‘Days of Our Lives’ Star Greg Vaughan Details ‘Severe’ Health Scare With Urgent Care Pics
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Days of Our Lives star Greg Vaughan, 50, shared that he experienced a “severe” health scare during a Colorado vacation.
He shared photos from urgent care wearing an oxygen mask.
“My Blood Oxygen was at 54% & my lungs were full of fluids!” he wrote.
For Days of Our Lives star Greg Vaughan, the drama doesn’t stay on-set. The 50-year-old recently took to Instagram to spill a soap-level story he actually lived: He shared photos from urgent care, detailing a health scare that took place during a spring break trip to Colorado.
“Life is like a box of chocolates, ‘you never know whatcha gonna get!’” he began the post, jokingly. The actor explained that the trip was a father and sons outing, and after the first day, he felt off. He was “somewhat tired,” he wrote, experienced shortness of breath after climbing stairs, and had some congestion and a growing headache.
Chocking it all up to the snowy conditions, he tried to sleep it off with the help of Pedialyte and NyQuil. “Unfortunately, it was a night of tossing, turning, no sleep, coughing, dry heaving & my head felt like it was in a walnut cracker!” he wrote. At that point, he opted to sit out the day’s planned adventures and rest, but his symptoms only worsened.
“Two full days gone, enough was enough. I finally surrendered & went to urgent care,” Vaughan continued. “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!”
Altitude sickness describes the symptoms that occur when you move too quickly into higher elevations (like the Colorado mountains), without giving your body enough time to adjust to the change in atmosphere, per the Cleveland Clinic. The higher the altitude, the thinner the atmosphere, and the harder it is to consume the same amount of oxygen as you would in lower altitudes.
There are different levels of altitude sickness, ranging from acute mountain sickness to high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), which causes swelling of the brain, per Cleveland Clinic. In a separate post, Vaughan revealed that his case was a mid-severe altitude sickness known as high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), which causes the lungs to fill with fluid, and if left untreated, can be fatal.
As evidenced in Vaughan’s photos, he received supplemental oxygen as treatment. According to the Cleveland Clinic, other treatments include descending from high altitudes, medication, and hyperbaric therapy. The best way to avoid altitude sickness is to ascend slowly and gradually and to rest and take breaks often.
Vaughan’s friends and followers were glad to see he’s OK. “Oh no!!! I’m so sorry! That’s so scary!!!” one person commented. “Oh no! So glad you went to the urgent care! That can be super serious! Thank God you’re okay 🙌🏽😍- feel better fast!” another added. “Feel better brother! So glad you went in! Sending you healing prayers,” someone else wrote.
In another follow-up post, Vaughan shared a snapshot of his Apple Watch noting his raised oxygen levels. (It’s important to note that blood oxygen readings from the Apple Watch are not intended for medical use, per the brand, and some newer models do not have this feature.) He was told he needed to get off the mountain, but couldn’t leave his family behind, he wrote, so he was sent home with an oxygen tank.
“It’s been a struggle, but I am over the top,” he said tearfully in his video message, thanking followers for their support. “I am feeling much better... I just want anybody that goes into the Colorado mountains [to know that] it is no joke... I feel tremendously loved and I can’t say it enough.”
We’re glad to see Vaughan on the mend, and hopefully, back on screen, soon!
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