Monday, February 25, 2008

Monday Memory....Passing Out

I have only passed out cold once in my life (I've had a couple of near misses but I'll get to that soon!)


My mother was an excellent seamstress and used to make most of our clothes. She would have us stand on the kitchen table so she could mark and measure the hems of our skirts. Because we were elevated, she didn't have to sit on the floor. The system worked well till I passed out.

 Being a typical rowdy girl that did not like to stand still, much less wear dresses, my mother basically had to threaten me to get me to cooperate. Once she had me, she would not allow me to escape till the task was completed. I liked to twirl and jump and squirm and it wasn't often that Mom would let us, much less encourage us, to stand on the kitchen table.

 Every time I turned it seemed like the measurements would be off and Mom would have to start again. Finally, she had me stand in the middle of the table and told me not to move. She decided it was easier for her to move around the table marking the skirt than to have me jump all around. It was a good system and would have probably worked but no one told me not to lock my knees.

 As I stood there I virtually cut off my blood supply to my legs. I remember saying to my mom, "I'm not feeling very good" and bang down I went off the table and onto the floor. My Dad, being a military man told me later that he had seen lots of recruits fainting while standing at attention in basic training. He told me the secret of not passing out while remaining at attention was to wiggle your toes. I never passed that secret on to my mom and come to think of it she never let us stand on the kitchen table again.

 I almost passed out again right after our first daughter was born. I went to the bathroom with the assistance of the nurse and remember the room starting to turn black, and I saw little lights begin to spin. Fortunately, I was already seated so I just had to put my head between my legs, get some cold water to my face, and thankfully the feeling went away. They tell me that was because of volume loss from the delivery.

 The last two days have also been near misses on my passing out  countdown. I am one-week post-surgery and have really felt well up until then. It seemed like every time I would get up to do a simple task, or just walk into the kitchen I felt like I was going to pass out. I would have absolutely no energy, break out into a cold sweat, get deadly pale and somewhat faint. I am blessed with an overactive imagination and can have liver cancer in 30 seconds or less. I began to feel like Fred Sanford in "Sanford and Son" and say to myself, "This is the big one Elizabeth, I'm coming!"

 I do not like the feeling of sudden death, or passing out. So yesterday after feeling faint just sitting in church, we went to the ER at the University of Virginia. Basically, I found out 8 hours later that I'm going to live. My electrolytes were out of balance and the fluid pill I normally take was making my potassium level low thus causing the horrible fainty feelings. They gave me some potassium pills, IV fluids, told me to quit taking the fluid pill, and assurance. I say it was a good tip. (Almost as good as wiggling your toes!)

9 comments:

Ladybug Crossing said...

Daisy,
OMGracious!
Be careful...

I passed out after delivery - in the shower... no food for 24+ hours after delivering a 8.5 lb baby boy... yup.. that would do it!

Laura Paxton said...

oooohhh....glad you have some answers...hope the potassium helps!

I passed out twice the day after I had my miscarriage 15 years ago...scare my brand-new husband half to death! Almost passed out again about a month ago...not sure why. Not a fun feeling!

Talk..to..Grams said...

I am so glad they found out what was wrong! It is so good you went to the ER!! Oh My!
The only time I have passed out was when I was 5 years old and was hit by a swing at school in the side of the mouth and it left a cut there and I had to go to the hopital and have it fixed
up!! This was 65 years ago this Sept. My Mom always told this story and how she was cleaning the chicken house that day when the school called and she had on a old print dress and was not very clean and my Daddy said Just come on and get in the car!! Love and hugs Grams

Gattina said...

Welcome back to the world ! No good deal for the funeral business yet ! lol !
I know it's awful when you feel like passing out, it is very scary.

Melli said...

Ohhhhh Daisy! I'm sO sorry! WOW! Yea... what a yucky feeling! I HAVE passed out -- from FEAR! The first time I got caught skipping class in High School! I came too with smelling salts... I got over that fear real quick though... I also used to pass out EVERY morning when I was pregnant with Amanda. I would no sooner get to work, and be standing at the bins sorting mail, and BOOM! That was my whole first trimester! LOL! I got used to smelling salts back then! I HATE that feeling though!

Be assured, you ARE prayed up -- but I am adding special prayers for this little snafu!

Linda said...

Oh Daisy, so glad you have your meds regulated now. Please keep us posted.

When I was in my early 20's I carried ammonia with me all the time. I passed out in the driveway, in a department store twice, at work, in my bathroom and kitchen. The doctor said it was fatigue!! I always felt so refreshed when I woke up. I was too young that it never bother me.

Let's hope the potassium will regulate you.

Jennifer said...

Girl!! Take care of yourself...you hear me?
Funny you should post about this...I was at work yesterday and a young woman in my line passed out just before I rang her up. She was scheduled for female surgery on Thursday, but was bleeding so heavily that she just conked out right there. We had to call the paramedics and everything...thankfully, I think she was fine. It's never dull at my job!
I don't think I've ever passed completely out...I've come close, though!
Still praying for you...and am not going to quit for a while!

Jane said...

Well, if you would quit doing that little happy dance MAYbe you wouldn't feel faint!!!!!! JK :)
I am glad you found out what was causing the problem and can now address it. Please take care...too many people love you and want you to be up and running REAL soon.

Unknown said...

Now that I think of it, standing at attention in Marching Band made me woozie a few times.

I did pass out once, I never did figure out why, right at work at a meeting for a corporate charitable giving campaign meeting.

 
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