John was fixing us a lunchtime snack and suddenly says he feels dizzy and needs to lie down.
He feels better, so he stands and feels dizzy, once more.
Hummm, I test his oxygen level. It is ninety five percent, that is great. His pulse is fifty four. It is usually fifty seven, so that is acceptable. 
Then I check his blood pressure. This is not acceptable. We are talking fifty-three over seventy-four. I check it about twenty minutes later and it is worse. Skin tugor, tent-like. Not good.
I called his physician in Indianapolis. "How much water is he drinking?" I ask John and get a very sheepish look.
Now, this is at two in the afternoon. He has been out in the sun working on the motorhome. He has had nothing but two cups of coffee at breakfast.
"Dehydration, get him to a hospital and tell them I want him to have fluids by IV. A hospital? None in Quartzsite. Yuma is an hour away, but there is a hospital in Parker, half the distance of Yuma. So, off we go to Parker and the La Paz Regional Hospital.
All the way, I have him drinking water all thirty two ounces! Having him drinking water was better than making him listen to my ranting a raving about fluid intake!
After an EKG, a brain cat-scan and a complete blood count (CBC), he was given the IV. The drip was set fast so we were out of there fairly quickly. And we were on our way home, where I, again, checked his vitals....just to be sure.
So, how does one stay hydrated in the desert?
1. drink water! Not energy drinks and water needs to be room / air temperature. Cold water intake requires time to warm to body's temperature to be absorbed.2. eat foods with a high water content.
2. eat foods with a high water content.
Everyone needs from eight to twelve cups of water each day. A better way to determine how much water YOU need is to note your weight, divide those pound in half. Change the pounds to ounces. (150 pounds divided by 2 = 75 pounds therefore you would need 75 ounces a day.)
We are looking into purchasing these from Amazon. It just makes good sense to have one of these rather than carrying water bottles. These are reusable and just think about how many plastic bottles you would not be throwing in the landfills to take forever to break down.
Symptoms of dehydration but not limited to:
1. thirst
2. chills
3. headache
4. loss of appetite
5. muscle pain/cramps
6. feeling fatigued
If these signs and symptoms are ignored the condition can worsen to heat exhaustion or even worse yet, heat stroke.
We are talking life and death here, so please do not take any chances while out in the hot sun.
Thanks for visiting the blog today and for shopping Amazon through my link.
God Bless ..... and drink water!
Close call!
ReplyDeleteHe's a close call to when I whack him up the back side of the head!
DeleteI am constantly yelling at Paul to drink water. He drinks Coke and because it has water in it, he thinks he is getting enough water. He even tells me he has two cups of coffee with has water. What reasoning? It must be a man thing. So glad you were quick to call the doctor.
ReplyDeleteTell Paul that I said to get a life! Sodas have sooo much salt in them....Salt dehydrates....you are sooo right....men are so thick headed.
DeleteOh no. Jim did that to me one time and let me tell you it doesn't happen anymore. He's almost given up drinking soda and has switched to flavored water. I really gave him hell about it. Also, his kidneys are working better with all the water he's drinking. I just want to hit John up along side his head. Men - so frustrating. What is so hard about drinking water???????
ReplyDeleteOhhhh Sandie, I so loved your comment! Go ahead...hit John up the side of his head....only one problem....he is so bruised from my hits, it might not sink in unless you use a rubber mallet. You know what? If a MAN told our men that drinking water was the thing to do, they would do it and tell us it is their idea.....Men....
ReplyDeleteI'm with all you ladies...must be a man thing! And to think that they have the bathroom thing so much easier than we do and they won't drink!! What's a girl to do!
ReplyDeleteGlad John is all right. There is also a Camelbak with just the bladder which is very small and easier to wear if you don't want the extra backpack pat.
Could you point me to the Camelbak you are talking about?
DeleteHope everything is OK with John now. Excellent advice. David gives me the coffee=water crap too. But 8 full glasses of water a day is pretty hard to drink I've found. I feel like I'm bloated.
ReplyDeleteJohn is fine. Let's see...have you divided your weight in half to find the pounds then converted to water? Looks to me like you might be able to do with less water....just sayin. AND remember the foods you eat that contain a high moisture count.
DeleteWhat a close call that one was. Glad you called the doctor and got him to the hospital. That's a lesson for all of us.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a close call. Men! What are we gonna do with them?
DeleteGlad you got attention for John. In the high desert, it's easy to become dehydrated and altitude sickness can also get you. I took Jack in to vets along the way to have subcutaneous water IVs. I had terrible time with the altitude so I figured he might be bother, too. I went into a vets office with the lean statement, "I'm having a terrible time with altitude sick..." She interrupted and said, "Uh, m'am I'm a vet." We both laughed, but she said she'd never had anyone bring a dog in to make sure they weren't suffering from AS. The dryness drove me crazy, too--drank constantly, but felt like I wanted to pour water up my nose! LOL
ReplyDeleteWhat is so funny is that John handled the altitude at Yellowstone just fine....I was miserable. I could not catch my breath. I had to ask HIM to slow down! I always am drinking. I have always been that way, even in normal conditions.
