Redneck in training
Elite Member
I am almost 66 years old. Based on doctor report I am in very good health. I have never been seriously sick until very recently. It is a story about how generally healthy guy can die just few months before retiring.
Here it goes. I commission control systems for living. The job requires worldwide travel, lot of idle sitting in the office and very little physical effort.
I was working in UAE last year. The job was not going well and it was hot outside so I tended to stay in AC in my office doing very little. One day while walking to breakfast I couldn't keep balance and everything around me was spinning for a while (based on what happened few months later I most likely had a mini stroke). I went to see a doctor who told me I have typical symptoms of dehydration and gave me prescription for electrolytes. Nevertheless even after a week of electrolyte therapy I felt out of shape, tired and could not climb three flights of stairs without stopping. I attributed it to the heat and kind of ignored the symptoms. My next job was in Venezuela. It was the same story. They couldn't get the plant started; it was hot and humid so I again just sat in the office surfing internet for about six weeks. Because I felt even worse than in UAE I avoided physical activity as much as I could. Fortunately the client decided to release us home for the holidays. I made it home one day before Christmas and wrecked all the holidays by being grumpy, throwing presents on the people just to be done with it and by general unpleasantness. About a week later on Saturday my left calf swelled and was painful. My wife, despite my resistance, made me to go to hospital emergency. The doctor just looked at my leg and me and immediately put me on the wheeled bed and told me not to move. They gave me a shot of something, did ultrasound and found two blood clots. One behind my knee and one in my ankle. Next they put me on CAT scan and found bunch of small blockages in my lungs and lungs almost full of liquid. I was told that if I would wait till Monday to see a doctor I could have been dead sometime on Sunday. I spent about a week in hospital before they let me use toilet by myself and released me home. Now six month later I am still on Varfarin, have to have my blood checked for INR every week while working in another tropical country where it is hot and humid. The job is again not going well but I have my daily routine walking around climbing stairs etc to get at least some exercise.
I apologize for typing the story in such a detail. I don't want you feel sorry for me. It was self-inflicted injury. I want you to learn from my experience. Sitting and doing nothing can kill even generally healthy guy. So guys and girls out there keep moving so you can live. And if you have symptoms like I described go and see doctor before it si too late.
Here it goes. I commission control systems for living. The job requires worldwide travel, lot of idle sitting in the office and very little physical effort.
I was working in UAE last year. The job was not going well and it was hot outside so I tended to stay in AC in my office doing very little. One day while walking to breakfast I couldn't keep balance and everything around me was spinning for a while (based on what happened few months later I most likely had a mini stroke). I went to see a doctor who told me I have typical symptoms of dehydration and gave me prescription for electrolytes. Nevertheless even after a week of electrolyte therapy I felt out of shape, tired and could not climb three flights of stairs without stopping. I attributed it to the heat and kind of ignored the symptoms. My next job was in Venezuela. It was the same story. They couldn't get the plant started; it was hot and humid so I again just sat in the office surfing internet for about six weeks. Because I felt even worse than in UAE I avoided physical activity as much as I could. Fortunately the client decided to release us home for the holidays. I made it home one day before Christmas and wrecked all the holidays by being grumpy, throwing presents on the people just to be done with it and by general unpleasantness. About a week later on Saturday my left calf swelled and was painful. My wife, despite my resistance, made me to go to hospital emergency. The doctor just looked at my leg and me and immediately put me on the wheeled bed and told me not to move. They gave me a shot of something, did ultrasound and found two blood clots. One behind my knee and one in my ankle. Next they put me on CAT scan and found bunch of small blockages in my lungs and lungs almost full of liquid. I was told that if I would wait till Monday to see a doctor I could have been dead sometime on Sunday. I spent about a week in hospital before they let me use toilet by myself and released me home. Now six month later I am still on Varfarin, have to have my blood checked for INR every week while working in another tropical country where it is hot and humid. The job is again not going well but I have my daily routine walking around climbing stairs etc to get at least some exercise.
I apologize for typing the story in such a detail. I don't want you feel sorry for me. It was self-inflicted injury. I want you to learn from my experience. Sitting and doing nothing can kill even generally healthy guy. So guys and girls out there keep moving so you can live. And if you have symptoms like I described go and see doctor before it si too late.
Hope you stay well and on top of the normal things that come with age.