NYE 2013 ... Fainted 3 min after the stroke of midnight!
 

I felt really good 12/31!! I felt fun and silly and really wanted some adult time w/ my husband (if you know what I mean). And on a whim (like 4pm) my husband and I decided to go to dinner at a small mountain town and stay the night at a friend's B&B that we get at crazy awesome reasonable rate. We were just going for the night, then back home.

I go to all the trouble before we leave of hair, makeup, and find something nice to wear. This is a BIG deal for me. I usually don’t expend my energy in that area much anymore.

So we get into town and to the restaurant fairly late, about 9:30 pm, excited to get a table and get fed. We order a nice dinner and a glass of red wine to ring in the new year. When we got to the restaurant we were unaware that they are having a masquerade ball and ball drop at midnight. So really this became a people watching event for us (kind of fun), as we had no idea this is what they had planned and really we just wanted to eat.

We eat dinner. We have a glass of wine, we have dessert and coffee. By this time it's about 11 p.m. and I am starting to feel like I'm ready to leave BUT it is only an hour until midnight so we decided to stay till then, and then leave immediately.

So around 11:15-ish We order one more glass of wine to have something to toast in the new year. I bet I had one MAYBE two SIPS of this glass as I am really starting to feel WEIRD! I start feeling REALLY nauseous, and almost drunk. Again, I had not had that much to drink (one full glass of wine). I ask my husband, what time is it ? He says 11:40p.m. I am now feeling REALLY, REALLY weird but am holding on for midnight and then we're outta there.

Again I ask... what time is it? He says 11:55 p.m. And I think; Thank God, it's almost over and we will leave.


Stroke of midnight! Woo hoo... Okay, we have a quick smooch and the band and patrons begin to sing auld lang syne. I bet it's not more than 12:03 a.m. and I say to my husband, again, I feel weird/bad!! Now I'm feeling like I am going to vomit right there at the table! I am trying to decide if I can make it to a bathroom, or just get the heck outside. I said... honey I FEEL REALLY WEIRD AND I'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW! He had already had a credit card out to pay our tab. He understood and was trying.

At 12:03 a.m. while singing was going on and after I made my statement of I have to get out of here, I stood up (in my mind I’m headed outside) and that is the last thing I remember.

The next thing I see is my husband over me (I'm on the floor) and he’s yelling my name at me repeatedly. Checking to see if I'm breathing! I also see TONS of people in masquerade masks, and some saying, "are you okay"? The house lights are ALL on and blazing bright! The band has stopped. I am confused!! I am looking at my husband’s face which is in sheer panic and concern. I start to tell my husband "tell them!" (all these people at the place hovered around and over me, looking down at me on the floor), "tell them honey". He doesn't know what I mean by this and starts to tell them "she's my wife!" I'm like NOOO, and I say, it's okay, it's okay, I have a Neurological disease. I'm okay now. I felt sure they were thinking a) she's wasted b) she is having a heart attack or any number of things.


Husband trying to find his wallet and credit card that was on the table, now on the floor. People were so nice and trying to help us. We collect our things and leave. We are sitting in the car and I am having my husband fill in the blanks because I can't remember a darn thing from the time I stood up.

So apparently I go to stand up at our table to walk out of there. I collapse forward unconscious! The table is giving way and pushing down and forward at us (we had been sitting side by side at a table for four). Very FULL glasses of RED wine that we really hadn’t touched, and glasses of water, and me now tumbling at us/him. My husband was seated to the right of me. He now has all this coming at him and is pushed back on the back two legs of his chair about to fall out of his chair himself. Someone pushes him forward as to regain four chair legs on the floor. I guess the table pushed me back and I fell backwards and I believe there was a large group of people directly behind me that broke my fall. Thank God and yet I pray I didn't hurt any of them.

