First - Owen's team won their game on Friday night - it was beautiful. Couldn't believe it. They looked awesome doing it which was the best part. Great fielding, great pitching (Owen didn't pitch, he played first). We were all so proud.
But then Saturday game. Any of you sit out in the heat at noon watching a baseball game? No? I didn't think so...ya wanna know why? Because it's ASININE, that's why. They didn't lose horribly - it was 8-2. Owen pitched the last half, but by that time he was baked. And not in that good, college "dude you are soooooo baaaaaaked" kind of way. It was that "dude you are playing baseball in polyester pants and dark blue t-shirt in 110 degrees" kind of way that makes your brain fry. Literally.
We had a two hour break between games, Owen cooled off, seemed much better and off to game two. He sat in the shade, kept drinking fluids...really took it easy pre-game. But then, it all went badly. Pitched 9 runs in the 1st inning...ouch...and hit a single in the top of the 2nd. When he came off the field he was bawling and holding his head. We cooled him down but it wasn't enough. He couldn't go back into the heat without his head pounding. When the nausea set in we were off to the ER.
We started with him tossing his cookies in the reception area. Nice.
We ended with he and his friend Luke cutting it up in the ER. Between Luke and Owen and Kevin, we were cracking up. Yes, we're following up with our normal doc. And his allergist. Yes I'm a whack job for getting out my camera in the emergency room. Hey, it was all a part of the tournament experience.
I did everything I was supposed to do. I subjected Shay to the same liquid regimen as Owen since he was staying with us. He ran off the field in the middle of the first game because he had to pee so bad. Didn't even stop at the dugout first...just ran straight to the bathroom. Whoops. Coach Kevin yelled at him until he realized I was the one that made him drink so much. Whoops again.So now I have to find out if his allergy meds make him more susceptible to heat. Or if it's just him. And what I can do to make sure I don't have to worry about this again...because he kind of freaked me out when he said "my brain feels like it's not connected and rattling in my head."
Ummm, yeah, we're going to the ER.
*Blogger isn't letting me upload my photos right now. Keep checking back...they'll be here...
26 comments:
Oh, yes, I remember those glorious days. Now picture a triple header-three different kids each at a different time and different field- 10, noon, and 2. No shade, no time to eat, and dragging a baby in a playpen from field to field. (Sorry Meggie) Took a cooler of cold towels and kept soaking kids down. Begged ice at all the consession stands. I think they felt sorry for me and the kids.
Who makes up these diabolical schedules anyway?
To heck with the diabological schedules, what's with the officiating organization letting kids play when there is a heat advisory in effect?????
By the way, you need to be aware that since Owen has had a heat stress episode, he will be more susceptible to repeat episodes . . . and at lower temps.
As someone who has had too many heat stress episodes, I've found that the one thing that helps me avoid future ones is taking a couple aspirin beforehand when I know I'm going to be out in the heat(if you wait until the headache hits, its too late). I'm in the SW so that's almost every time I go out in the summer. And, I'm never without water (and a follow-up dose or two of aspirin if I'm going to be out for a long period of time).
Colleen - thanks for the tips...I've heard that since Saturday when this happened...that once you fall victim to heat exhaustion, you are more susceptible. That's one of the things that worries me. I'll talk to both of his docs and see what I can do...
Joy - we did the wet washcloth around the neck thing to try and cool him down. I wanted to do his ankles, but I didn't want his shoes to end up sopping wet!
Alright, someone has to bring a touch of manhood to this blog. The fact remains that atheletic build character within youths. These are the experiances they will remember when they are older and the mear (p.s. I can't spell) fact that they accomplished it makes them a winner. Whether or not the score reflects that. Also, if you think Owen was hot on the pitcher's mound, let's not forget about the kid catching with all that gear on. Oh, they were fun days if you ask me.
Finally, hasn't Owen ever heard that there is no crying in baseball? Are you still raising a hairdresser?
As far as hydrating a child, water will not do it alone. Gatorade, Poweraide or whatever has electrilites will be more beneficial to the athlete. It suprises me about that kid that had too pee. Usually that is not a problem with the amount of sweating that is taking place....
I'm just kidding on that last comment.
Mom's got a great point. The icey towels make a hell of a difference.
Now, I have to lay my disclaimer about not having kids and that I am not a doctor and that I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express. These are just my thoughts as the occurrances relate to my childhood.
How come there was never any heat stroke 18 years ago? Because nobody knew about it. Just like a.d.d. or a.d.h.d or whatever the hell you want to call it..
