This afternoon, I decided to go outside and exhume my car from its snowy blanket, and run the heat to thaw some of the ice on the windows. I was about 3/4 finished when my body screamed “STOP!” I got really dizzy, became very thirsty, and my fingertips, which did get wet, were also extremely painful.
As a woman on the cusp of 60, I’m probably at low risk for a heart attack, but for a few minutes there, this is exactly what I feared was happening to me. I got in the car and sat there for 10 or 15 minutes, and when I felt like I could walk back into my place, I did. It took a while for my fingertips to thaw out, but when I did and the dizziness completely passed, I made a cup of hot decaffeinated tea.
That was scary. Nothing like that had ever happened to me before!
That sounds like carbon monoxide poisoning? Good that you got out of there and be careful next time to ensure the engine has adequate airflow and isn’t venting exhaust gasses into the cabin.
Nowadays, I try to clear the snow off the car (typically in old grubby clothes and work boots), come inside, change into something more suitable for work (suit and tie and dress shoes, in my case), then go out to start the car and drive it.
The pain in the fingers is fascinating. I get it and the pain is so intense I’ll start crying. Apparently being extremities the body constricts the blood vessels pretty quickly. When they start warming the vessels dilate but your brain still thinks you’re about to get frostbite so it sends out the danger alarms of pain.
I started cleaning the snow in my driveway and sidewalks while it was still snowing Friday night here in SE Michigan, we had already had almost 4 inches of heavy snow. My GF’s son is staying with us this week and asked me why I bothered doing this and I informed him that its easier to get it done now instead of waiting until it piled up. The snow stopped later that evening and we went out and did a clean up.
That night it thawed a bit and the next morning that wet snow has turned into ice sheets on other peoples driveways. Then he realized why I went all out the night before.
About 30 minutes on the first, waiting for my GF to get back and pull into the garage. Then went out two hours later when it stopped. Was out their for 45 minutes doing a second pass on the driveway and then the sidewalks. All is still clear because the wet snow is done and all that falls now is dry due to the cold.
Did burn out the belt on my snowblower when I got to the street, had to shovel finish.
Couple of people died in our vicinity shovelling snow yesterday or day before maybe. Lots of warning on the news to just take it easy.
When we got up yesterday our neighbours sons had shovelled our drive. So sweet, but we don’t have a car or drive any longer! Still I know they’re just looking out for us.
-22c here, (-7f), we haven’t been outside all day today, except to grab firewood from the crib!
I was able to get out today, mainly because I had a parcel that I needed to get shipped. (Mission accomplished.) Anyway, as I finished clearing my windows, a teenage boy who lives next door to me stopped by and asked if I needed any help. I told him I was fine, and thanked him for offering. I should add that, in typical teenage-boy fashion, he was wearing a hoodie and slip-on shoes, in zero degree weather.
I did message the person who ordered my item and told him that there might be a delay, after he placed the order on Thursday evening and I went to the nearby grocery store that has a USPS substation, only to find out that while the store closed at 10pm, the customer service desk closed at 7pm. So, I picked up some chocolate chip cookies while I was there.
Glad to hear that you’re all right! I hope that it’s not a heart issue in your case, but I just want to point out that heart disease is the leading cause of death among women.
“Over 60 million women (44%) in the United States are living with some form of heart disease.2 Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States and can affect women at any age. In 2021, it was responsible for the deaths of 310,661 women—or about 1 in every 5 female deaths. Research has shown that only about half (56%) of US women recognize that heart disease is their number 1 killer.” Women and Heart Disease | cdc.gov
I was feeling cocky that I was out in -13 American degrees, shovelin’ up a storm (literally). Switched to a smaller shovel so I’d be lifting manageable amounts, and it took four trips outside.
But I finished our walk and path to the front door, and the Ayers Rock of snow that the city plowed onto the bottom of the driveway. Then did the neighbor’s as well. All this while pushing 70, woohoo!
Of course, I could really feel it the next morning (when I tried to get out of bed…).