Here's what I know as we're leaving. I am dripping wet, not a little... like SOAKING wet in alcohol, water, whatever. yuck! I was SOOOOOOO embarrassed, humiliated saying things like “I hope I didn't ruin your party”. “I'm SOOOO SORRY”!! Trying to speak at the management staff so that they can clearly see that I AM NOT DRUNK! Not even close!! They were trying to figure out if I needed an ambulance or what.


So like I said, we're sitting in the car talking, reviewing, trying to come to grips with what the hell just happened. I am thinking/saying wow, this is crazy because I feel so much better now! No more sick feeling. My head feels clear, etc. He pauses.... I see that he has begun to weep. But like most men, wipes/dries his eyes and quickly shakes the emotional stuff off. I scared the crap out of him.... and me too!

I’ve had days of this weird feeling recently, but had no idea the end result could be collapsing!! As recent as driving my daughter somewhere on Christmas Eve. I just thought MAYBE it’s some vertigo stuff. But it felt different, and I knew it. You know, denial works right up until it doesn’t!

Wow guys.. things are getting scary! It took until the end of day yesterday for all this to really hit me, emotionally anyway. So I plan to call my doc today. I'm all done driving until we figure this out, and that sucks more than I can express. It’s devastating really. What the hell am I going to do to get my kiddo from school, etc.?? I am feeling more and more robbed of my independence. I’m one of the most independent people you’ll ever meet. Fiercely independent!

I had to tell my children, especially my youngest (11 y/o) last night what to do if it happens again and they are alone with me.

So I am starting to cry guys.... I'm gonna go for now. I am so tried of all this friggin CRAP! I mean… really… really sick of it!!

Vrae honey, I'm so sorry. I'm not surprised you are freaked out by what happened, especially the cruel scenario where you are out in public trying to have a nice time for once....I think we all dread that. Try not to feel bad about it, it happened TO you, you didn't cause it.

This is indeed a sick, mean, heartless disease that can take the fun out of any moment. I don't know what the answer is, but seeing your doc and stopping driving until you have some answers is a good idea, for your own safety if nothing else. I do hope he can find at least a partial solution for you.

I'm glad you've talked with your family about this, even if it was hard to know that they have to be affected by your condition. You have to understand and accept that you can't help any of this Vrae. It's not your choice. Your family (and we) know that you hate these things, that you want to be independent and adventurous, and do all the things you used to. It sucks. And that's putting it very mildly and politely.

I wanted to go into town for a few things earlier, had to ask my kids to go with me. My balance is rubbish at the moment (I can look a bit drunk and weavy on my own) and my knee sometimes goes from under me, so I'm scared to go on my own. I hate that. Hate that little sigh and resigned acceptance, wish we could have some fun instead... I overdid it anyway, toughing out through the pain so that we didn't have to leave too early when they were searching through a shop for some stuff for themselves. Now I'm on the sofa, ice cold ache well in progress, feeling fed up.

I'm not saying mine is like what you've gone through, just that I do get it Vrae. I get that you hate how your life has changed because of is, and that you would give almost anything to get back what you've lost. I feel the same. Sometimes I can't hold out against it, and I'll fall into a little black pit of despair and have a really black, bleak, sad day of pain and tears. Mostly I manage not to, and stuff those feelings into their little box, but sometimes something just happens and you have to let it out for a bit.

You'll be ok Vrae, you're so strong and positive, even if you don't feel like that now. You'll get through this time and find that smile and forward attitude of yours again. Believe in yourself, because I do :)

Lots of hugs from an understanding Bram who wishes she could give your hand a squeeze and say 'it'll be ok, it will..."

Bram :hug:

I'm so sorry this happened to you. It sounds very frightening. I had a similar experience once when I was experiencing spread and things were getting worse and worse every day (a couple of years ago now)...and it was very scary both for me and my mom who was with me at the time.

These things happen...but thankfully not often. It's not your fault and you shouldn't feel embarrassed at all.

Take care of yourself and I'm glad that up until this happened that you had a really nice day.

