Railworks America

Me, my wife and boss went to the Steeler game Saturday. It was hot and muggy. We took the T under ground train to the stadium. Climbed up and down steps at the Stadium, it was humid and 89 degrees. We got in and ordered some food. There were no chairs left, the place was full, we had to stand up to eat over a small table. Half way eating my bacon burger I got extremely dizzy. I didn't fall down, I just bent over the table. They found a chair for me. When I sat down I had to bend over, if I sat up everything was spinning. Fortunately they had paramedics at the stadium. I was hot and sweating. They gave me water, which I hate and my boss and wife were fanning me with their Steeler magazines. I was pale as a ghost. They took me down to an ambulance and put a device in me to take blood when I got to the hospital. 4 different people came in to do things to me. 2 nurses and 2 doctors who were also women. They did ekgs? to me for my lungs, x-rayed my heart and gave me liquids. When they checked all the things they did to me, they asked me a bunch of questions. Do I hurt, and allergies, and a bunch of other things.

Kerri thought I was going to die and was crying.

Their final report said I was dehydrated. I supposedly got that way from drinking 12 to 14 cups of tea at work, and coke at home which I have been doing for years. They released me.

On the way home my boss bought me a bunch of Gatoraid to drink instead of tea. The Gatoraid was to hydrate me. I am still a little dizzy if I get up too fast or bend over to pick up stuff the cats left on the floor.

I finally went to bed at midnight. When I woke up I had to sit up slowly to get out of bed. Slightly dizzy, but it went away pretty quick. Went to the bath room, did my business and went back to my bed room. I noticed, in the mirror, I had tape squares and circle ones they connected to for EKG. I looked like Frankenstein ;) And of course they hurt pulling them off. Fortunately I am not very hairy.

I am heading to Florida 9/7 for a week. I will be with my Aunt the retired nurse. I am sure she will have all kinds of things for me to do so it does not happen again.

It is hell to get old...

Very happy to hear it wasn't something more serious! Hope you continue to feel better.

Hi Bob.

Glad to hear you're getting better.

"It is hell to get old..." but it's preferable to the alternative.

Regards,

Bob.

When I worked my first job, one of those teenager first job types, mostly outside. We had an ex military kind, just discharged, hired on a few months later. Not in any sort of manager position, just looking for extra cash. We worked next to a gas station with absurdly large sodas and sweet teas for just over a dollar, we would all run over there on break and get them.

He used to come down on us for getting those things, yelling at all us teens and college kids we would get dangerously dehydrated from it. When I was there it never got to that extreme.

Sounds like you had quite the adventure.

I'm 71 and had my annual blood tests done about 2 months ago and one of the results said that I was dehydrated although I didn't feel it. They booked me in for another test in a couple of weeks time but told me to drink plenty of water. The following test turned out alright. The thing is Bob you are just going to have to learn to drink water as drinks like coffee, coca-cola, tea, energy drinks etc or anything with caffeine in them is a diuretic and makes you want to go to the toilet and dehydrates you which also isn't very good for your kidneys. Yes, as you get older your body doesn't tolerate things that you did when you were younger.

Yeah Trev, the nurses said I need to stop drinking so much tea. I have my 10-12 cups until 2 o'clock (I start work at 5:30am)then I drink Ice tea. I drink coke at home. I got some mineral water coming, will dilute my Gaterade drinks.

I am doing OK today, I just can't get up or turn my head too fast or I get a little buzz, but it goes away quick. Anyway I am following their advice so I should live another 30 years ;)

Glad you're doing better, although I'm sure it was a scary experience. Water is a good thing, and I find myself in a constant tug a war between it and Diet Coke.

Take care of yourself, Bob.

Glad things are better. True, getting old ain't fur sissies. At my age I find I must moderate myself, not too much and not to fast. Take it easy.

Tequila is the answer.

If you are telling the story it means it wasn´t much more than a scare.
Get better in Florida, Bob.

You're not old but you definitely have some mileage, so you have to start taking care of your body. Dehydration comes easily, and it's not gonna get better in Florida for sure.
In my household we drink gallons of very cold filtered water every day. No soda, a little juice for the vitamin C, a little milk.
Maybe add a few drops of lemon juice for taste.

Wow, Bob! At least, as someone has already mentioned you're telling the tale so it was a scare - serious enough in it's own right, but a little life changing lesson.

12-14 cups of tea a day. That's one heck of an amount! I have heard that tea is better than coffee, but how much better I don't know. Probably not by much I suppose.

Anyhow. Take care and remember:- "Growing old is mandatory, but growing Up is optional!!"

All that sort of stuff has caffeine in it. Coffee, tea and cocoa as chocolate is made from cocoa I would imagine it would have caffeine in it too. If Bob doesn't like water drink cordial drink possibly low sugar varieties. I have to watch what I eat and drink as I'm a type 2 diabetic.

At 68 I should know better but I still don't drink enough water despite a sports activity that is high intensity, dehydrating and downright exhausting at times. Worse still, my go-to pick me up in the middle is coffee (which does have a short term hit advantage for the sport but does not rehydrate). I always have plenty of fresh water with me but I forget (?) to drink it...thinking back, I have had a similar reaction as Bob's twice on hot days with no water intake during the activity - nausea, dizziness (near fainting) and unbelieveable sudden weakness.

Take care Bob - water is definitely the way to go as you will be getting a massive caffeine hit from the tea which really isn't the best thing...

Rod