DeleteWe always carry a couple of liters of water on our hikes and make sure we have some oranges and apples along with us. Still, Sylvia is always on me about drinking more. I guess I'm guilty of the 'being male = thick headed' thing.
ReplyDeleteOranges and apples are a great idea! Thanks for suggesting them. We will forgive you for being a male. This time.
DeleteI used to get leg cramps we we camp to the desert for the winter, After research and easy fix was drink more water. And coffee and alcohol don't count , make it worse. So now I consume at least a litre a day and no more leg cramps and much more energy too.
ReplyDeleteSlosh when you walk!
DeleteSome lessons have to be learned the hard way I guess.....sure glad he's okay (meaning that you didn't kill him!). Even growing up in the desert it is still hard for me to remember to drink enough water when the conditions require it. Watermelon is a great hydrator (er?). Blended with ice before a day in the sun works well for us.
ReplyDeletePoor John.....hope he wasn't looking for sympathy :-).
If he was, he is not getting any! lol
DeleteI have a hard time remembering to drink water on a day to day basis when I'm not exercising. When hiking I always take and drink water, but if I drink too much too fast I get bogged down. Please email me where and when you will be here in Borrego. I might be able to juggle a bit and stay an extra day. We like Farmers markets and would love to meet up with you and John. Will you be Boondocking or in a campground?
ReplyDeleteWill be in Borrego Spring by Thursday. We will boondock since we want to try out our new solar system.
DeleteWow... sure glad he is okay and thanks for the information. I'm passing it on via our community news letter. It normally isn't that hot here on the coast, but we do have our days in the summer time when we can get into the 100's. For the coast that is extreme, as we are normally in the 70's any give summer day. Tell John how lucky he is to have you. Oh...yes, I'm sure you already did. ~:- ) Give him another hug from us though.
ReplyDeleteJohn is fine now. Doing much better drinking water. Yep, you are right, I remind him every day that he is mighty lucky to have me to nag him....hehehe
DeleteOh my, I hope he is okay now.
ReplyDeleteHe is fine. Was fine by the time he was released from the E.R. ......with all the water I made him drink on the way to the hospital and the I.V. then all the water I had him drinking coming home from the hospital.....he used the bathroom alot, therefore, he was hydrated. Probably TMI, but I could not help but laugh at him.
DeleteYou take care of John so well !! Think I'll have a glass of water. Wait a minute we are on a "boil water notice". Nan, you know I don't cook ;c) Now I'm going to get sick. Maybe I'll just get dehydrated....
ReplyDeleteYou get yourself dehydrated and I'll have Kris kick you in the tush for me..
DeleteWow, that was too close for comfort!
ReplyDeleteWhen I served in the Middle East, there was bottled water everywhere and I drank lots and lots. Funny, hardly ever needed to use the bathroom. I was issued a Camelback, very handy device. I wish I still had it, I sent it to my SIL when he was sent to Afghanistan.
Yep, Paul, way too close. Is your SIL back from Afghanistan. You can be an Indian giver......
DeleteIt is lucky that you figured it out so quickly and got the help he needed. Good lesson.
ReplyDeleteKaren, he keeps me on my toes!
DeleteSuch great advice. I, too, learned it the hard way. In San Antonio a few years back. On the river barge. I stood up and collapsed. Felt so bad I slept for 3 days. Heat exhaustion. Since then I can not tolerate hot weather. That fatigue feeling returns and I drop. Keep an eye on him, for sure.
ReplyDeletePhyllis, I did the same thing, so know from experience. I was working in the Llama barn on a really hot day on a small piece of machinery, moving hay bales. Then had a customer in the front barn where I had a watergarden design and construction business. I got up to the counter and told them I was sick.. Thought I just needed to eat, sent someone inside the house to get a banana...and they called for an ambulance. Being from the health care field as a medic, I figured out what was wrong. Signed a release and drank lots of water. Like you, I can no longer stand heat.
ReplyDeleteConstant hydration is always a good idea, even more so in the desert.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right.
DeleteI'm glad John is ok!! Interesting how to determine the right amount of water to drink.
ReplyDeleteYes Leigh, I was surprised to read that. Makes calculating how much one needs very easy.
DeleteWe LOVE our Camelbaks! We bought two...1 for Bill to carry is larger and has a backpack as well as the bladder so we can put a first aid kit and lunch in it for a hike and mine is smaller with just the bladder and a small pouch for ID and chapstick. It is so much better than carrying bottles and we find we drink more this way. Also....you can add electrolyte tabs to it and get some flavor as well!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that about your Camelbaks.
Delete