fainting

Hi all.  Yesterday my husband and I went for a walk, which we have been doing every day for the past few weeks.  We were about a half mile into the walk, and suddenly I felt very light headed - like a head rush.  I stopped and leaned forward, and the next thing I knew I heard my husband telling me to talk to him. I was out for three to five seconds, just laying on my back on some grass.  I haven't felt light headed at all since my surgery, and had no symptoms prior to this episode.  Needless to say it has me freaked out.  I got up and we walked back home taking a short cut.  Once home, I ate a banana and drank some cranberry juice.  I read in the literature I have been given that low sodium can cause faintedness.  I have emailed my doctor telling him what happened.  Has this ever happened to any of you?  Now I am afraid to drive, go on a walk etc.  Two days prior I did the same walk alone with my dog.  Yikes!

I just talked with my surgeon. He said I might have been dehydrated, and wants me to make an appointment with my primary care doctor to have my blood pressure and other blood work(?) done. He also wants me to schedule an appointment with him sometime this week. He also said my electrolytes could have been low as well. I am not sure why I need to see both docs. You would think his office could do whatever my primary care doctor will do. I am drinking a gatorade right now. I sure don't want to faint again.

summerstorm said...
you were probably dehydrated! you gotta be really really really careful! you may think you were drinking enough, that happened to me a good bit at first.

 You became dehydrated a lot, or you fainted a lot, or both?  I was told by a woman who has had an ileostomy for 14 years that a good way to check for dehydration is to pinch the skin on the back of your hand, and if the skin stays pinched after letting go that it means you are getting dehydrated.  She also said that if you start to feel itchy around your stoma it can mean you are getting dehydrated.  I must pinch my hand a hundred times a day!  I guess I will up the pinching frequency, and follow it up with a swig of water!

i just was getting lightheaded alot at first, and soon realized that if i drank alot after that i would be ok