That one probably got me in trouble.
The kidding comment applies to the hairdresser comment. I was rolling a little bit.
Ok, damnit. Why is everyone a VICTIM?
I had a whole regimen, Jimmer - water in the morning...propel fitness water prior to game time...gatorade during game time...water post-game and start the whole process over again. They had a special thing on the news on how to best keep yourself hydrated last week, so I did what they told me.
When he yakked in the waiting room it was everything he'd had to eat/drink since the end of game one. His body stopped processing his stomach contents, so everything he drank for game two never got in his system. That is a very dangerous place to be because it means your body is heating up to a level it can't perform regular functions.
I'm not saying they shouldn't have played. I'm saying...out of 5 teams...all of whom had doubleheaders on Saturday due to the rainouts on Thurs...why is MY kid, who was properly hydrated the ONLY kid to have problems!!!!! That's worrisome. And people did have heat stroke back in the day, Jimmer...I passed out after almost every single Popcorn Parade. He comes by it honestly, I just don't want him to die, because people do and are dying just this morning from heat.
I never got a cool towel. I don't remember Megan being in a playpen at my games. Oh, yeah, you guys didn't come to my games if the boys had a game.
Hum.
And Jimmer - if you're going to stir the pot...they didn't know what to call a lot of things 18 years ago...20 years ago...25 years ago...but medicine advances, research advances and we can put a name to things people didn't understand. AIDS started off as the "gay cancer" until they figured out that it wasn't cancer at all but an autoimmune disease. They didn't talk about cholesterol levels and good fats and bad fats and hell - smoking was ENCOURAGED and said not to cause ANY health problems. So yeah...you can suck it with the "why didn't they have this 18 years ago"...
What the hell is that last comment? Is it real? I'm not clicking it.
Um, yeah nice try Rebecca. Heat stroke being compared to the gay cancer? I don't think so, Bob.
Julie, let's sulk a little more. I thought you and your shrink had you over this by now. Maybe you need more wine.
Who died today? Old folks or what?
You still haven't addressed the Victim Comment.
That comment is garbage, so I deleted it.
People die from both, Jimmer. My point is that there are a lot of things that we didn't know about or talk about years ago that are now common place. Some of it is bullshit and some people use it as an excuse. But heat stroke has always been around...as has heat exhaustion. And they can be quite serious, and there are meds that can make it worse for you, antihistimines falling in that category. When I'm already raising an asthmatic who takes 4 medications to control his asthma twice a day, that's cause for concern and cause for a discussion with his physicians.
I'm not sure what the victim comment meant, actually...so I chose to ignore it.
If you're making it because I'm looking at his meds to find out if that caused this, then yes...I'm afraid Owen might be a victim of side effects of medication. And I am looking for something to blame because it doesn't make any sense, and when things don't make sense with regards to your children's health that causes fear. And my fear as a parent would be unknowingly subjecting my son to medications that could potentially cause him harm. So then my job as a parent and a person is to find out if that's the case and how to rectify it. If the doctor's say it's not the meds, then I need a better plan to hydrate my son, because again...5 teams of kids were playing that day...that's roughly one hundred kids...now let's count the siblings who were running around and playing...maybe 120-130 kids were out in that heat all day actively doing something and that's just at THAT ball field. So why is Owen in the ER yacking his guts up and needing IV fluids before he could even act remotely like himself? Yeah, it was hot. damn hot, africa hot. But I can't be worried that everytime Owen gets overheated I need a barf bag and an IV. It's not normal, it's not right and I would like for it to change.
They used to say cocaine was not addictive either, my two dollars worth to the conversation, hope Owie gets and stays better
To weigh in on this, everyone has a different level of heat tolerance to begin with. And yes, some meds can make you more heat sensitive.
I had my first encounter with heat stress wa-a-a-a-y back in 1974 - riding a bike for a couple miles at 1 p.m. with the temperature at about 114 (yes, Fahrenheit - told you I'm in the Southwest). I had a splitting headach that lasted for almost a day and a dip in the pool and several cold showers did nothing to cool me off. And as Rebecca pointed out, Jimmer, we didn't know to call it heat stress, heat exhaustion or heat stroke then. I was just overheated, as we said back then.
The heat is bad enough but add the Midwestern humidity to it, and you have a very hazardous combination. That's why you guys have been having heat advisories issued - it's not an over reaction.
And this morning I think it was the elderly that died due to heat...
But last week Jen said there was a little boy who died from heat exposure in her town.
