...happened on a really crowded Long Island Railroad train in route to NY Penn Station. On Thanksgiving night. When I was traveling alone. Because why do anything by half?
My typical Thanksgiving comes with it's own family generated stress levels, which were increased this year by work, money, and other family drama. During the course of the meal I felt my eye twitching, but shrugged it off as an annoyance, and went on jockeying for a share of pumpkin pie. Didn't drink alcohol. Took my meds the night before.
At 7:30pm I got on the train for the first leg of a 2.5 hour trip back to NJ. I've made this trip literally hundreds of times over the years, and can do it in my sleep. I got on a car with a bathroom, but no empty seats, so walked forward to one with seats. Maybe 10 minutes into the ride I start to feel like my blood pressure is dropping. Faint, cold sweat, nauseous. After another minute I decide to get to the bathroom in case I'm sick. I stand up and realize that 1. the bathroom is not in this car, and 2. I can't stand up that long. So I get to the train doors and sit on the floor. My thinking, as far as I remember, was really simplistic. There's a PSA in NYC that if you're sick, don't get on the train. So all I could think of was that I was sick, so I had to get off the train. Because that was the rule.
At one point things got a bit fuzzy, and I thought that PSA or no, I needed some help. Across the door area was another rider. Typical NYer, head down, headphones on, eyes on his screen. I tried to call to him, but I'm not sure if any words came out. In any case, if a person is uncoordinated and sick on the floor of a train on Thanksgiving night in NY, unfortunately no one is going to think 'seizure'.
The next station I was aware of was Jamaica, which is a big, well lit station. Lots of trains, lots of people. People started gathering in the doorway, and I realized that I had to get up to get out onto the platform. There was a railing on the wall above my head, and my mind was clearing a bit, so I was able to stumble out and sit back down on the ground. And there I sat until I was clear enough to figure out what to do next.
After about 10 minutes more I was able to walk over to the waiting area and call my boyfriend, who was in NJ. I was incredibly tired, and still felt confused, but it was a level of confusion I could deal with, if that makes sense. Almost like being drunk, in a way. I knew where I was, and I knew how to get to Penn Station, which was my next stop on the trip. We decided that I'd go to his house instead of my own because it was easier and I shouldn't be alone. Getting back on the train was fastest, and I would call him as soon as I got to Penn. I drank some water, took some Pepto Bismol (the newsstands here are always open), and made my way to Penn. With him directing me on the phone I got on the right train to his house (also leaving from Penn) and he picked me right up. And then I slept for two days.
The aftermath is this: My neurologist did a bunch of bloodwork, and the amount of Trokendi (Topomax) I'm retaining/absorbing isn't as much as he would like. I'm on 100mg, and a baseline after 12 hours is minimum 4.4. I'm at 3.6. He's going to up it (not sure how much yet), and hopefully that will help. I'm also going to get a medical alert necklace to use specifically for travel like this. I love where I live, but the truth is, I travel alone around the NYC metro area almost every day. I'm also a little nervous, as I have to make the same trip out to Long Island for Christmas. Fun times.
My typical Thanksgiving comes with it's own family generated stress levels, which were increased this year by work, money, and other family drama. During the course of the meal I felt my eye twitching, but shrugged it off as an annoyance, and went on jockeying for a share of pumpkin pie. Didn't drink alcohol. Took my meds the night before.
At 7:30pm I got on the train for the first leg of a 2.5 hour trip back to NJ. I've made this trip literally hundreds of times over the years, and can do it in my sleep. I got on a car with a bathroom, but no empty seats, so walked forward to one with seats. Maybe 10 minutes into the ride I start to feel like my blood pressure is dropping. Faint, cold sweat, nauseous. After another minute I decide to get to the bathroom in case I'm sick. I stand up and realize that 1. the bathroom is not in this car, and 2. I can't stand up that long. So I get to the train doors and sit on the floor. My thinking, as far as I remember, was really simplistic. There's a PSA in NYC that if you're sick, don't get on the train. So all I could think of was that I was sick, so I had to get off the train. Because that was the rule.
At one point things got a bit fuzzy, and I thought that PSA or no, I needed some help. Across the door area was another rider. Typical NYer, head down, headphones on, eyes on his screen. I tried to call to him, but I'm not sure if any words came out. In any case, if a person is uncoordinated and sick on the floor of a train on Thanksgiving night in NY, unfortunately no one is going to think 'seizure'.
The next station I was aware of was Jamaica, which is a big, well lit station. Lots of trains, lots of people. People started gathering in the doorway, and I realized that I had to get up to get out onto the platform. There was a railing on the wall above my head, and my mind was clearing a bit, so I was able to stumble out and sit back down on the ground. And there I sat until I was clear enough to figure out what to do next.
After about 10 minutes more I was able to walk over to the waiting area and call my boyfriend, who was in NJ. I was incredibly tired, and still felt confused, but it was a level of confusion I could deal with, if that makes sense. Almost like being drunk, in a way. I knew where I was, and I knew how to get to Penn Station, which was my next stop on the trip. We decided that I'd go to his house instead of my own because it was easier and I shouldn't be alone. Getting back on the train was fastest, and I would call him as soon as I got to Penn. I drank some water, took some Pepto Bismol (the newsstands here are always open), and made my way to Penn. With him directing me on the phone I got on the right train to his house (also leaving from Penn) and he picked me right up. And then I slept for two days.
The aftermath is this: My neurologist did a bunch of bloodwork, and the amount of Trokendi (Topomax) I'm retaining/absorbing isn't as much as he would like. I'm on 100mg, and a baseline after 12 hours is minimum 4.4. I'm at 3.6. He's going to up it (not sure how much yet), and hopefully that will help. I'm also going to get a medical alert necklace to use specifically for travel like this. I love where I live, but the truth is, I travel alone around the NYC metro area almost every day. I'm also a little nervous, as I have to make the same trip out to Long Island for Christmas. Fun times.
