Ok, not quite literally, but it’s definitely taking its toll.
Back over Memorial Day weekend I came way too close to heat stroke while working. I’d been put on watering detail, and the sun beating on my head all day during the 90+ degree heat, for not quite 8hrs turned out to be too much for my system. Despite me drinking water constantly. I also picked up a nasty heat rash that took forever to go away.
I picked up a wide brimmed hat to stuff in my locker for when I’m put on watering duty, but I can’t find a hat that will actually stay on my head properly while I’m doing my normal job stuff, that also fits dress code, that offers enough protection from the sun. A large portion of the problem is, admittedly, my hair, which I put up for work (not optional either, it IS getting worn up for work). Any hat I can find that accommodates my hair doesn’t give me enough shade from the sun (and/or doesn’t fit dress code, which requires no logos other than the company’s).
I’ve mostly coped by trying to stay out of the sun for extended periods as much as possible, but sometimes that doesn’t help enough.
Monday, July 4th, I spent the afternoon outside (thankfully mostly in the shade) helping straighten and clean up and restock the gravel aisle. And I just couldn’t manage to drink enough to stay properly hydrated. By about 4:30 I had a serious headache, and by the time I left at 6pm I came home and essentially collapsed.
Yesterday, Tuesday the 5th, by the time I’d been at work for a couple hours (a large portion of which was outside and in the sun) my head was pounding and I was dragging. I KNOW I wasn’t functioning on all cylinders, in retrospect I was making several (potentially major) mistakes. By 1:30 or so I realized how bad it was and informed management that I was going home.
Today my head is still not happy, and just taking the dogs out for a quick potty run is enough to make me feel like I’ve been beaten and dragging.
I don’t normally struggle so much in the summer, but we also don’t normally get this kind of heat so constantly till later in the summer. I just can’t seem to get adapted this year……