Saturday, October 13, 2012

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART


     If you've wondering about the photo of me on the right side of this page bare-chested and wearing a helmet under the “ABOUT ME” profile, wonder no more. Earlier this year I fainted as I was getting out of my car and was lucky enough to have had an alert parking attendant catch me before my head hit the ground. It was a scary experience - - - blacking out for a few seconds 


and then coming to in the arms of a strange man. It is hard to explain the unnerving experience of having  ‘the lights come back on’ - - - not knowing where you are or where you’ve been.
     Emergency Medical Services responded in minutes and took all my vitals, gave me oxygen and in about fifteen minutes I felt better. They wanted me to go to the hospital but I declined and had to sign a waiver. The incident occurred at our Clubhouse and it seemed half of the members passed by as I sat on a bench. I lost all the color in my face, my head was down. Embarrassing! 
     This was the second time I had fainted. The first time I was in a swimming pool, but fortunately I came out it quickly and held on to the edge of the pool until I recovered.
I went to my cardiologist, who couldn't determine the cause. He had me wear a Holter Monitor (which continuously measured, for a week, electrical activity of the heart) and everything was fine. That accounts for the white pads and wires attached to my bare chest in the photo.
     I was plenty scared, for the first time in my life, and Judy and I went to Target to buy a helmet, which I wore for several weeks, even in public. That's how frightened I was. Eventually I decided to shed the headgear because as I stood in the buffet line for dinner the strange glances I received and whispered comments began to wear on me.
      In case you never noticed the picture of me in my “ABOUT ME” profile you needn't have bothered to read this posting.

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