Let me preface this short post by stating that I have engaged in strenuous outdoors activities since my early years.  Nothing close to what this story is about had happened to me in all of those years.  Read and heed!

The Situation

However, last Saturday was a very hot and humid day in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida.  By mid-morning, the temperature was 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity was at 90 percent.

There is a public park with pickleball courts located less than half a mile from our condo.  I went to the park as I do several times per week to walk on the track there.  On reaching a distance of two miles, I went under a large pavilion to walk another mile in the shade.  I knew it was hot and took that precaution.  I had water with me and was drinking some along the way.  After reaching three miles, I got my pickleball bag and walked to the pickleball courts.

The north courts are a bit less competitive than the south courts.  I played one game on the north side to loosen up and to get warmed up for pickleball.  Then, I moved to the south courts for some more competitive play.  I played either three or four games there (I’m not sure exactly).  My last game of doubles was evenly matched, quite competitive, and long.  My partner and I won the game by a 12 to 10 score.  I noticed that I was feeling a bit uneasy during the last few points and was glad when the game was finished.

After the game, I went to a bench between the courts to sit in the shade and drink some water.  After a few minutes, I got up to play another game with the same group.  As I walked onto the court, I knew I should stop playing.  I returned to the bench where a fellow had a battery-powered fan running.  So I sat in the shade and drank more water from my bottle and from the water coolers there.  Obviously not enough water!

I could not move from the bench.  Thankfully, an angel noticed that things were not right with me.  Her name is Jeanie, and she was on the wrong side of the 12 to 10 game.  If only I had known what would shortly happen!

She gave me ice water, poured ice water down my back, and placed a cold, wet towel on my head.  She rubbed my neck and shoulders, which were hurting, trying to bring me around.  After a bit, Jeanie realized that this was not working and called 911.  The police station is less than 200 feet from the courts, and two officers with first aid materials were there in minutes.

This is Getting Out of Hand!

I don’t know how or who called the ambulance, but the crew showed up with a stretcher.  Jeanie asked me which emergency room I preferred.  I said I didn’t know but asked her to call Carol at home.  After getting me on the stretcher, I was loaded into the ambulance.  When they shut the back doors, the air conditioning began to cool things down.  Only then did I realize just how hot I had been.  They started an IV with saline solution in the ambulance.  A tech took my blood pressure, which was 90/60, or dangerously low for someone my age.

Carol called my sister, Judy, a retired nurse, and they both came to the ER immediately.  Carol and Judy called my adult kids.  They were all upset and concerned for me.  It created quite a mess.

The ambulance arrived at the Halifax Emergency Department within a few minutes, and I was taken straight back to a room.  The attending physician looked me over and had my blood pressure taken again, with the same result as on the ambulance.  He ordered another unit of saline solution, and drew blood for some testing. Judy took charge for me, talking to the doctor and the nurses.  She brought a professional sense of urgency to my situation that would not have been the same without her.

Within an hour of arriving at the ER, I began to feel somewhat better.  After a bit more than a couple of hours, the doctor had me up for a standing blood pressure, which was 119/78, or pretty normal for me.  At that point, I was weak but felt like things had turned for the better.

The blood work came back okay.  I learned that heart attacks are not uncommon in situations like mine.  Judy and the doctor agreed on one more blood test to check for damage to my heart muscles.  That process took another couple of hours and, fortunately, the results were favorable.  The doctor spoke with me briefly and said that he would discharge me.  He called my condition heat exhaustion, which is far less serious than a heat stroke.

Carol and Judy called my kids and let them know I was out and okay.  They are still concerned.

I Was Lucky

I was fortunate that my angel took charge when she did; that the ER physician and staff were prompt, courteous, and just good.  I was also fortunate that Carol and my sister Judy were there with me from almost the beginning.

Carol had brought me a change of clothes.  My pickleball outfit was absolutely drenched.  I changed clothes and was discharged, with an admonition to take it easy for a few days.  My creatinine test was a bit high, so I was encouraged to drink more water.

We arrived home and stayed there for the rest of the day and evening.  I took a nap.

Sunday morning, I was feeling better, but by the time we got home from church and lunch, I was tired and took another nap.

I cannot remember the last time I have had naps two days in a row!

It’s Monday morning. I feel at a level of 7-8 out of 10, but I know I’ve been through what the doctor and my sister called “an event.”

My Takeaways

There are a few takeaways from my experience with heat exhaustion:

• Again, I was lucky.  Jeanie took charge of a situation that could easily have gone a lot further downhill.  And I received almost immediate and effective health care.
• Overall hydration is critical.  I learned that the old rule of thumb of 8×8, or eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day, is too little fluid for active people.  A better rule of thumb seems to be to consume at least as many ounces per day as half of one’s body weight.  For me, rounding up a good bit, that would be 100 ounces of water per day.  I’m at about 80 ounces as I write this at 1 PM.  If one is exerting heavily for considerable time, even more hydration is needed.
• Constant hydration is key.  Now I remember training from my long-ago days in the military.  Constant hydration when moving outdoors is key.  When heat exhaustion hits, it hits quickly and without much warning.  And without immediate attention, heat exhaustion can turn into far more serious heat stroke.  It was not a good thing for a soldier under an officer’s care to exhibit heat exhaustion or worse.
• Don’t think it can’t happen to you.  After so many years with lots of strenuous experiences with hot weather, and without serious heat consequences, heat exhaustion caught up with me.  It can happen to anyone.
• Reading about heat exhaustion a bit, it seems as if many of us are somewhat dehydrated a good bit of the time.

Drink up!  And be well,

Chris