Heat Stroke & Panic Attacks

Tempertures around my part of South Carolina have been over 100 degrees for a few days. I have tried to keep myself indoors as much as possible but did find myself doing a PGR mission on Sunday, 6/30 for PFC Brad Thomas of Easley.  I find when the temperatures rise, people are different.  Some people are more angry and miserable based upon the uncomfortable temperatures.  Other people, like me, try to keep my cool by drinking plenty of fluids, not overextering myself and monitoring my own health.  I did help my friends Jessica Stokes and Edina Teague move on Friday.  The three of us moved in a UHaul and the bank sign said 101 degrees.  So I guess I did overextert myself but it was to help friends. For the PGR mission I was standing in the shade and they had the air conditioned church open so we could cool off.  Plus I figure this soldier stood in 100+ temperatures defending my freedom, it was the least I could do to pay honor and respect to him.

I remember having heat stroke after walking a March of Dimes walk. I was probably about 11 years old and Mom let me walk it with my friends.  I was in the New Bedford Armory (yes it is haunted) and I had just called her to come pick me up.  I remember being on the payphone and seeing that everyone looked black with shadow white outline.  Next thing I knew I was on a army cot with my feet up in the air and a cool cloth over my forehead.  The army guy was talking to me but I wasn't sure where I was.  I finally figured out that I had fainted.  Mom was there immediately and before I knew it was at home being taken care of by the best nurse in the whole wide world= MOM.  She told me years later that it was a heat stroke since I passed out cold and not just fainted.  My body temperature was too high. 

A few years ago I was at golf range shooting some balls around noontime on a hot summer day here in Spartanburg.  I got the feel I was overheating which caused me to start shallow breathing and then that led to a panic attack.  I am so lucky Rick was there telling me to "calm down" and put my arms up over my head (to open my breathing) and take long slow breathes.  It worked and made my panic attack go away but it scared me.  This was my second panic attack.  The first one was a doozie and didn't even know it was a panic attack.  I had just gotten to AT&T in Fairhaven to work and I wasn't feeling good.  I went to the ladies room to cool my face and try to get some relief.  Looking back now, I did have shortness of breathe but don't remember much other than the flush feeling of faint.  I woke up to hear my cousin Kellie talking to me. She worked at AT&T with me and when someone found me on bathroom floor, they called a manager. The manager then sent for Kellie since they knew we were related.  Kellie went to my Mom's house and got her to meet me at Emergency room where the ambulance was taking me.  I remember the EMT kept trying to get me to open my eyes but I couldn't.  He said he had one brown eye and one blue one and if I opened my eyes I would see them.  I tried..but my eyes wouldn't open and I still couldn't talk.  I got to ER and Mom was there.  I felt her big man hand in mine. Now that is not an insult.  Mom was a large boned woman who wore mens rings, bracelets and size 12 shoes.  Her hands were not a typical female hands. She had man hands but they were my Mom's.  Something so soothing to feel her hand on mine.  I kept saying BC   BC   BC over and over again.  No one knew why I was saying that.   Finally a ER doctor came in and my sister Janet, who was working up on Shultz floor of St. Luke's Hospital, told him I keep saying "BC".  He asked her if I scuba dive.  She said yes.  He said that is the buoyancy compensator that has 1st stage regulator that you breathe from.  I think I must of thought I needed more airflow so was saying BC to get more air.  I know I couldn't breathe. They gave me some Rx and finally felt better. Mom and Janet helped bring me home (I lived across the street from hospital).  Rick came that night to stay with me during the middle of work week. I felt like I went ten rounds with Mike Tyson.  I was so weak and my body was sore all over.  Now they tell me it was a full blown panic attack.  I never had one before and the other other time I started to feel the shortness of breathe with golfing, was the other time.  I am not on any medicine for panic attacks and actually feel fine.
I write this and think back to bad things that happened in my life and see how I was surrounded by people who loved me and helped me get through them.  I need those people around me when I am at my worst.  The question is.... will they be there for me?