You know how when something isn't right with us health wise we tend to overlook it so many times? Or we think those two things can't possibly go together, it's just nothing and will go away really soon.. Next time I will pay closer attention!! And so shoulld you.
In my last update blog I said as long as I followed instructions and took care of myself I would be fine... Well that was right and wrong. Dangerously misinformed wrong.
When I had bloodwork done through the ER the weekend before I was admitted to the hospital, through some messup my potassium was marked in the normal range so no one looked at the actual numbers. When they admitted me a few days later, they had already been pumping potassium into me through an IV when they tested my blood,so it came out at a very low reading but within normal range. So they kept me on it the whole time I was there.
When I got out of the hospital I felt better and things seemed to be getting closer to normal. Soooo....being the impatient person I am, 6 days after I got out I took off for Minnesota to be with Griz. Two days later I started having serious problems again. The good news is that I am here with him, have been for 2 1/2 weeks. The not so good news is, to make a really long story short, the pharmacist here and my doctor back home both said with everything going on I would have most likely died within a week if I didn't get things taken care of immediately.  I had looked at the actual numbers on my potassium level, cause potassium was the only thing that had actually changed in the hospital when I started feeling a little better and having some energy back. I got ahold of my doc from up here and he looked back at the numbers and called me in a prescription up here for a high dose of potassium.
I've still got some problems and still feeling kind of weak most days, but I'm much better than I was.
Do you know that when paramedics/EMT's answer calls to heart attack victims, that out of the ones they can't save, which is most unless they can defib them right away, over 85% of them are due to their potassium dropping too low and the heart can't go without it? Yeah, neither did I.....
It can cause so many different things to happen that most people, as I did, don't think they can be related so they don't say anything.
I would wake up with severe leg and/or foot cramps for no apparent reason. Always seemed freezing cold at night. My mind didn't seem to want to think correctly at times. Simple things seemed foreign and made no sense to me many days and I couldn't figure them out. Things I knew how to do.It was like I just didn't know how to think anymore. Severe constipation for over 2 1/2 weeks, no matter what they gave me to take.Or what I did or didn't eat or drink. Tired and no energy. Unlike my normal insomniac self. I would sleep 10-12 hours and still be tired. Every now and then my heart would pound fast and hard and I could feel it through my chest but about 3 days after I got up here it became constant and felt like it was going to pound completely through my chest. Especially after I went up or down the steps, or when I laid down.. I learned it was fighting to get any potassium it could and was on the verge of exploding if it had to keep working that hard. It hurt all around my kidney area. There were some other things but some of them were also related to severe diverticulitis and a couple gastric ulcers that were badly inflamed and bothering me. At least everything decided to happen all at once... Yes, I can laugh about it now.... lol But when they said I would have been in a morgue within a week, I'm surprised my heart didn't stop then and there. All I could think was Please God no, not yet.
BUT, my point to this IS, regardless of any health problems you may or may not have, please pay attention when you know something isn't right. Don't just figure it will go away and all will be fine.And even though the doctos may find part of the problem, if it still doesn't feel or seem normal or right, make them recheck things. It could be your life you are risking. And potassium is extremely important. It should not be below 3.5 or over 5.0. And some blood pressure medications can delete your potassium level.
Take care of you...Be safe...Be healthy and Be happy!!!
to those who emailed me asking about my health, this just seemed easier and hiopefully can get others to pay attention to their own at the same time.
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