Friday afternoon, after work, I needed to take some paperwork to a neighbor – she and I share the Clubhouse Coordinator duties at our subdivision, and she will be on duty for August and September. It was very, very hot – with a heat index well over 100°. The distance is less than the distance to the pool, so I set off. Going wasn’t too bad – and I had a few moments to rest while at her house. But coming back, even though I was walking downhill, I could tell that I was quickly becoming dehydrated. My thirst was growing, and I was sweating profusely, and feeling a little dizzy. Just a few more steps – then I’ll be home in the air-conditioning, and I can drink my water! However, there was a big problem; normally, we do not lock the door between the garage and the kitchen. Every once in a while (maybe three times in the 9 years we have lived there) that door locks itself – just from the normal turning going in and out. The problem is that I do not have a key with me. Since I no longer have a vehicle to drive, I no longer carry any of my keys. Dave was at work, but I had to call him to come open the door. As I waited, my breathing became more and more difficult, the sweat just poured off of me (I rarely sweat anymore – I’m too cold most of the time!), and I was really worried that I wasn’t going to make it until Dave could get there. Fortunately, I was able to hold on – he came and opened the door, I got inside to the coolness, drank lots of water, put a cold towel around my neck, and gradually recovered. We now have hidden a house key in the garage should this ever happen again. Crisis averted!
As I sat there, wondering if I should actually call 911 while I waited for Dave, it occurred to me that walking in that kind of heat probably wasn’t the smartest thing I have ever done. Even though my heart HAS improved, the truth remains that I have heart failure, and I have to be careful. I was in genuine distress. Had my brain been working, I might have gone and turned on the hose, and just drenched myself. My brain was not responding well, and I just sat there, dripping sweat and trying to catch my breath. I hated to call Dave, but I would not have lasted until he came home – sometime near midnight.
Upon reflection, something else occurs to me: I have treated my issues with food and my obesity with the same carelessness as I treated my heart last Friday. There are some things I should never have done – and even today, I have difficulty pinning a reason to my actions. It took me a long, long time, but the crisis there has been averted as well – I’m a recovering food addict. I’m not where I want to be or where I intend to be, but I have the key to make this work, and I AM MAKING IT WORK!
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