Ambulence rides are not fun.

[JustJason]

So i'm driving, start feeling dizzy, dizzy to the point of fainting. I pull over, everything went numb. Hands, arms, feet, legs, head. Felt like I had no blood in any of my limbs. I'm very short on breath, and i'm hyperventillating. My hands have cramped and I cant do anything.

I rolled down the window and started waving at drivers, trying to flag one down. 1/2 of them just waved back. An ambulence went buy, and I was like "oh great".
Finally 2 women stopped and asked if I needed help. I told them I needed them to call a doctor.
It took about 2 minutes but that amublance spun back around and got me and took me to the hospital. Hooked me all up, by that point i was weak but starting to feel better.

After all that, they tell me I had an anxiety attack. I'm 33, I don't worry about things, never had an anxiety attack before. I thought I was litterally dying in the car, scared the hell out of me.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

I hear ya. Been there done that. No ambulance tho. When it happens you swear you're having all the symptoms of a heart attack. It's very scary when it happens. After you found out it was anxiety, I bet the air smelled a little fresher. Now that you know what happened, don't dwell on it. Shrug it off and move on. Chalk it up to one of lifes little unpleasantries.......

Edit: When I had mine, I wasn't worrying either. I was under alot of stress at work tho and we had a new baby... It can be accumulative. The funny thing is, I knew I was under alot of stress and I said "bring it on, I can take it". Well, one day my body said, "no you can't"............. I was 36 at the time.....

 

[marlboro180]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Perhaps it was the delayed stress of coping with Kate being in the hospital? I sure know that would tie my head and heart up in knots for a while and not realize it, until the knot came untied....

I am relieved to hear it was an anxiety attack, though they can be pretty debilitating for some people. Take some time for yourself, maybe fishing?

 

[royal0014]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Nope, no fun at all. 'Course I've never been a passenger, just driver or attending Medic. I think that 'deer in the headlight' look is almost universal.

Gotta take care of yourself. Somebody out there needs you to be there. Take it from the guy who had four stints put in his heart at age 37!

 

[roncoop75]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

I had a heart attack at 28. Bad case of strep and my body didn't like the 'antibiotics on steroids' that they gave me.

The pain had brought me to my knees in my kitchen. But it wasn't getting any worse, and I wasn't anywhere near passing out, SO I DROVE MYSELF TO THE HOSPITAL. Ya, in hind sight, stupid. Even dumber was running a red to get there (intersection was clear, ran it after stopping and looking both ways).

Let me tell you something, when you drive yourself to the hospital, the LAST thing they think is wrong with you is a heart attack. LOL It wasn't until I couldn't catch my breath enough to say my name that they swarmed over me and put me on a cart headed for the ER.

 

[JB]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Hmmmmm. Shouldn't happen at your age, but be sure that your glucose levels are safe. Sounds a lot like a hypoglycemia attack.

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Jason, I'm glad you are okay but follow up with your doctor for some further testing. When your body starts talking to you....listen!

 

[badkins50]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Jason, I'm glad you are okay but follow up with your doctor for some further testing. When your body starts talking to you....listen!

+1. Good luck. I think the cure is more boating and less worrying.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Scary time for you. Get yourself properly checked out.

 

[tburda]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Yeah...family history of anxiety in my family. I used to have those debilitating attacks, it's really scary when you don't know what it is, and still pretty scary when you do!

Get checked out with the doc, and try to start talking to some close friends about anything that might be on your mind. I haven't had an attack that brought me near passing out in about 5 years now. I still get them but usually I just feel uncomfortable, and talking to my wife helps, usually because it just something on my mind and she understands and listens.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Thanks for all the kind words folks. In truth I do have a lot going on. Spent 14 in the hospital tuesday with Kate. Planning this move to FL. Trying to get the car sold, trying to get the boat sold. It's just weird, i'm not one for getting stressed ever.

My blood sugar was good, the EMT checked that. Only thing was by blood pressure is on the high side.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Your blood pressure was on the high side because you were in panic mode. If it's usually normal, there's nothing to worry about.

All those events you mentioned made you a prime candidate for what happened, especially with Kate being in the hospital. What I forgot to mention in my previous post was, my wife was in the hospital too with meningitis. We're not bullet proof. Stuff happens........ You'll be fine......

 

[rbh]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

YIKES, good to hear it wasn't the big one!

Some people would say slow down and relax, but I believe in a good walk to clear my mind and that relaxes me.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

I started having those attacks at about 38 years old or so.Scares the heck out of you.
Glad you are ok Jason.

My doc has me on blood pressure meds and xanax for when the attacks hit.
Stress will sneak up on you for sure.
Hang in there bud!

 

[jonesg]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Thanks for all the kind words folks. In truth I do have a lot going on. Spent 14 in the hospital tuesday with Kate. Planning this move to FL. Trying to get the car sold, trying to get the boat sold. It's just weird, i'm not one for getting stressed ever.

My blood sugar was good, the EMT checked that. Only thing was by blood pressure is on the high side.

Thats all it takes.
I closed my business down 3 weeks ago and had to get a lot of heavy machines sold, I could feel the stress weighting me down.
Its not a sellers mkt out there.
Got it all sold to one guy for a dime on the dollar and I feel like I just got out of jail free. Thats all it was.
It helps if you have someone assist you prioritize what you need to get done.

I don't buy anxiety being nothing to sweat about, it stopped you in your tracks, you could have been piloting a plane or boat in tricky situations.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Hmmmmm. Shouldn't happen at your age, but be sure that your glucose levels are safe. Sounds a lot like a hypoglycemia attack.

I agree - that is exactly what I was thinking, as I was reading the rest of the posts.



???

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: Ambulence rides are not fun.

Anxiety attacks are nothing to mess with. I used to have them almost daily. Nothing as severe as what you had, but close. My doctor tried to put me on Xanex but I am not a pill guy. I don't even take tylenol.

The Doc told me to reduce my stress. Yeah right, easy for him to say. Was a very difficult time(divorce). I was having to start over completely from scratch at 41. I lost everthing.....except my old truck, my tools, and it cost me half my pension to get the boat.

Believe it or not, I credit my boat for the end of the attacks. I don't want to sound sappy or dramatic but when I am in my boat, almost everthing else is less important. Less stressful.

Anxiety attacks feed themselves. When they start you don't know whats happening, and you start to panic, which makes the anxiety worse, which makes you panic more...............

I was able to breath through them. Concentrate on my breathing. Not saying it would work for everbody, but it worked for me. Even when I was driving, I'd pull over if I felt one coming on, and just breathed.

Best of luck to you. I hope everthing works out.