Dizzy Dame Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 I live by a routine in order to keep myself from truly feeling how sick I am. I only leave the house for certain reasons, I don't do anything strenuous ever, I usually stay in my apartment with its AC, plentiful electrolytes, salt, all my happy medications etc. Because of this, I know I'm sick, but rarely feel the full wrath of my dysfunctional body. But today I got a reminder of just how messed up my body really is when I got stuck in my buiding's elevator.At first I was okay (like for the first five seconds), but then the overflow of adrenaline started. My whole body flushed and I could feel my blood-pressure spike...of course this was less brought on by the elevator being stuck, and more brought on by the deafening alarm that went off when it did get stuck. Noise is always a problem for me, especially (I just learned) high-pitched ringing about 1 foot away from my head. Next my heart began going out of control. Had I had a watch, I probably would have clocked it at over 160 bpm. I was already sitting on the floor, so in an attempt to not pass out, I thought "I should lay down", but passed out before I got the chance. I came to almost as soon as my head hit the floor, felt like I was going to vomit, and still that horrible alarm was going off. The intercom came on and a woman asked if I was alright, and let me know I should be out of there within a few hours! A few HOURS!!! I groggily told her that I had a medical condition, and in a few hours I'd need an ambulance at this rate, and asked her very kindly to turn off the alarm. She said she'd work on it.Then the heat set it. The thing isn't airconditioned and the shaft has vents onto the roof that blow warm air into the elevator. Normally, the doors open on the nice cool floors regularly enough to keep it below 80, but when the doors are closed for a long time, the hot air just blows in, and before I knew it, I was trying to sweat out all my gatorade, but failing since I can't sweat properly, and meanwhile the nausea was getting worse. Before I knew it, I threw up and began to cry because I realized that a few hours with no fluids in my system, and none to replace the fluid I was losing, was going to land me in the hospital.Bottom line. I'm now out (obviously), but even though I only spent 40 minutes in that box from h*** I'm going to have to go to the ER for IV fluids...which I'm getting ready to do as soon as my ride comes. I know I'll be sick for days because of this too, which makes it even worse Thanks for letting my vent. I love my body, I love my body, I love... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunfish Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 lauren-i am SO sorry about your cruddy afternoon. ggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. i am SO frustrated for you.hang in there...hope you're able to get "pumped up" (fluid wise) without too much hassle. melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurehope Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 I'm so sorry you had to endure such stress. May it never ever happen to you again. God bless you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Tired Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 How horrible! I know what you mean about the alarm... It would have set me off even without the heat! So sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 lauren,i am so sorry that you were stuck in the elevator. hope the fluids helped you.elevators are one of my enemies. i always feel sick in them when they get up or down. in feel like throwing up even when i?m in my wheelchair. luckily the only really high building i have to into now and then is the hospital, which isn?t my favourite place to visit anyway corina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJVDK Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 I am so sorry to hear about you bad day! I hope you start feeling better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sstephan Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 Sending well wishes your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labas_2u@shaw.ca Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 Oh Lauren, I hope you are going to be o.k.Give us an update as soon as you can.Wishing you the best,Maggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Dame Posted July 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 I just got home from the ER. Got 2 bags of fluids but I'm still pretty nauseous and shaky. It's amazing how only 40 minutes in that hot little box could make me feel so ill. Before I got sick, that would have only been an inconvenience!Thanks everyone for all the well-wishes! Your support means so much to me Off to bed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJVDK Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Get a good night sleep! Glad to hear you are back from the ER! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunsetParadise49 Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 I'm glad that you are back from the ER. I'm sorry that you had to go through all that. I'm so glad that they had you out sooner then what the lady had said. Feel better!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzygirl Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 OMG!!! lauren!!!!!!!! I am ssssssssssOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO very osrry for your bad experience in the elevator!!!! i truly hope that you are feeling better tonight after recieving fluids.. and i hope that the next few days wont be too tough on you..hang in there dear!big hugslinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Dame Posted July 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Thanks again everyone for your good wishes I'm feeling remarkably stable today despite yesterday's nightmare. I think the IV fluids really did the trick to keep this from becoming a long drawn-out POTS hole. From now on, I'm carrying gatorade everywhere I go, even if it's just to check the mail! That way I wont EVER get stuck without my precious electrolytes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Hi