First Responders Update 

By Kelly Gordon - sifrpresident@gmail.com 
President, First Responders 

For those of you who read my article last month about hydration, you’ll especially find this story ironic. 

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were playing pickleball. I’m well aware of the signs and symptoms of dehydration and am always looking out for them in people around me. I noticed my husband was sweating profusely, and I made the comment, “You need to drink more fluids than you sweat out.’ He drank an entire 32 oz Gatorade and followed that with water. 

Later that afternoon, he seemed sluggish but insisted he was just tired. We went to play ball again, and before he left, he guzzled a bottle of water. During the games, he was taking breaks to drink another 32 oz Gatorade. He started to get irritable, and I knew he was extremely dehydrated. I made some sarcastic comment about the timing of this based on my last article. 

We left the courts and came straight home. I gave him 32 ounces of water, another Gatorade, and a powder for athletes who risk becoming dehydrated. Sadly, it was too late. He was beginning to have extreme muscle cramping and much pain throughout his body. I had to call First Responders, and he was taken to the emergency room. Three bags of fluids later, he was ready to come home. His sodium levels were dangerously low, and he really pushed it to the limit. 

The moral of this story is simple, becoming dehydrated regardless of how much fluids you drink before, during, and after being in the elements isn’t impossible. I know better. He knows better. We did everything we could have done. His mistake was playing ball again that afternoon. I should have implored him to stay home. Instead, I let him talk me out of what I already knew.  

I try not to be redundant in my articles. However, I think it is warranted here to repeat myself. The temperatures in Savannah are brutal, and if you don’t pay attention to what is going on with your body, it could be catastrophic. Please make sure you don’t ignore the signs. If you are sweating more than you’re drinking, you’re on a dangerous road. 

There are several things you can do to help alleviate the risks of dehydration. There is something called Liquid I.V. and another product called Drip Drop. They’re both available at drug stores and most grocery stores. It’s important to prepare and not wait until it’s too late. Just drinking water isn’t enough when you’re outside in dangerously high temperatures. 

Yes, my husband learned a valuable lesson and will never again make the mistake of ignoring the signs of dehydration. Moreover, I learned that when someone is compromised, they cannot make important decisions that are putting them at risk. 

In hindsight, my husband was having muscle cramps the night before in his feet and legs. He probably already was on the precipice of dehydration the minute he started playing at 8:30 a.m. that Sunday morning. Because I’m so vigilant about practicing what I preach, he became complacent and annoyed with my nagging. He always thinks he knows better, and I’m being paranoid. 

Don’t ignore the signs. Listen to your body, and if you see someone you think might be at risk for dehydration, speak up! Be aggressive, and do not let them talk you out of what your intuition is telling you. Like I mentioned last month, pay close attention to your kids. Even when they tell you they’re not thirsty, MAKE THEM DRINK. 

Stay safe, everyone, and please do not hesitate to call Skidaway Island First Responders (912-355-6688) for all medical emergencies. We are here to help in any way we can! 



This article was originally published by The Landings Association on their website.

Visit landings.org to read the original article.
https://landings.org/news/2020/06/23/first-responders-update%C2%A0