Thanks Aldo, I'm fine - ran 5 miles tonight. I was in the military also - the SAS in New Zealand. But I lost consciousness so fast - I only had a few seconds after I got off my bike and I was more concerned about how I laid the bike down (I know, I know!) than anything else and when I did go down I just laid down head down hill a little with my feet under the seat of the bike. I don't remember learning anything about anaphylactic shock and this was a first experience of it happening to me. I've gone through gruelling, physical stuff before - endurance athleticism remember Ecochallenge on TV? marathons, triathlons, etc but that was all what I did to myself and I was in control - I could have stopped (theoretically) at any time. This one caught me by surprise. I remember people saying or yelling - stay with us sir, etc I think that was in the ambulance. I kept thinking who are they talking to? Graham
On Jun 8, 2009, at 5:04 PM, Aldo wrote: > > Holly cow! That is crazy stuff. Here is a pointer if anybody catches > themselves or somebody else going into shock/losing consciousness. > Something > I learned in military EMT training. Lie down and elevate the legs > as much as > possible. If there is a wall (or motorcycle in your case) near by > than prop > the legs up against it feet straight up in the air and just wait > for the > blood to return to your head also warmth is important so have > somebody put a > blanket or jacket over yourself or the victim to keep warm. If > there is > nothing to elevate your legs than just lay flat on your back legs > at a 90 > knees in the air. Anaphylactic shock is a strange phenomenon the > silliest > things can trigger it sometimes, from a bee sting to a prick of a > needle to > a puff of tobacco. Hope everybody remembers this because going into > shock is > a shitty (excuse my language) and potentially life threatening > situation. I > am glad you are ok Graham. > > ~Aldo > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Graham Rogers > Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 5:41 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Nighthawk Lovers] Re: a close call - bee season > > > Hey you all, We had a bit of excitement here night before last. On > returning from a bike ride (NH 750), a bee flew in under my helmet > and stung me on the side of my forehead - at least I think it was a > bee. Within a minute everything started getting brighter and > brighter (this was at dusk) and then my vision started narrowing like > I was seeing down a tunnel that was getting smaller and smaller. I > realized (because of my keen insight) that I was losing > consciousness. I pulled over to the side of the road, managed to get > off my bike - kind of just laid it on my leg, and within about 5 > seconds was unconscious. A nice Mennonite couple found me on the > side of the road. Others stopped. Joan (my wife) showed up because > they found my cell phone with our # listed as 'home'. She (Mennonite > wife) happened to be a nurse and he (Mennonite husband) rode my bike > home to our place, locked up the house and left a note on kitchen > table. Amazing that they stopped, that she was a nurse, and he rode > motorcycles. I woke up in an ambulance being rushed to hospital . I > had IVs in both arms, apparently I had suffered anaphalactic shock. > Good thing I was out when they put in the IVs or I would have passed > out anyway. Well, I came to, they told me I'd been given a second > chance. > We got back from the hospital at 12.30 yesterday morning. I refused > to stay there overnight because of the $$ (no insurance) and someone > was coming for a motorcycle yesterday morning at 9.00 am. I'm a > little swollen all over but fine otherwise. I went for a bike > (mountain bike) last night for nearly an hour and all was fine. > So up till now I haven't been allergic to bee stings. I'm assuming > this was a bee. It seemed small. I didn't see it but felt it under > my helmet. It didn't sting as I remember bee stings, it was a > radiating kind of pain that spread over a couple of inches and puffed > up around my eyes. I remember the paramedics yelling at me trying to > find out what had happened and I thought I was yelling at myself to > answer them because I didn't believe it could be me in the > ambulance. I wasn't in one the last I remembered. It all seemed a > bit unreal. I'm training for a road race (running) and this has set > me back a couple of days - bummer, (not a scratch on my bike > though), Graham > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.57/2163 - Release Date: > 06/08/09 > 12:30:00 > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
