Days of Our Lives actor Greg Vaughan has revealed his hospitalization experience following an unforeseen diagnosis of altitude sickness during a ski vacation with his children.
The 50-year-old actor took to Instagram to share images of himself in the hospital, accompanied by a detailed explanation in the caption.
Vaughan had been looking forward to a bonding trip with his sons to Breckenridge, Colorado, for their spring break, centered around skiing and snowboarding.
However, shortly after their arrival, he started experiencing symptoms including headaches, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
“I had hydrated all day, so into the night I drank a bottle of Pedialyte and NyQuil’d myself out to be ready to tackle BRECK w/the boys the next morning!” he shared.
Regrettably, the actor found no relief from home remedies, enduring “a night of tossing, turning, no sleep, coughing, dry heaving & my head felt like it was in a walnut cracker!”
As a result, he had to forgo spending the second day with his sons to recuperate for the remaining days of their trip.
However, things didn’t unfold as he had hoped, as he continued to feel increasingly unwell as the day progressed.
After two full days had passed, he “finally surrendered & went to urgent care and to my shock I learned that I was experiencing severe altitude sickness!”
“My Blood Oxygen was at 54% & my lungs were full of fluids! Blood oxygen, also known as oxygen saturation, represents the percentage of hemoglobin in your red blood cells that is carrying oxygen.
Most people have an oxygen level of 95-100 per cent….” he explained, before showing in the next post that his levels were at 94 per cent.
After spending four hours in the hospital receiving IV bags and with an oxygen tank secured to his face, he was advised to leave the mountain immediately.
However, the actor hesitated, not wanting to spoil his boys’ trip.
The Charmed star eventually: “opted to go home with an oxygen tank, a good laugh for everyone, and I know will follow, but my boys looked after their old man & fortunately they had friends on this trip!”
He concluded with a reminder to his followers,
“In all seriousness, no matter your age, and all the times I’ve (skied) in my lifetime, Colorado Rockies is no joke! As they say, ‘take a breath and smell the roses!’ That is truly something we need to remember & appreciate!”
I’ve said more than a few times, I truly feel like I work & live in a Soap Opera!” the actor, who has been on Days of Our Lives for 12 years, wrote. “This trip was nothing short of another great Vaughan adventure!”
