And then it was foggy, silent and dark

Yesterday evening, I snuck out to Wal-Mart. I walked around picking up things (most of them things I didn't know I absolutely HAD to have) and then waited in the check out line. The person before me had some coupons for film developing that were causing quite a ruckus, and holding up my line for 10+ minutes. My items were on the conveyor, as were the persons behind me, so I was literally quite stuck. While trying to wait patiently, I suddenly started to feel funny. I got hot and lightheaded, and wanted to find somewhere to sit down and get a cold drink. But, I was stuck. My head started to feel heavy and thick, and then my vision went blurry and dark, and I couldn't hear. I remember thinking to myself a few things, one was "don't cause a scene!" and the other was "Maybe its a stroke and I am going to be deaf and blind forever?" My inner monologue is quite comforting.

I thought about abandoning my items and sneaking out of the line to a bench in the front of the store, but I didn't trust myself to even walk those few steps. I was sure I was going to pass out - only to wake up with a crowd of people staring at me and a siren approaching in the background. I told the person in line behind me that I was 4 1/2 months pregnant and thought I was going to blackout (letting someone know I was pregnant was my biggest concern), but I don't know if she understood me, because I couldn't hear myself speak, or see more than her outline in a dark blur. I fell to my knees, and rested my head on the side of my cart. I sat there for a few minutes, and soon felt okay enough to stand up. My vision was not normal, but okay, and I could kind of hear - like when you go swimming and get water stuck in your ear. I was still really hot and sweating like crazy. I glanced around me. The other customers were looking at me curiously, and the cashier had an expression on her face that looked like "Sheesh, the wait isn't THAT bad" and she apologized for the hold up. The woman behind me (that I had told I was going to black out) said "It's a mite bit hot in here dear. 4 1/2 months will do that to ya!" and whacked me on the shoulder. I remember thinking "Why didn't anyone help me?" but was also glad they didn't, in some ways too.

Eventually I made it out of the store and was freezing. My shirt and my hair was soaked through with sweat. I grabbed a coat from my trunk and wrapped myself up and cranked up the heater in my car. I reached for my cell phone to ask Cris to pick me up, but I had left it at home. I sat there shivering for another five minutes, and then I was completely fine. I actually felt good. It was the strangest thing ever.

I got home and told Cris what had happened. We paged my doctor, but when he took too long to respond I called the Mayo Clinic 'Ask A Nurse' line my work provides. She asked me a million questions from the color of my urine to what I ate for dinner, and decided it was not worth an emergency room visit. Cris was to monitor my speech for slurring and encourage me to rest. She said it may have been something simple, like a vein may have been pinched off by the weight of the baby, or my blood pressure dropped from standing (my bp is always quite low, especially when I am pregnant). Or, I could have anemia or gestational diabetes. (The diabetes made me wonder because I had grabbed a few milk duds to munch on on my way out the door. Hmm...)

I called my doctor this morning to report what had happened (the page must not have went through, because he says he never got it) and he encouraged me to come in for some blood tests this morning. So, hopefully, I should hear more tonight or tomorrow morning. I will keep you posted. What is up with all of this health drama lately? This isn't me! Maybe it's revenge for my last pregnancy being so uncomplicated? BAHHH!

But, I could be like Cris and look at the bright side. He teased me last night and said that I had created the perfect excuse, should I grow tired of my sisters wedding festivities this weekend. What an optimist, huh?