Lauren,Just reading your post got me anxious as I am always concerned about getting stuck in an elevator mostly because of the HEAT! I am so reactive to even mildly warm settings, that I do not even make appointments in the summer where there are elevators because the minute I get in one in the summer I feel my air is cut off. God bless you for getting through this. I wish there was some kind of device that blew cold air in us like an oxygen tank (mini) that delivers oxygen.....just so we could carry it in the summer in case of an emergency. Heal fast. " I love my body. I love my body....." SUCH a struggle sometimes!Patricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacquie802 Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Hi Lauren,I feel so bad about what happened to you in the elevator. I avoid them at all costs. I have walked up flights of stairs even though it takes me 20 min.! I know not everyone can do that, but just the thought of being stuck in an elevator gets me panicky..Glad you made it out and you got some fluids....Hope your feeling better soon.....Did they ever figure out what happened to the elevator??Jacquie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Dame Posted July 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Thanks Jacquie,I'd avoid elevators if I could. After yesterday I don't know if I'll ever be okay riding them again. No I never did figure out what happened. If I had to guess, it'd be something got caught in its gears, because it was definitely trying to move, but seemed stuck in the same repettive jiggling... . I know the elevators in my building are constantly breaking. Sometimes they break with no one inside them, yesterday one happened to break with me in it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4cem Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Sorry to hear that especially in this heat. I hope you are feeling better after the fluids, and keep cool and stay put the rest of this weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingLight Posted July 30, 2006 Report Share Posted July 30, 2006 That is definitely my idea of a nightmare come true! UGH! I definitely have a fear of getting stuck in an elevator! Always have, even before POTS.You are quite the trooper through it all. I'm surprised, after what you told the woman about having health problems, they didn't just send an ambulance right away! But, thank goodnesss you were not in there for HOURS and that you got some IVs and didn't crash as you thought you would.I am like you...having to be very precise about my routine to stay within limits of my system really going haywire--I'm not exactly very successful no matter what I do these days, but nonetheless...the littlest things set me off. And, like you said, events like these are reminders of how fragile our bodies are...As you may or may not know, elevators aren't exactly my friend...seeing as my first ANS storm, and the beginning of POTS started in the elevator in the Empire State Building! Don't think I'll ever go up in that elevator again, even if I am well enough to! Hugs, Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Dame Posted July 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2006 A POTS storm on an elevator in the Empire State Building? How exotic, and terrifying! Yes, elevators are bad places for health problems. Lauren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia3 Posted July 30, 2006 Report Share Posted July 30, 2006 Sorry Dizzy..that is one of my HUGE FEARS being claustrophobic. STUCK in an elevator. i can NOT imagine going thru that..and the loud noise on top of it...plus hot and stuff.Even with my POTS I will walk up 3-5 flights of stairs and choose the tachycardia and rest along the way.If I DO get on an elevator and more thana couple people get on, I have to excuse myself and step off.oh and ALWAYS EMPTY your bladder before getting on an elevator!!A screaming bladder makes me so symptomatic by it self.ALso some elevators move quicker than others and the G force TRULY makes me ill. Others have a 'shimmy' to the cable and makes me motion sick.11 years ago I used to go see a radio friend and sit in the studio while they were on the air. Due to security in the building, the ONLY WAY IN was elevator! No door handle to stairs from lobby. OY VEY. I HATED IT. And one time, I got to the floor where I was going and the doors didn't open. I PANICKED and saw the OPEN DOORS button and thankfully, it opened them. SHEESH. Talk about adrenaline RUSH.Glad you got thru it ok but that CERTAINLY woulda rattle my cage for HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingLight Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 hey lauren! exotic is a nice way of putting it! hahaha. that cracked me up. it was such a nice preview to the next eight years, ya know? and how the tilt test would be for me!sophia...the only thing my POTS doc can figure out as a reason for what happened to me (w/o going into gory details, cause i've already done that enough about it on the site...in a post with merrill about her getting sick in the elevator at her work)...anyways--the elevator in the empire state building goes up pretty fast, so he guessed that it was the acceleration that caused the blood to pool and subsequently the first ever POTS spell. but, it turned into one of my nightmare storms and i was up sick all night long throwing up, diarrhea, heart pounding, chills, shakes, sweats, heart pounding, and on and on.terrifying is a good word too lauren, b/c we had NO clue what was going on and were on vacation in NYC. in the building i'm trying to sit in the lobby with my head b/w my legs and the security people are freaking out. they weren't exactly friendly about my 'issue'! okay, goodnight! i am guessing that is an elevator you have to ride frequently????? yikes!em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dionna Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 wow! i thought taking the stairs was rough! i am going to be terrified of that from now on. i hope you can get better quickly. best of wishes.dionna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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