Set off from the Briars as I do on most Tuesdays and Thursdays for another low heart rate un/walk. Though it was hot at around 10:30am, there was a good breeze and the session was light n'easy. Finished feeling fine walking up the grassy hill but the minute I stopped I began to feel terribly nauseous and dizzy. Intending to rest, I managed to get myself to one of the sets of table and chairs in the shade, just a few metres further on but feeling more and more ill with every step.
I sat down and then I don't know what happened or how long after sitting but I came to, to find myself on the ground; it happened in a flash; no warning, nothing until I regained consciousness! No idea how long I was out to it, but I think only a few seconds. I realized this was serious stuff going on so got myself into the Briars, wobbled across the dining room where guests were having lunch and asked one of the staff to call the ambulance!
Into emergency at Bowral Hospital where I was hooked up to all sorts of contraptions and blood samples taken several times during the day. Seems that the blood tests showed low sugar levels, dehydration and some enzyme that's released into the blood stream when there's been some heart damage. Allowed home later.
Next week I'm to have a stress test, called a Myocardial Perfusion Scan, at the Nuclear Medicine Centre, Bowral. I hope to know more about what happened then and will post here any results I get. Oh, what a day it was! And, mistakenly, I deleted that run from my Garmin and I'm so cross with myself, because that's the one run I'd have liked to check my heart rate!! Anyhow, I know I was keeping at 98 to 108 bpm so I'm certain I wasn't pushing myself at all; quite the opposite, I was taking it easy. You never know what's ahead....around the corner or, in this case, at the top of the hill!!
Add-on : 5/12/16...Found out that Thursday's test will take from 4 to 5 hours! Wondering if lunch is included?
Add-on : 6/12/16...GP this morning; episode at Briars Inn after running, heart related. No running till results are back from this Thursday's stress test. I suppose walking is OK; forgot to ask; not the same thing!
Add-on : 7/12/16... 10:45am and no more coffee, tea, chocolate or anything with caffeine until after tomorrow's stress test! Sheesh! Call from the place where I have to go tomorrow reminding me no coffee, tea etc. and filled me in on what to expect.
Add-on : 91/12/16... Well! What a day yesterday! Rotated for 5 hours with 5 others through the various stages of a Myocardial Perfusion! Stage one : an injection of a radio active tracer; Stage 2 : Wait 45 minutes; Stage 3 :Pictures taken of heart resting; Stage 4 : dismissed for 45 minutes to roam the main street of Bowral, got as far as Quirkee Birds fashions!; Stage 5 : back at headquarters, Dr gives injection through cannula of drug that puts the heart under stress as if having exercised .. what a break... no treadmill or bike needed! Felt hot, flushed, headache, just like after a hard run! More pictures taken of heart under stress and..... free to go home! It was all OK except for the long waits in between each stage and no tea or coffee for 24 hours. Results to come!
Add-on 15/12/16...
Quote from results : "Normal myocardial perfusion study....tolerated the vasodilator infusion and there were no ischaemic changes in the ECG. There is no scan evidence for reduced coronary perfusion reserve. There is normal ventricular systolic function. Good left ventricular wall motion....etc.."
However, a cardio echo test is to come to rule out valve obstruction. So why did I faint after a run? No one is sure yet and I might never know, but my guess is dehydration and not having eaten anything before the run. What am I going to do about it? First, wait for echo test and if that's OK resume the run/walk training I was doing prior to the collapse 2 weeks ago today but start earlier, find a shaded course, drink plenty, use electrolytes, eat something before running eg. half a banana, cut down to 45 mins. max. over summer months and...... trust it never happens again!
Bowral Parkrun Christmas Lunch at Zen Oasis, Medway.
Norma I am so pleased that you were able to get through Briars to call an ambulance. The whole emergency department thing is so protracted and drawn out that one wonders if you've done the right thing. In your case, there is no protocol for an elite 87 year old half marathon runners! Thinking of you many times a day. In bocca di lupo! (Good Luck in Italian)
ReplyDeleteThanks Carolyne! In this case the system worked perfectly, I'm happy to say, from start to finish. I couldn't have wished for better except for the whole incident not to have happened at all!xx
ReplyDeleteThat was dramatic! When I collapsed at home last year and hit my head on the floor the docs thought dehydration (and 'messing up' the balance of electrolytes) could have caused it. I'd been doing long easy rides and thought I'd been drinking enough, but obviously not! I'm not sure that the stress test will show anything as you're in remarkable shape physically. Cut back the time/distance on warm days. I've been running twice daily some days so I don't sweat too much on any one run.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ewen, I tend to agree that it's nothing more than heat, dehydration related, especially the latter. Gave me a scare though as it did to you too!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo! Hope the results are good tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ewen. I'm expecting an all-clear otherwise I'd have been called in sooner.....I think! I hope!
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