My first full day out since surgery 4 weeks out.
On Saturday, I went to the Big E, a huge fair here in Massachusetts, with my 5yr old and husband. I drank 25oz of water in the car on the way there. I ate a string cheese. We got there and it was over 80 degrees. I drank 40 more ounces of water while there. We walked about 3 miles including the walk to and from the car, in the hot sun. About 3 hours into it, I got very nauseous, my heart felt "heavy" and I was really irritable. I knew I should eat something. They had lots of meat choices that I could have a few bites of but I just was so brain foggy and worn out, I couldn't deal with making a choice. I drank another 20 oz of water instead. When we got in the car I looked at my face. I have never seen so much crusty salt on anyone before. It was on my face, neck, arms.. It was like sand. Why do we get so much more dehydrated than the average person? I drank 80 oz of water. Next time I know I have to bring my own food. I just didn't want to carry stuff everywhere..
Along with the dehydration, it sounds like you could have had a low blood sugar issue going on as well. It happens to me if I wait too long to have protein. I feel weak, grumpy, and can't form thoughts well. I forget what I need to eat, and can't make choices properly either. Brain fog is a great way to describe what I feel when my blood sugar gets too low. It's scary how quickly it can happen.
Your new normal will have to be bringing your own protein forward snacks/drinks along if you're going to be out for an extended amount of time, even if you need to carry a small cooler or insulated bag with ice inside. If you're dead set against bringing your own food, at least make sure you know of places you can stop to grab something quickly. Cheese sticks are always a good choice for me, but YMMV. If I'm in a real pinch, or need to get my blood sugar up quickly, I drink milk. Small bottles of milk are sold pretty much everywhere these days.
I woke up in between a memory and a dream...
Tom Petty
