This is one of those stories that just defies explanation....
Back in '88, I decided to quit drinking and partying of all sorts~things were becoming a mess, so I decided it might be time.
I'd been at it a little over a month, when I woke out of a sound sleep with my heart pounding, gasping for breath...it was about half-past midnight, and I decided to walk to St.Joes, and visit the ER, about five blocks away.
When I got there, the head ER nurse put me in a cubicle, and told me the doctor would be in shortly; it was a Tuesday night,and they weren't very busy. Sure enough, I'd barely gotten my shirt off and sat back on the gurney, when in walked a huge man, about the size and general build of Merlin Olsen, the football player turned actor. His hair, beard and mustashe were brown, with twinkling green eyes, a big, friendly teddy bear.
His name tag simply said "CHRIS". Over the years, I'd gotten to know most of the ER staff, but I'd never seen Chris before.
As he examined me, he spoke, "You're trying to get off drugs, right, Alan?" I answered yes, not sure how he knew. Then, he explained to me that what I was experiencing was not a heart attack, but a simple anxiety attack, brought on by my body's dealing with the lack of drugs in my system.
He said that I was in no danger, that my heart rate and respiration would return to normal; indeed, I could feel it happening as he talked.
Chris said to me, "If you want, I could let you spend the night upstairs, under observation", Thanks, no", I said, "I'm okay now....I'm just gonna go home to bed."
He wished me goodnight, good luck, and left the cubicle. I put my shirt on, and walked out, ready to head home.
"Alan", said Kay, the head nurse, "where are you going?" "I'm going home", I replied, "the doctor said I'm okay, and I feel okay."
"The doctor hasn't been in yet, Alan", said Kay, "he's still up on the floors."
I'd said earlier that I didn't recognize Chris; when I described him to Kay and the other ER staff, neither did they.
Back in '88, I decided to quit drinking and partying of all sorts~things were becoming a mess, so I decided it might be time.
I'd been at it a little over a month, when I woke out of a sound sleep with my heart pounding, gasping for breath...it was about half-past midnight, and I decided to walk to St.Joes, and visit the ER, about five blocks away.
When I got there, the head ER nurse put me in a cubicle, and told me the doctor would be in shortly; it was a Tuesday night,and they weren't very busy. Sure enough, I'd barely gotten my shirt off and sat back on the gurney, when in walked a huge man, about the size and general build of Merlin Olsen, the football player turned actor. His hair, beard and mustashe were brown, with twinkling green eyes, a big, friendly teddy bear.
His name tag simply said "CHRIS". Over the years, I'd gotten to know most of the ER staff, but I'd never seen Chris before.
As he examined me, he spoke, "You're trying to get off drugs, right, Alan?" I answered yes, not sure how he knew. Then, he explained to me that what I was experiencing was not a heart attack, but a simple anxiety attack, brought on by my body's dealing with the lack of drugs in my system.
He said that I was in no danger, that my heart rate and respiration would return to normal; indeed, I could feel it happening as he talked.
Chris said to me, "If you want, I could let you spend the night upstairs, under observation", Thanks, no", I said, "I'm okay now....I'm just gonna go home to bed."
He wished me goodnight, good luck, and left the cubicle. I put my shirt on, and walked out, ready to head home.
"Alan", said Kay, the head nurse, "where are you going?" "I'm going home", I replied, "the doctor said I'm okay, and I feel okay."
"The doctor hasn't been in yet, Alan", said Kay, "he's still up on the floors."
I'd said earlier that I didn't recognize Chris; when I described him to Kay and the other ER staff, neither did they.
Make of it what you will....
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