Night in the Middle of the Atlantic Ocean
It is the middle of the night....somewhere over the vast Atlantic Ocean. Every seat on the airplane has a passenger in it. We have been in the air a long time flying from NY to Porto Portugal. The lights inside have been dimmed and people are trying to sleep. It is quiet, no crying babies or screaming children, just the the sounds of movement as very tired passengers try to find a comfortable way to sleep sitting up. I have an aisle seat in the economy section so my long legs are able to stretch out and the travel pillow I brought has made it possible for me to sleep several hours.)
Just across the aisle from me is an older gentleman. His age probably 85 to 90. Tall, thin and very quiet. I watched him earlier as he maneuvered into his seat and then closed his eyes as the airplane took off. I was awakened by the sound of whispered mumbling. It is the older gentleman and he seems confused. Seated in his chair he is trying to move his arms and hold his head up and is unable to do so. It is obvious something is very wrong. I press the button to call the airline attendant. She is only a few steps away and quickly gets additional help.
If he is having a heart attack or stroke, the nearest land is still almost three hours away. Quickly there were three airline attendants assisting. They spread a blanket on the floor and laid him in the aisle between his seat and mine. Elevated his legs, put a pillow under his head and started asking him questions:
“Sir, Do you have pain anywhere? Are you diabetic or do you have any medical conditions? Are you dizzy or nauseous? Are you traveling with someone or a group ?”
The man can barely speak and mumbles responses to their questions. Meanwhile they are fanning him, have put a cold wet cloth around his neck and given him water to sip. I am seated so close I can hear him try to answer. So while they assist him, I quickly prayed for the old man and the people rendering aid. It isn’t long before they came to the conclusion that he was dehydrated. Sometimes older people, who have bladder control issues, will stop drinking water before a trip. That can be deadly. They had seen this situation before and knew what to do. In a few minutes they moved him off the floor and into the first class section where the seats completely recline.
I didn’t see him again until we landed at Porto.. He was able to walk off the airplane without help. His color was good. You would never suspect he spent part of the night on the floor. When I looked in a mirror, after we landed.......I looked like I had been the one sleeping on the floor! My hair styled by a someone using an electric mixer!
I started this trip on Wednesday morning at 4:30 am and finally arrived at my hotel on Terceira Island (Azores) Portugal at 5:300pm Thursday. Anyway you add it up it’s a really really long time. After checking into the hotel I got busy patting myself on the back for still being coherent. Sat down in a chair to retie my tennis shoes and woke up 2 hours later ! It just happened instantly. So before I start rambling I will end this post. Good night to all....
Comments
Post a Comment