In response to, "AIDS started off as the "gay cancer" until they figured out that it wasn't cancer at all but an autoimmune disease."
Cancer is an autoimmune disease.
Really? Not in anything I've read...I think some cancers can be autoimmune diseases...and people who have autoimmune diseases can get cancer as quoted here in a cancer research website:
"Examples of some autoimmune diseases are
* Rheumatoid arthritis
* Multiple sclerosis
* Inflammatory bowel diseases
* Skin conditions such as, psoriasis
There are cases in the medical literature that has reported different types of cancer developing in people who have an autoimmune disease."
And here:
"We do know that some people who have problems with their immune systems are more at risk of getting some types of cancer."
I don't think cancer is an autoimmune disease. No cancers are listed in this table of autoimmune diseases...
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/autoimmune.html
and neither is aids for that matter, which I find interesting. Guess I learned something today. I guess AIDS doesn't specifically and automatically erroneously attack healthy tissue, so it's not an autoimmune disease at all.
Huh. Who knew.
Heat Stroke, Heat Exhaustion and now Heat Stress? What the shit? How many names are there.
Ok, I too want Owen to be a healthy kid and not to miss out on the stuff kids do. Not one little bit. But, it just seems to me (Remember my disclaimer, I don't have kids) that things are really not that different thant they were years ago, except for the way we react to them. Kids get sicker a lot more often that when I was a kid. However, we are a much cleaner society (around the household) which to me says that kids don't build up the imummities like we used to.
Maybe I just miss the good ole days...
Who's the cancer expert and welcome to this blog.
In response to Jimmer's
question above about how many names are there - it's all a matter of severity:
• Heat cramps. This condition occurs when the body has lost too much mineral content through sweating. The cramps typically occur in the legs or abdomen. For treatment, drink fluids and take it easy.
• Heat exhaustion or heat stress. This is a more serious condition. The victim may display either a pale or flushed look, as well as weakness, sweating and clammy skin, a headache, dizziness or nausea. Cool off the person by fanning, and applying cool compresses. Have the person drink fluids slowly. The victim should lie down with the feet elevated slightly.
• Heat stroke. This is the most serious form of heat illness, and it can quickly lead to death. Signs are chills, confusion, a rapid pulse and dry, hot, flushed skin. Call for a doctor immediately. Cool the person down as quickly as possible, using a water hose or ice packs, or placing the person in a cool bath. Apply rescue breathing or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if necessary. Do not give fluids by mouth to a person who is unconscious because this can cause him to choke to death.
Well, I hope I never employ such tactics and thank you for the information.
I must say that I am stressed and exhaused of this topic and I hope I do not have a stroke because of it...
tee hee hee.
Born in the 40's, grew up in the 50's and 60's, no air conditioning - how the hell did I make it to 62? But then we had no TV till the late 50's and no Nintendo or Playstation, and no organized sports either. Played in the empty lot on the corner and went into the basement when it got too hot. And yes, we did have days that were in the 100's. We just knew better than to run around in the sun and played it cool, man! Real cool.
Well, I have to jump in on this topic after hearing on the news last night that a high school student collapsed and died during football practice in the heat. And, having said that, I will say this. If there is a heat advisory out, or, if you use you head and figure it out for yourself that it is hot as hell out, limit the physical activity. That baseball game should have been called. No ifs, ands, or butts about it. It is NOT WORTH THE RISK NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON, CENTURY, NAME YOU WANT TO GIVE IT. Kids and the elderly are more sensitive to the heat, and throw in medication, you have a double whammy. Period, that's it.
I think there are a lot more environmental factors than there were years ago contributing, too, Jimmer. More cars burning more fuel, more businesses burning more fuel...more additives and preservatives in food...and more medications, like what Owie takes, that can change a lot about the way we handle everything including heat.
And as for the cleaner house - I gotta say, I think that's one reason Kev-head gets sick so easily. His mom kept their house SPOTLESS...therefore no immune system.
I'm happy to report I don't have that problem. My house only gets cleaned every 3 weeks...and that's only because I pay someone to do it!! HA!
You know why I don't get sick? My house get's cleaned once every 7 months. Just did it last night actually...
So, about this heat. Are you suggesting I should consider not playing softball at 7pm tonight?
Only if there's lightning...
It's considerably cooler and there's no direct sun beating down on you at 7. But due to the heat and humidity. You should be pushing your fluids...and by 'fluids' I don't mean 'beer'. ;)
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