, but who knew? Dehydration is no joke, especially given my age. The hike and hot tub were both unwise without a LOT more water. The alcohol made it worse, and the cannabis may have reduced my awareness of how my body was feeling so I didn’t keep up the hydration I needed.

Lots of lessons learned. It was scary, and I wish it hadn’t happened, but it was also a very good thing that I was close to home, among good friends, and sitting down when my blood pressure dropped so I didn’t fall and crack my head open or break something else.

In the future, I am going to take it a lot easier in the hot weather – and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. No alcohol if I have any symptoms of dehydration, and no combining of serious alcohol and edibles.

If I could, I would resolve to be younger as well, but alas, we know how impossible that one is.

Funny though, it is, to watch my 3 month old granddaughter lying on her back, struggling to turn over onto her stomach by swinging her arms and pushing up with her legs. I go through very similar motions trying to turn over from my back in the morning so I can get out of bed. Maybe I am getting younger!

L’Chaim!

My average weight this week was the same as last week, for a total loss of 134.7.