Starting to foam in the heat

[lizblackdog]

I'm seriously wondering if this heat is going to kill me.

can't eat, can't stop drinking, can't think straight, am soaking myself in cold water every few hours. it feels like the only thing keeping me alive.

mum is doing well at T's, Maisie is fine in London with E. I'm wondering if some of this isn't just the collapse now that the immediate responsibilities of having to rush round coping have been lifted.

however, I've been wondering for a while if there might be something wrong. I've always kept my liquid intake on the high side, but needing 5 litres a day is a bit excessive even for me. There's also been the raging thirst if I'm separated from something to drink for more than fifteen minutes, the faintiness if I don't eat in the morning, the incredible lassitude and foggy thinking - I never do well in the heat but this last week I've felt constantly hungover and I can't spend five minutes on the couch without falling asleep. None of this is normal for me even in the heat.

sister T phoned halfway through typing this entry and nagged till I made a doctor's appointment. the annoyance of getting there on foot/bus has put me off, there's no direct bus and I'm not up to walking far in this weather. however, I still have Mum's debit card (with permission) and Mum says I can get a taxi if I like.

doctor's appt, Friday 14th, 4.20pm. mustn't forget it.

forgive me if I don't comment much today. love you all. but my head's spinning and I'm going to go lie down.

Comments

[gwenhyffar.livejournal.com]

Right, stop drinking plain water right now.

You are actually in danger of dehydrating yourself by drinking too much water.

Your body needs salts in order to be able to retain a lot of the water (simplified explanation). By drinking 5 liters of plain water a day, you are flushing out the necessary salts from your system, which makes it hard for your body to retain the water.

You will need to switch to a rehydrating drink. Either get those sports drinks, or make one yourself.

Measure all ingredients precisely. Small variations can make the drink less effective or even harmful. Mix the following:

* 950 ml water
* 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) table salt
* 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 g to 60 g) sugar

Drink that.

Stop drinking plain water. NOW.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

it's actually been very diluted high-juice squash but I guess the principle's the same?

I don't think I have any baking soda in the house...

[gwenhyffar.livejournal.com]

It is the same, there is not enough salt in squash.

However, add some salt to your squash, about half a teaspoon to a litre of squash. That will make things way better until you can get baking soda.

Also, try adding some extra salt to your dinner today, or eat some salty snacks.

[bites-the-sun.livejournal.com]

Just the salt/sugar thing should be Ok - that's the basis of Diaralyte (sp?) that stuff they give you when you're dehydrated from throwing up or diarrhea or something. I had it when I had gastroentertitis and threw up and had the runs constantly for 24 hours, leaving me in a right old state. Funnily enough, after that, I had this INTENSE craving for Fanta and full-sugar Coke and had about six cans in a short period and felt massively better after drinking them.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

I always used to keep Dioralyte on hand for the animals but I don't have any at the moment. Funny, that. I have a recipe for a salt/sugar substitute for it and if it had been the dogs or the kittens I'd have thought of it at once.

but I never made the connection when it was me. hah.

[james-the-evil1.livejournal.com]

Squash??

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

hmm, I have dissolvey Vit C tablets which contain sodium bicarbonate. reasonable subsitute?

it's just that I think I'll collapse if I try and go out shopping now.

[gwenhyffar.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a plan to me!

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

OK. I am now drinking a concoction of dissolved Vit C tablet, squash, salt and sugar.

it tastes fucking weird and yet bizarrely satisfying, which I believe is my body telling me that was what I needed. thank you for that excellent piece of common sense when I was too brainfrelled to come up with it. :)

[kyra-neko-rei.livejournal.com]

Having read all this, question:

What the bloody blue fuck is "squash?"

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

It's a Brit thing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_%28drink%29

I usually remember to translate into American as I go along but I'm too hot today...

[james-the-evil1.livejournal.com]

Ooooo, blackcurrant...*makes note to check at the local Brit grocery*

[james-the-evil1.livejournal.com]

oh, you beat me to it.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

...I've drunk about a third of it and I feel way better. Woah. Clever you!

[gwenhyffar.livejournal.com]

Glad it worked! And glad you're feeling better, feeling lousy in this weather is really really shite.

We've got 33C here today.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

yep, that's about what it is here. all the animals are lying on the coldest parts of the floor like furry rugs of varying sizes. I keep putting ice cubes in their water bowls.