I woke at 12:20 precisely according to the bedside clock. My stomach was knotted with cramps and it was soon evident that dinner was coming back to haunt me. Let me tell you, it did not taste nearly as good the second time it passed my teeth. It was also evident that this was way more serious than food poisoning. I was sweating bullets as I weakly got dressed and made my way to the front desk. The night clerk called for a doctor, but the doctors advice was for me to get to the hospital as quickly as I could. I tried to speak with the doc on the phone but the effort caused me to lose more of my meal. I went back to the room to wait for the medics and they found me on the floor of the toilet clinging to to porcelain. The ride back to Lesparres Médoc was a blur. I know that my feet hung off the end of the gurney and touched the rear door of the ambulance, but not much else. Once in the ER, I had my blood drawn, my blood pressure checked, and an EKG taken. While being interviewed by the doctor, I managed one more round of vomiting before she ordered an IV of saline and antispasmodic. I was placed in a bed with a fluid drip and fell to sleep fitfully. 

During the night I heard more arrivals in the ER. A man argued with the doctor that she should see to his sore throat and not his own physician. She told him that he did not have an emergency and to get out of the ER. The nurses laughed. A child cried. Someone was moaning and I heard the staff explain to him that his pelvis was broken. I dreamt broken dreams with no real story running through them. In the morning a male nurse came in and announced that I needed more saline and more blood tests. He brought me coffee and a croissant for breakfast. A while later the doctor came back and gave me the final diagnosis. Severe dehydration amounting to sun-stroke. She thought it must have been building up over several days. Her prescription was rest and water, lots of water. I thanked her and she told me that the nurses would soon be back to unplug my tubes and i could be on my way. Paperwork completed, I left in a taxi back to the hotel in  Pauillac. It was already noon.

The very kind staff at the hotel let me take a shower and change before I left. In paying the bill I noticed my carte vitale was missing. Damn! I must have left it at the hospital. Being without it I would have a lot of trouble getting my medical bills reimbursed and doctors would not have easy access to my medical records. I checked online for trains and found that I could get back to Lesparres by train and then go from there to Bordeaux. That saved me the hassle of trying to get my card mailed to me. Surprisingly enough, the plan worked. I even had time to eat some fruit and drink some orange juice before catching the first train. The receptionist had the card waiting for me when I got to the hospital and by 6:00 I was in Bordeaux. A very light supper, and I was in bed by 8:30.

Heart

0

Comment

0

Link

Log in to comment or reply