Posted on 08/12/2020 7:52:08 AM PDT by Mrs. Warrior
When my husband was stationed to a joint assignment on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I learned a hard lesson regarding acclimating to the heat. Our children, who were now young teenagers, and I went for a hike on a walking trail in the De Soto national forest. There were wooden walkways over a swamp and corduroy logs defining the trail. It was hot and extremely muggy in the cypress and pine forest.
We made it almost to the turn around point but I started to have chest pains and couldn't breathe. My hero son ran back to the trail head to go get help while the girls and I sat down on a log for a long wait. I felt like I was dying and the girls put their hands over me and prayed. I was thankful for their caring hands and prayers and believe it was God answering their prayers that sustained me.
Soon an older man arrived carrying a medical bag. He was very much out of breath. “Are you okay?” I asked him. He checked me out and declared “we need to get you to a hospital”. “Have you seen my son?” I asked. “He is with a NPS ranger until your husband gets here.” He got on his radio and talked to the ambulance driver. “What do you mean you're lost?” He told me they needed to get a helicopter to come get me. “Where is the helicopter going to land” I asked him? He told me “ it will hover, over the trees and they will lower a basket to hoist you up”. That was not going to happen! If I didn't have a heart attack already, I most certainly would die from fright! Plus I wouldn't leave my girls out here by themselves!
Finally another EMT arrived with a wheeled stretcher. He checked me out as well and said the ambulance was at the head of the trail. He had me get on the stretcher and strapped me in. I told my girls to follow close behind us. He started pushing me over the corduroy walkways.
I was holding on tight. I looked down at the swamp and at one point saw a big water moccasin! It was moving fast towards us. I screamed, “Snake!” The EMT yelled and nearly tipped me over into the swamp, strapped in and all! He said “you made me think I was about to step on one!” Another EMT was heading toward us, when he heard the scream he started to run across the planks of the walkway we were on. The old wood started to bounce the cart got airborne for a second!
“That's it” “I said “get me off this thing!”. “I feel better and can walk the rest of the way”. I was beginning to feel swamped! Man, what else can go wrong? They agreed that it was probably safer if I was able to walk. One EMT walked with me while the other pushed the stretcher. Then, I heard the high pitched screaming of our girls! I had an adrenaline rush of concern. My chest pain actually felt better, guess the extra blood flow was beneficial!
My girls came running up by themselves. “What's wrong? I asked. “The EMT saw a snake and he tried to throw the cart at it” they exclaimed!. “So where's the EMT at? I asked. “He tried to get the cart out of the swamp and he told us to go get some help”!
The rescuers needed rescuing! The EMT who had been walking with me said he would go help the other guy. “Mom” my girls said, “sometimes its nice to have Daddy with us”!
As we made it back to the trail head parking lot, our son was waiting with the Ranger. I hugged him and told him “I am so glad to see you. You did a good job of getting me help”! The Ranger had contacted my husband at work and he arrived shortly while we were at the Ambulance.
While I was sitting in the back of the ambulance, as they were treating me with nitroglycerin, oxygen and an IV, we heard a commotion and two mud coated men came out of the woods cussing. “Where is the gurney?” the driver a of the ambulance asked. “In the swamp” they said. “It's your fault, you know” one said to the driver. “How do you figure that?” the driver asked. “If you hadn't gotten lost, we could have picked her up at other the end of the trail!” Someday someone might find it and wonder how it got there. That would be a story that only a few people know!
Once I was stable, the EMTs told me I could either ride with them or my husband could take us all to the hospital for a through check. We elected to ride together and we went to the Keesler AFB hospital where I was treated for heat injuries!
Mrs. Warrior, please don’t do that again!
And Mrs. Sivana asks me why I am not up for hikes!
Going for a hike in the heat is best reserved for folks used to doing both.
Heat ailments will sneak up on you. And then, you sit down—pass out—and bake.
At best, you wake up with a helluva headache.
But, it sounds like some over zealous responders. Usually some water with electrolytes and 20 minutes will get you back on your feet and out to the trail. I always carry some electrolyte mix with me when I am out on the trails. You never know when you will come across someone who wasn’t prepared.
HA HA! Moral of the story: hiking in the SE US in the summertime is a miseryfest. I know- I did it yesterday.
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