Tuesday, October 5, 2010 @ 4:55 PM Author: clarinda
Today is such a dramatic day. I woke up at 8.50am today despite having a class at 8am. To put it simply, I overslept. It is not that I did not set my alarm clock, it is that I turned it off and hence ended up missing my class. Thank goodness that it is a Statistics class. In any case, that was when I decided to head to the gym to jog. It has been over a week since I last jogged. That is when the "drama" begins.I stopped after about half an hour cos I felt really lightheaded and faint. Consequently, I lied on the ground. Feeling nauseuous simultanesously, I asked one of the CAs in the gym for a plastic bag and he gave me a bin. No much of a choice since that was the only thing available in the gym at that point of time. Seeing that I was in a bad shape, he got the personnel to render me some help. One of the cleaners handed me a damped towel and the next moment, I heard them on the phone asking for assistance.
Moments later, there was a police officer standing in front of me (note that I was still lying on the ground cos I felt too faint to even sit up right). After asking if I was alright, he begun asking for my name, address, phone number, date of birth, etc. Following up with that, people from the fire department came. They asked the same questions, checked my blood pressure and pulse. In addition, they asked when did I last ate and if I have eaten this morning. That was when they told me that the paramedics will be in shortly.
When the paramedics came in, they throw the same questions to me as well. This time, they took my blood for a glucose level check. In all cases, my blood pressure, pulse and glucose level remain consistently low. That was when they wanted to send me to the emergency room (ER). They said that I will get some kind of fluids and will feel much better instantly. There is no way I am going there because I did not purchase the student health insurance from Iowa State University. Even if I purchase, each trip to the ER will cost me a few hundred bucks just for the consultation itself. This is excluding treatment.
Naturally, I rejected that and they made me stand up to stand my blood pressure and pulse again. They then made me walk up and down in a straight line to ensure that I am stable enough to walk properly and not faint half way through. After which, they got me to sit down and checked my heart beat rate again. As I refused any further treatment (since it is costly and thus not worthwhile), I had to fill in and sign a form (Release From Medical Resposibility). They too told me that if I do not feel well after that, just call 911 and they will come down and get me.
I gathered that I probably spend more time with people from the police department, fire department and the paramedics than I spend on the threadmill. Such a dramatic day!
If I Had You - Adam Lambert (chorus is nice)