I can say it, now that it's over; I've learned my lesson.
No matter how beautiful the spring berries, no matter how good-for-my-heart the Cheerios, no matter how refreshing the lactose free milk - I cannot eat cereal for breakfast. I've proven this to myself time and time again. I've proven this to myself since at least 1960.
I also don't need any extra vitamin B. I especially don't need to dose myself with ULTRA/MEGA strength, 24-hour timed-release, vitamin B complex. AND I do not need to do this a few minutes before a nice bowl of cereal and raspberries topped with the perfect amount of 1% fat, fresh, and cold Lactaide. AND if I DO, I really need to drink, drink. drink - water, water, water.
It was a lethal combination. I thought it was a heart attack, but the pains in my jaw must have been from gritting my teeth throughout the sweating, leg-weakening, heart palpitating, blood pressure rising event that lasted all day.
I slept with the door closed. I didn't want Kitty to be the one to find me. She has just got over discovering Squirrel dead by her bowl. I didn't want to call 911. Every time I've ever thought I was having a heart-stopping event, it has turned out to be an...
ANXIETY ATTACK. But no. Not that either. Because this feeling did not get worse or better. It lingered. No heart attack although precious heart was skipping beats, or adding them for all I know. No anxiety attack although a good solid breath was hard to come by.
So naturally, I began to think like Dr. Neighbor. What had I done differently lately? Hmm. Changed my diet and, when THAT made me weak, added vitamin D for energy? Yep. And the D was being released continually for 24 hours into my system. I was not drinking enough water to adequately flush it. AND as soon as I woke up, I was doing it again.
People used to laugh at me for self-diagnosing. One physician accused me of trying to self-medicate when I was telling him about the (then Rx) Flonase. I drank a glass of water every hour yesterday as I had taken the vitamin before figuring out the problem. I boiled a half dozen eggs. Spinach. Chicken breast. Legs still weak, cold sweat, dizzy, I closed the bedroom door on Kitty one last time. A good night's sleep.
The flush from (I forget which one) the B vitamins is gone this morning. Breath is easy; heartbeat, regular; blood pressure, normal. If I told Dr. W what I just told you, he would shake his head, give me some trite answer, and not believe a word of it. That's just how he is. Had he known on Sunday, he would have never got to the bottom of it without blood tests, consultations, and maybe a visit to the emergency room.
So, lesson learned. I am too old to change my diet, AND I will never supplement myself with a vitamin just because it sounds good on paper. If by chance, Corey goes on my Facebook page some time soon and announces that I have passed on, please know that it was not from a lethal combination of Cheerios and B12.
