After working on the farm last Friday morning I headed home feeling great... When I got home I made lunch for my son and myself, put him down for his nap and relaxed on the couch watching TV while he slept. As I was watching TV I started not feeling very well and out of nowhere an extremely painful headache just hit me like a ton of bricks. I've had some pretty bad headaches but none that had ever come on so quickly before. I took some Tylenol and tried to rest my head... eventually the excruciating pain began to slightly subside. We had plans that evening to go out with some friends and take our little ones swimming. I was feeling okay and we went ahead and got ready once my husband got home and met with our friends. While in the pool the headache reappeared... I tried my best to hide my pain but I wasn't too successful. Still I toughened it out while we were there and let the kiddos have a blast in the pool.
On the drive home I could barely stand it. By the time we got to our house I could barely walk upstairs to our bedroom because the pain was so bad. My husband asked me how much water I had to drink that day and it was then that I realized I had MAYBE two glasses... IF that. My husband being an EMT immediately said that was the underlying issue and went and gave me a huge glass of water. I drank it and eventually fell asleep still in pain. The next morning I opened my eyes only to realize that the horrible headache was still fully present. I have to be honest I became a tiny bit scared. By 10am Saturday morning I drank three large glasses of water and then is when I began to feel slightly better. The pain was gone but not completely... it was hovering over me threatening to come back again full force for the rest of the day but I filled up my water cup each time it was empty.
Yesterday and today were much better than Friday and Saturday but I'm still not 100% percent. I feel weak from the pain and exhausted as well... My husband informed me that what I experienced this weekend was more than likely Heat Exhaustion. You see... we are from the hot hot desert in Southern AZ so although here in the Midwest we are experiencing "Excessive Heat Warnings" it still does not compare to the heat I experienced my whole life in AZ... yes even with the humidity. The mistake I made was not drinking enough water while working my tush off on the farm that Friday morning... because I felt "fine". In fact the three hours I spent harvesting and weeding vegetables that morning I don't recall have one single sip of water till I got into my truck once all the work was done. Big Mistake!
My point is... take this heat seriously folks... no matter where you are. Drink Water! It is so important! As always, my mother is right... she always describes me as a flower in a flower pot and if that flower is not tended to and watered properly then it begins to wilt and become frail. She always told me that I was no different and that if I want to be strong and bright then I need to drink more water. Needless to say after my little experience this weekend, the second my cup is empty I am at the refrigerator filling it up again.
Remember how important it is to nourish your body by hydrating it... Do not wait until you're thirsty because that means you are already dehydrated. If you know you're going to have a hard working day in the heat... begin drinking your water BEFORE you begin your work... do not make the mistake of letting yourself wilt away.
On the drive home I could barely stand it. By the time we got to our house I could barely walk upstairs to our bedroom because the pain was so bad. My husband asked me how much water I had to drink that day and it was then that I realized I had MAYBE two glasses... IF that. My husband being an EMT immediately said that was the underlying issue and went and gave me a huge glass of water. I drank it and eventually fell asleep still in pain. The next morning I opened my eyes only to realize that the horrible headache was still fully present. I have to be honest I became a tiny bit scared. By 10am Saturday morning I drank three large glasses of water and then is when I began to feel slightly better. The pain was gone but not completely... it was hovering over me threatening to come back again full force for the rest of the day but I filled up my water cup each time it was empty.
Yesterday and today were much better than Friday and Saturday but I'm still not 100% percent. I feel weak from the pain and exhausted as well... My husband informed me that what I experienced this weekend was more than likely Heat Exhaustion. You see... we are from the hot hot desert in Southern AZ so although here in the Midwest we are experiencing "Excessive Heat Warnings" it still does not compare to the heat I experienced my whole life in AZ... yes even with the humidity. The mistake I made was not drinking enough water while working my tush off on the farm that Friday morning... because I felt "fine". In fact the three hours I spent harvesting and weeding vegetables that morning I don't recall have one single sip of water till I got into my truck once all the work was done. Big Mistake!
My point is... take this heat seriously folks... no matter where you are. Drink Water! It is so important! As always, my mother is right... she always describes me as a flower in a flower pot and if that flower is not tended to and watered properly then it begins to wilt and become frail. She always told me that I was no different and that if I want to be strong and bright then I need to drink more water. Needless to say after my little experience this weekend, the second my cup is empty I am at the refrigerator filling it up again.
Remember how important it is to nourish your body by hydrating it... Do not wait until you're thirsty because that means you are already dehydrated. If you know you're going to have a hard working day in the heat... begin drinking your water BEFORE you begin your work... do not make the mistake of letting yourself wilt away.
