The One Where I Almost Died
Jun 28, 2009 DC Living
This past week has been exhausting…Emotionally, mentally and physically which is why I was looking forward to spending a day on the beach. Sunshine, good music and good books while laying on a towel on the beach…Who could ask for a better way to unwind?
Friday night, my plans got canceled so I ended up staying home with the roomies. Ian came over and we began the night playing Cranium…I found out that I SUCK at Charades…We were bored with the pieces so we made our own…Out of Play-Doh. When Ian and Claire made a penis, it was just natural of me and Steph to make the best boobies ever.
After we were done with Cranium, we decided to play Asshole…if you don’t know, it’s a drinking card game…and a lot of fun. After two beers, since I didn’t want to get drunk, I started drinking water…thinking I’d be safe. Oh no. Ian had a better idea. I was drinking out of a Guinness pint glass. In 3 hours, I ended up chugging at LEAST 10 glasses of water…we refilled the Brita about 4 times…I had to pee every 15 minutes…and I’m pretty sure I won’t be drinking water anytime soon…
I just stayed up after everyone went to bed because I had to be up at 5 to get ready since we were hitting the road at 5:30 anyway. I slept in the car basically all the way to the beach and once we got there, we saw that it was pretty much the most gorgeous day ever. After grabbing breakfast, we headed to 37th street and laid our towels near the lifeguards. (Jeff wanted to have a nice view…) After putting on sunscreen (Jeff put the sunscreen on my back…This will become relevant later in the story…) we laid down to relax.
After about an hour or so, Steph and I decided to go in the water…the current was really strong but I was handling it fine. We were enjoying ourselves when we looked back and saw that we were getting pretty far from the shore so we decided to swim back. Now, usually, I can handle a strong current but I think I underestimated just how tired my body was physically from this past week. We started to swim back but it felt like no matter how much I swam, I was going backward…when I looked up and saw Stephanie about 20 feet ahead of me, I started to panic and tried to swim harder. When I couldn’t move closer at all, I went into a full panic attack and saw Stephanie waving to the lifeguard. I couldn’t breathe and I was kicking hard, trying to stay above water and it felt like the lifeguard didn’t come next to me for an hour (even though it was just a couple of minutes). He pulled me back to shore but my panic attack didn’t stop until I hit my towel so the swim back was painful and hard. Stephanie said the entire ordeal, from us going in the water to me getting pulled back to shore took only 16 minutes. It definitely felt like a lifetime…That had to be one of the scariest moments of my life. Needless to say, I didn’t go near the water at all for the rest of the day.
Before we headed back home around 4 (We had a party to go to and Jeff needed to pick up his bf from the airport), I went into the bathroom to clean up…and saw that 1) my back was a lot more tan than my front…since I spent most of my time on my stomach reading even though I tried to alternate and 2) there were two sunburned spots right on the small of my back…where Jeff didn’t put sunscreen…so wearing pants is going to be extremely painful for a while…I was also sunburned behind my right knee but that wasn’t so bad. So we headed back and I slept most of the way again…After we got home…I took a shower and got ready for the party. Claire did my eye make up and we headed out.
The highlights from the party are…
*I played flip cup for the first time…And it was a blast! Who can say no to beer pressure?
*Hmmm…hummus and pita chips!
*Finally meeting Michelle…we’ve heard a lot about each other over the years but hadn’t met yet.
*Doing my first & second keg stand. Again…beer pressure. When they lifted me up, they almost flipped me over because they lifted me too hard and I heard Dave yell “SHE’S LIGHTER THAN SHE LOOKS!”…Thanks Dave…way to say I look fat…Since they almost flipped me, beer went up my nose but I was able to stay up till…10. When I went back for seconds, the keg was tapped so all I got was foam. *sad face* When I was doing the first keg stand, my jeans slid over my burn…OH MOTHERFUCKING OW!
*C-Pants and I dancing in the kitchen for a good 20 minutes…I need to go dancing…like…SOON! I’ve been dying to go…
*Getting burned by a cigarette on top of my sunburn on my shoulder. (Ow)
*Nice FACE!
*Mingling with people and just having a good time.
So…all in all…it was a pretty awesome weekend…Ya know…minus the almost dying…but like I told Stephanie…there’s just never a dull moment when you’re with me.
June 28th, 2009 at 15:20
I am glad you are ok. If u get in that predictament they always say swim against the current. Glad you are still with us.
kim
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PrincessQ Reply:
June 28th, 2009 at 18:14
Thanks!
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June 28th, 2009 at 17:41
I love this pic.
LivingWicked´s last blog ..T Minus:
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PrincessQ Reply:
June 28th, 2009 at 18:15
I know right?
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June 28th, 2009 at 18:03
This is why I took a quiet weekend: you almost drown and had your first kegstand. Too intense.
Patrick´s last blog ..Obligatory Celebrity Death Post
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PrincessQ Reply:
June 28th, 2009 at 18:15
I will definitely have a quiet weekend next week…I hope.
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June 28th, 2009 at 21:21
You SO have to come to NC soon!!!
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PQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 10:37
I will! It’s def on my list of place to go this summer.
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June 28th, 2009 at 21:56
Hope you’re not just drinking that much water without some kind of sodium intake. Hyponatremia sets in at about a gallon, especially when it’s hot and you’re all sweaty out.
Sorry. Going into training coach mode
.
Glad you had fun and that you’re lighter than you look
xo
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PQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 10:38
I’m pretty sure I was eating crackers at some point…lol
xo
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June 29th, 2009 at 08:50
Well nothing like doing your first & second keg stand in one night!!
