A Shocking Experience.

October 14, 2009

in Illness/Medical Stories

I was flying back to Fargo from Boston after a spring break. In the six months prior to this flight, I had passed 15+ kidney stones. The very week prior to this flight, I had surgery to remove a rather large stone. After that surgery, I was given an antibiotic to help avoid an infection.

Now, I told you that to tell you this. I didn’t take the medication all week while I was home. I did, however, take it the night before I flew and again while waiting in the terminal. About 2 hours into the flight, I started feeling sick. Then I got sick.

I rushed to the bathroom, where I proceeded to continue getting sick. Finally, it stopped. This entire time I felt my fingers start to tingle. Then my whole arm. Then my chest, face, and throat. I managed to get out of the bathroom and grab a flight attendant.

“I think I need a doctor” I said. Then I hit the floor. The tingling kept getting worse, and eventually my throat closed. Shortly after that, I was unconscious.

We were originally going to Minneapolis, but I woke up a short time later while we were on final approach into Chicago. Lucky for me, there was a doctor on board. He knew I was going into anaphylactic shock and administered an epi-pen. How he knew what was happening… I’ll never know. It was almost the flight TO hell, rather than the flight FROM hell.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Marta October 15, 2009 at 3:35 am

I'd call that a flight from Hell, if not for you then for the rest of the plane. You were very lucky that someone recognized what was happening to you and that a Dr was available (and willing) to treat you.

I hope you are doing better now!

Reply

mmh October 22, 2009 at 10:46 am

Ok glad you are ok and someone treated you, but why didn't you start your antibiotics when they were prescribed a week earlier, at home safely where a person can call 911, not in the air ? Dumb move.

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