My struggle this past week was with dehydration. I could never understand how an otherwise healthy person could end up in the ER for it, but I totally get it now.
This entire month has been a rush to get tasks completed, and drinking was an afterthought. I've dramatically decreased my salt intake lately, so I haven't often felt thirsty. Frequently, the realization that I should grab some water would come at the most inopportune times: in the middle of changing a diaper, giving little boys baths, or right after I would sit down and get comfortable. So I'd put it off.
In the past the symptoms of dehydration were obvious for me...dry skin, cold sores, headaches. This time I had been pretty sore and achy for a couple weeks but I didn't think much of it. I thought I had contracted a mild virus. I must've conditioned myself slowly enough to very little water that I didn't realize how bad it was until I found myself paralyzed by an excruciating muscle spasm in my back. So bad that when I tried to stand up the burning pain made it feel like my spinal cord was going to be severed. I had been laying clothes out on our bed for Mass the next morning. Eli was at work; the boys were in bed. I ended up face-down on our bed, unable to move for ten minutes. After a while I slowly slid feet first off the bed and dragged myself painfully across the floor into the kitchen and chugged a bottle of water. When I could get off the floor I took some ibuprofen and layed down on a heating pad. The searing headache came on later that night.
The next three days my muscles felt as if they were at war with each other, taking turns seizing up on me. I've never had so many cramps and charley horses in my life. I ate bananas and pickles like they were manna from heaven, and drank water and Gatorade around the clock.
I'm happy to report that besides a small twinge here and there, the spasms have ended. I was able to rehydrate without ending up in the hospital. This girl has learned her lesson. Drink your water!
My food intake has taken a backseat this week to fluid intake. And that is totally fine with me. It's good weather for soup anyway.
10 pounds to go! This brings my total weight loss since February 2 to 62 pounds.
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