I hate that you had the terrible experience at the ocean. It’s so easy to try to tell yourself to stay calm, but man when panic sets in, it really gets you & by that time there’s NO WAY to calm down! Props to your friend for recognizing you were really in trouble & I’m glad that you’re okay!
~*Miss A*~´s last blog ..Venting My Frustrations…..
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PQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 10:38
I’ve never had a bad experience…I’ve been going to the ocean for years and I’ve always been able to hold my own. This time, I just didn’t realize how physically tired my body was.
Yeah, I’m glad I was there with Stephanie…The girl saved my life!
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June 29th, 2009 at 10:11
That is exactly why I avoid the water. I got pulled out by an undercurrent once. It sucks, a lot. Glad you’re ok.
f.B´s last blog ..two can play that game, but both will lose
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PQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 10:39
I’m usually OK but yeah, that really sucked!
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June 29th, 2009 at 10:18
A keg stand, I missed it! Damn.
justjp´s last blog ..Chill weekend
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PQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 10:40
That was only my first kegstand…There’ll be many more!!
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June 29th, 2009 at 10:53
Have I ever told you I was a scout swimmer in the Marine Corps? We used to ride in the black rubber boats you see in the tv commercials. They’d drop us about 1500 meters off shore and we’d swim in to secure beaches before the rest of the teams would drive the boats in. I was also a Marine Combat Instructor of Water Survival, which means I was the lifeguard guy who had to pull freaked out Marines from the water, while they were wearing 75 pounds of gear, combat boots and uniform, rifle, etc.
What you described reads like it came straight out of a text book, I kid you not. It sounds like Stephanie was probably 5-10 feet or more to the right or left of you, because she apparently wasn’t stuck in the same rip current that you were. A rip current is where the water that gets pushed up onto the beach by waves, flows back out into the ocean. It’s like a river flowing away from the beach. No one can swim against them. When the lifeguard grabbed you, he probably swam you to the right or left, out of the current and back up to the beach. They’re usually no more than 10-15 feet across, so your friend’s advice up top, “swim against the current,” is absolutely the wrong advice. I’m sure you won’t ever find yourself in the same situation, but if you want to pass on advice, here it is:
1) Don’t panic. It is the number one reason people drown. It’s hard, but you have to relax, stay on the surface and be able to fill your lungs, because they are the air bags that will help keep you afloat.
2) Swim parallel to the beach. The current will keep pushing you out, for 5-10 feet, but eventually you’ll get out of the rip and be able to turn toward the beach and swim in.
3) Always swim with 1 or more friends. In addition to on the ball lifeguards, this helped saved your life. Never swim alone. Even in the Marine Corps, when we were swimming 1500 meters to shore, we were attached to each other in teams of 2. Never swim alone.
4) And in the future, don’t swim tired. Alcohol and fatigue are also huge contributors to drowning. They cause people to overestimate their ability and underestimate the risks.
I’m glad that you’re ok and even more glad that you got to do keg stands! I fricking LOVE keg stands, haha. I’m so jealous and would have loved to have seen that live! =)
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PrincessQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 11:44
Thanks! Yeah, I would NEVER swim alone…I know better than that. It was the first time ever that I wasn’t able to carry myself back to shore…and scary as hell! Thanks for the all the tips!
I’m sure that you’ll get a chance to see me do a keg stand live…lol
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June 29th, 2009 at 10:54
That really is a wicked rack of clay you’ve made there.
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PrincessQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 11:03
I know right? I love my roomies
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June 29th, 2009 at 11:45
Was the lifeguard at least hot? Mouth to mouth? LOL
Seriously though, I’m glad you are okay and that you had a great weekend.
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PrincessQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 14:33
I have no idea…I wasn’t quite paying attention to how hot he was…lol
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June 29th, 2009 at 12:28
HOLY CRAP, i would have freaked. out. I’m already not the best swimmer, and then… eek. that’s very scary :-S glad you’re OK!
also, that is a lovely rack you have there
Alice´s last blog ..cruelty to automobiles
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PrincessQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 14:34
Yeah…It was just a combination of a lot of things.
Thanks! We love our rack
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June 29th, 2009 at 14:16
One time I almost drowned too. True story. I don’t go to the beach anymore.
I’m glad you’re ok doll. And that you had a good time, minus the near drowning part.
Jaime´s last blog ..Weekend Recap
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PrincessQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 14:34
I love the beach…I know I’ll go back…I just couldn’t go near the water Saturday again.
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June 29th, 2009 at 14:16
Well, don’t try the swimming thing again when you are so tired! Glad you are okay. I hope you are not over doing it with all the drinking!! Take care of yourself. Okay I’m done with the “mom-mode”.
angeebee´s last blog ..angheartsxbox: Why do people I don’t even know in real life or via online choose to "follow" me? Trust me people, I am not that interesting!!
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PrincessQ Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 14:35
Well, I didn’t drink the night before on purpose (Except for the two beers at the beginning of the night) but I guess I was more tired than I thought!
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June 29th, 2009 at 15:20
We’re all certainly glad the waves didn’t sweep you away. Hopefully it won’t keep you from heading out in the water ever again…
I’ve never done a keg stand in my life (how I made it through four years of college without doing so, I have no idea). But I don’t think I’d even make it to 10 if I tried, so kudos for that!
MinD´s last blog ..Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
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PrincessQ Reply:
June 30th, 2009 at 09:07
Thanks…I will def be going back in the water, I hope.
I think I would’ve kept going more than 10 but the beer up my nose made it hard to breathe…lol
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January 5th, 2010 at 09:34
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