Too much water and too little salt?
@Rohvannyn (3098)
United States
August 5, 2016 9:26pm CST
A friend of mine just came back from the hospital. He's a coworker and generally a really cool guy. Anyway, the reason why he went in is he got sepsis (blood infection) and it was so bad they had to amputate a leg at the thigh.
When he got to the hospital, though, they couldn't operate right away. Why? Because his salt levels were dangerously low! Now this guy eats a LOT of salt with his food, and eats processed meats like bacon and ham, but apparently his salt levels were so low that if he hadn't had the sepsis, he still might have ended up in the hospital. They ran a bunch of saline into him and then did the operation.
The interesting thing here is, even though he eats lots of salty foods, he also drank about a gallon of water a day. This is easy to do in our climate, with how hot and dry it is.
Now he's out of the hospital, feeling much better, and his doctor told him to drink at least two sports drinks a day. He has the sugar free kind.
Who would have thought?
4 people like this
6 responses
@CinnamonGrl (7086)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
6 Aug 16
Wow, poor guy! I hope he heals well. I had septicemia from a kidney infection once, luckily penicillin worked really fast. That's what happens when you don't get to the doc fast enough, let it be a lesson everybody heh heh.You gotta get an infection taken care of quick.
I wouldn't have guessed that about the low salt. Everything about our bodies is a delicate balance, I guess.
2 people like this
@CinnamonGrl (7086)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
7 Aug 16
@Rohvannyn Glad to hear he's all right. Scary
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
6 Aug 16
That sounds like an uncomfortable experience! He's healing quite well, doing okay without his leg actually, and is being warmly welcomed back by half a call center.
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
7 Aug 16
@CinnamonGrl I'm happy about it too. He's a really cool guy.
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
6 Aug 16
True. I didn't know it was possible to do for a normal person!
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
6 Aug 16
what and how long has it been going on that it led to amputation at the thigh? i mean what were the symptoms and did the doctors say it was too much water that caused it? was he also low in other minerals or vitamins?
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
6 Aug 16
He had an injured foot that wasn't healing. He hates doctors so he didn't go to see one and figured it would eventually heal. The foot kept getting worse, and eventually he went - by then he was getting fevers and such. The doctor said "go to the hospital, now!" He did, and when he got there they said that not only did he have blood poisoning, but he also had salt levels that were too low for surgery. Now that he is better, he is limiting his water intake (on doctor's orders) and supplementing with sports drinks. He feels a LOT better.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
6 Aug 16
the leg will take some adjustments too I have no doubt, hope he does well!
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
7 Aug 16
@Rohvannyn I am glad for him! I have a feeling many would find the mental adjustments more problematic than the physical ones.
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
6 Aug 16
It has but he's attacking the adjustments with vim and vigor, working toward maximum independence.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
6 Aug 16
most folks don't seem to realize that our bodies 've a higher content 'f salt than sea water. salt's most important. i'm saddened that he lost his leg, but glad to hear that the operation went well. hopefully his recovery'll do the same.
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
6 Aug 16
He's actually doing better, in a lot of ways, than before. Not only that but he now knows beyond the shadow of a doubt how many people car about him. Thanks for stopping by.
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
6 Aug 16
@Rohvannyn i'm glad to hear'f 't, hon. yer welcome :)
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
6 Aug 16
Hard to say that now - there are so many kinds. But you can make your own. Imagine being prescribed to drink them!
1 person likes this
@sallypup (69247)
• Centralia, Washington
6 Aug 16
@Rohvannyn I was thinking of gatoraide.
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
6 Aug 16
@sallypup I like coconut water quite a bit.
1 person likes this
