Hi All, i hope all is well with you guys, Now on to the topic at hand. I was recently on the Dialysis Discussion forum on facebook, and there was a deep discussion on the concerns of dialysis and being able to cope with the heat, well I am here to tell you, residing in California for a few decades now, I have had my bouts with the heat in the summer months. In the year 2004, I had been on PD for four years by then, and my family and I decided to attend the annual Crawdad Festival in Isleton, CA. Of course it was one of those very hot days, the temp was around 104 and steady rising. We arrived at the festival, and of course, had to drive around to look for an adequate place to park, and I was hoping it would be a parking area in a shaded area. It wasn't, but all in all, it was a close parking space. Walking around for about a 1/2 hr, with my daughter, I began to feel somewhat lightheaded, and there was a policeman, that was observing me, and ask me if I was OK, and I preceded to tell him, about me being a dialysis pts, and I think the heat was a little too much for me to bare, so he said, if you began to feel worst, the city has provided courtesy parmedic services. He then says to me, you are starting to look not so good (in a short of New York brooklyn type accent), so he said I should see the paramedics to be sure, and then he and my daughter took me by the arms and escorted me to the ambulance truck, that was parked under some trees, a few feet from the festival entry. As soon as I entered the truck, the paramedic took my blood pressure, and it was running low, around the low 90's, then they told me to lie down for a bit and they also gave me oxygen, as I was breathing sort of shallow as well. It was obvious that I couldn't tolerate a b/p that low, and of course, with all the perspiring that I was doing, it caused my b/p to plummet to this low reading. Now the trip that about all this, I got better within an hour, and my husband decided to end our festival excursion for that day, and we immediately returned home and my husband fixed me some chicken noodle soup, (because I remembered at the unit, they would give me straight broth, but I felt that I needed to protein in the chicken soup, and of course, it hit the spot, I began to feel better and better, but about a few weeks later, I get a bill in the mail, (for the paramedic services for that day), I was told by the policeman, that this was a courtesy service through the city), I became ballistic, when I was told when I called about this matter, that this was a bill, that I had to pay, well, my husband and I immediately took a trip to Isleton to straighten out this matter, and we went directly to the little town precinct, we were there over an hour, waiting on the outcome about this bill matter, and then the chief of police, i guess, told us, he wasn't aware of no courtesy paramedic service, that Isleton provides for the patrons of the festival, we went home very angry and simply ignore this bill, until a month later, I get a summon to appear in court. I never went to court, and for months and months, I didn't receive any bill or even a letter from then, and now it has been over eight years now, and it never showed up on any of my credit reports, so I said, maybe they decided to just throw this bill out, and I think it is mainly because their police department stated to me, that it was a courtesy service, so I guess they said, "My bad", right! (lol), but since then, I haven't been to the festival ever since, especially since I know I can't tolerate that much heat, I really should have known, that as a dialysis pts, that a temp over 100 degrees would effect me in a very serious way. This day, if it is over 95 degrees, I don't go out, even when I want to go power walking, I would wait until the sun goes down in the evening, and the temperature has dropped below 89 degrees. I know right now, the weather is pleasant here in the bay area of Calif, but for those, who live where it is very warm, and also my friends down under, be cautious of the heat, and do what is necessary to keep yourself cool at all cost. Stay Cool, Not a Fool! Until next blog, stay well, and compliant with your renal diet and medication regimen as best as you can, I know all too well, that is easier said than done. All the best to all my followers, and Happy Holidays! to all.
Glo
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