So sorry this happened to you, Vrae. I know how awful it is and it is definitely NOT how you want to start a New Year off! :hug:

Just wondered, have you ever been diagnosed with or has anyone ever mentioned POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachacardi Syndrome) to you? I have it and used to collapse on average 25+ times a day. Its caused by drastic changes in blood pressure that are often affected by sitting or standing for periods of times or going from sitting to standing too quick.

It might be something worth looking into as it can be associated with pain conditions and especially in those who are Hypermobile (I'm hypermobile and understand a lot of people with chronic pain conditions such as RSD are also).

If you want anymore information on it please ask. I'll be able to help you where I can as I know how awful it is.

Take care,
Alison

Oh Vrae, I am so sorry this happened to you. I know you and your husband must've been terrified. I understand how you feel, to a point. I come from a family of fainters, my mom, her sister, my cousins and some of my siblings, faint often and without warning. I am not near as bad as my mom and one of my sisters, but I have fainted a lot and most of the time it comes without warning. I have scared my husband many times, but he is used to it now...in fact, he knows to immediately get a cold washcloth and put it on my forehead. Fortunately, I have not dropped in public and I imagine that had to be terrifying and you should not feel embarrassed. Like the others said, you did not cause this.

You did the right thing in talking to your family about it, now if it does happen and your kids are there they will not be as shocked and surprised and scared. I do hope that you do talk with your doctor soon about this to rule out any other causes.

Glad you had a great date with your husband before this happened. Take care of yourself and keep us poted.

Hugs,
Nanc
:hug:

I hope you're okay! So scary it must have been. Could it have been your meds?

Im so sorry Vrae! I have epilepsy and theres nothing worse then having a seizure out in public! Its sooooooo embarrassing. I know its not my fault, and there's nothing I can do about it when it happens, but I still hate it and feel embarrassed about it when it happens in public. It freaks most people out and they don't know what going on and everybody is staring at you and you just want crawl in a hole right then and there. The worst is when people repeatedly ask "are you ok" "what's wrong" "what happened" " do I need to call 911" etc... Even if im at home and I have one I hate it, I don't want my family finding me having one because I know they panic and they are scared and I hate that. I hate having to tell my friends what to do if I have one when im out or when we go away for the day. I don't drive anymore, I take my medication and I do everything I can to try and controle the seizures, im not scared of them anymore, because I know there going to happen despite my best of doing everything I can to prevent them. I just hate it for everyone else because I know it still scares them. Hang in there! But I would recommend seeing a neuro because its a possibility you were having an aura and that's why you felt "weird" before the lights went out.

Also is it a possibility it was a side affect of your meds since you had a glass of wine? I know im on very strong meds and couldn't ever go near alcohol because of the side affects of the medication. And the fact that we have a weird condition which maybe the alcohol for some reason affected more strongly.

I am so sorry that happened to you. I just knew you were gonna say that you woke and everyone one around you freaked you out with all their costumes. That had to be scary.

Vrae - I am so sorry your date night turned out this way. You deserve to have fun. Definitly follow up with your doctor. Lots of things can cause fainting (my first time was at age 5); meds, viral illness, pregnancy, nutritional defecieny, dehydration, heart problem etc. Not trying to scare you, but you can't assume it is CRPS. Ask your husband if your body twitched at all when you went down, like a seizure. Lots of folks replied to your post. Can you feel the love?!

Oh Vrae,
It must sound cliche' but my heart does go out to you truly!!
I can hear the heartache in your post. You did nothing to cause this
moment. It happened to you! This monster disease with all the side effects
and side effects, who could predict such a moment?
THANK HEAVENS YOU WERE NOT RE-INJURED!!
I couldn't begin to guess, of course I'm not a Dr.
The only thing I can think of is that I cannot drink wine any more. I can maybe drink beer or maybe one mixed drink. It must be the sulfites/sulfates in the wine, but I just know even one glass gives me a headache and sick feeling.

I know the embarrasing feeling only because the only time I go to P.T. anymore is just after a Nerve (Stellate Ganglion) Block and I'm so "loopy" from being sedated I must look like a stumbling drunk.
:hug: Di