Fainting: not that nice

[kribu]

It would seem that I'm a little more burnt out than I realised, if today morning is anything to go by. I don't think I've ever properly fainted before... panic attacks, near-fainting, dizzy spells, yes, but not full loss of consciousness and a rather more forceful contact with the hallway floor than I'd have liked to have experienced.

I have a feeling my left shoulder and hip (which seem to have taken the brunt of the fall, of which I have absolutely no recollection - when I came to, I did wonder for a while why I'd decided to lie down on the floor and not bed, where I was planning to head once I realised I was blacking out) will be somewhat black and blue in the coming days, but I seem to have been fortunate enough not to break anything. Apart from a strong bent in one handle of the glasses' (the only ones I have now) frames, which is now at a most awkward angle... usable but not very comfortable. Now I really do think I'll need a new pair of glasses.

And a small gash at the brow... I think the frames must have cut into the flesh. Fortunately it looks worse than it is, which is just a scratch, really, was just bleeding a little more as head wounds are wont to do... but I do have a bit of a headache on that side too. I suppose I must have bumped my head as well.

Pah. Not going to the office today, obviously, although after having lied down for a few hours I am feeling a little stronger again. I might even be able to do some work today. At least my sight and hearing seem back to normal and the terrible coldness is gone. I'm just a little shaken, which probably makes sense. I'm mostly just glad it hit me as I was going to have a shower and not five minutes later or so... wouldn't really have wanted to collapse in the bathtub

Comments

[elen-ancalima.livejournal.com]

Ouch! That definitely doesn't sound nice. Hope you feel better now.

Really looks like you've been having to do too much work lately - have been able to get well after your last sick spell, or is that maybe one of the reasons you're still a bit weakish ...

wouldn't really have wanted to collapse in the bathtub Indeed!

[kribu.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've really got over the cold properly, no... also I didn't sleep well last night for some reason (might have had something to do with people who thought that 2 AM on a Monday night is a good time for some fireworks, from the sounds of it, in our yard), so I was rather tired when I got up... I suppose it's just an accumulation of the exhaustion and everything.

Truthfully, I cannot even blame only the people in the office either, as - while I've begged for a holiday since the start of the year - I've been driving myself a bit too hard too since winter already, figuring that if I'm not to get a holiday, I might as well bury myself in work. Silly me, yes.

So I have ended up doing a lot more than I should have, really, and I suppose the project managers etc (especially the new people that have only joined us this year) have been taking it for granted that this is my normal workload and haven't exactly shied away from giving me more and more and more (although, yes, I have asked, many times, not to be given so much... but as I've still always completed everything I have been given, on time and with decent quality... I suppose they just have conveniently ignored my begging and figured it's perfectly okay to give me more).

[elen-ancalima.livejournal.com]

Meh - sounds like a bit of a tricky situation.

I suppose the project managers etc (especially the new people that have only joined us this year) have been taking it for granted that this is my normal workload and haven't exactly shied away from giving me more and more and more

Yeah, I can see that. Though they really should give you your well deserved holiday. Any idea if that'll ever happen in the near future?

[kribu.livejournal.com]

No idea about holiday, but I've been informed I should call a doctor and get a sick leave, and they're actually planning to take away most of the work I was given on Friday. :-O

[elen-ancalima.livejournal.com]

:-O

but I've been informed I should call a doctor

If only they knew what they were getting themselves into ... ;-) But definite yay to the taking away of workload!

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Yes... sadly not quite that kind of a doctor. ;-)

Anyway, I'm getting at least a week's sick leave, with strict orders to rest, eat as much fruit & meat as possible (as I might be lacking iron), take multivitamins and go for walks.

And she (our doctor happens to be our downstairs neighbour) had heard the "thud" apparently in the morning. Thinking something heavy had fallen over. Heh.

Goodness!!!

[ozymandiasrex.livejournal.com]

How terribly dreadful! I have never fainted before either. It would have been much more convenient if you were sitting on your bed at the time, saving glasses-bendage and head-gashings and the like.

Feel better at once!!!

*hugs and fluffs*

Re: Goodness!!!

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Of course, if I'd been sitting on my bed at the time, I'd probably have fallen head first into the bookshelf I'm sleeping behind and crashed together with that... but at least the glasses would be okay, yes. :-D

Re: Goodness!!!

[ozymandiasrex.livejournal.com]

Heh...yeah, but you would have had a stunning scar ala Harry Potter to remember it by. ;)

Re: Goodness!!!

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Yes, instead of the small pointless one I'll now most likely be left with for a while. :-D

Well, it is a small scratch as head wounds of mine go, but it does seem deep enough to leave at least a temporary scar. Oh well, another one to add to my forehead scar collection. ;-)

Re: Goodness!!!

[ozymandiasrex.livejournal.com]

I do hope you are feeling better today and that any bruising is minor. Your level of fatigue must have been completely overwhelming.

Ouch, that sounds nasty!

[(Anonymous)]

Fainting definitely doesn't sound like fun. I really hope you can rest enough, and piece yourself back together.

I have never fainted, but I've come close to burning out. You see, my heart isn't apparently among the most reliable mechanisms on Earth, and it can be whimsical... it can go out of tune and start behaving as if everyday activity was difficult, if I don't offer it enough rest and just enough excercise so it would know what "difficult" means.

Well, I once offered it neither, and the result wasn't too good. Got exhausted and dizzy extremely early... realized as much and went home. After a couple of days, same business. Oh well, went home early again.

It kept annoying me until I adjusted my lifestyle. Consulted a doctor (actually two) and they said it's mostly OK, but nothing to cheer about... so I should rest enough and excercise regularly, but never excessively. Also asked about stomach issues and got some advise, which by now I've converted into principles of how I ought eat if I intend to operate smoothly.

Since I had the possibility to fend off workload by simply going to work for 8 hours per day, I started doing that, also started increasingly often walking the trip between home/work, and things got a lot better.

Later on I took up biking again, and that must have helped. Changed my eating habits, starting to pay attention to eating regularly, as opposed to going for long periods without food. Also started picking edible stuff more for diversity and healthiness, as opposed to quick availability near the office.

Either way, pieced myself back to reasonable condition after a while, even if the available workload is such that if I'd fully embrace it, I'd fall apart again. Such was my transition from a workload-limited situation to a workforce-limited situation.

Best wishes, and please become well. :) Actually, I stumbled on this place so much later that I hope you are well already, so I hope I can wish "please stay well". :)

babelfish
(unregistered and unauthenticated)

Re: Ouch, that sounds nasty!

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the good wishes. :-)

I've not fainted again since, so I think that is good. I've had at least half a dozen anxiety attacks in the last week though, which is... less good, but as those ought to be more psychological and not so much indications of something being physically wrong, I'm hoping it's still just part of adjustment. And I have been seriously burned out and stressed this year.

My compulsory health check-up should take place this week, so after that I should hopefully know better if anything is actually wrong or if it's just been extreme exhaustion.