Since Hurricane Ike decided to hit the Keys and cause evacuation the day of departure, we ended up not being able to go to Florida. So, we decided last minute to take a road trip west to Colorado.
We spent a few days with Guy’s sister in Colorado Springs and then a couple of days in Keystone, Colorado at The Keystone Resort. The elevation in Keystone was just under 10,000 feet and I got immediately ill. I couldn’t stay awake, had a terrible headache and on the last day I felt incredibly nauseous. I didn’t know what the heck had happened but I was certain it was something I was referring to as “mountain fever”.
Once we were back down at 4,500 feet in Colorado Springs (the elevation where I live is is only 900 feet if that gives you any comparison) I still felt sick for the next 24 hours and finally came out of it.
We went to Garden of the Gods and when we walked through the door of the gift shop there was a big sign saying, “ALTITUDE SICKNESS! Are you fatigued, nauseous, have a headache? Drink plenty of water!” I was like, Yes! That’s what it is! By the time I saw that I was already better and wish I would have known the water part – I was just popping pepto left and right.
So, it wasn’t mountain fever, it was altitude sickness which you can get once you are above approximately 8,000 feet but you don’t get it on planes because the cabins are pressurized.
I’d really love to visit other parts of Colorado in the future but I’m nervous I will be sick again so I’m not sure I’m going to try it. At least maybe next time I’ll be prepared for it and can find a few precautions like drinking lots of extra water.
Liz is a just a mom trying to keep it real about how little she sleeps, how often she gets puked on and how much she loves them. You can find her here every day writing about real-mom moments.
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