When I was in college, I often heard ladies talking about the first night. The First Night. It pertained to the very first night a couple would spend together after their wedding. It connoted something exciting happening during this first bed-sharing. For my first night in London, in this trip, I didn’t share a bed with someone. Nothing exciting happened either, only hours of agony trying to bear the grimacing pain I was feeling from my arm and shoulder. The slightest movement made me quiver and pant. I couldn’t remove my blouse because I couldn’t lift my right arm even two inches. I couldn’t see how bad it was swelling and if there was a bruise. All I could see was the fuller sleeves, so medyo maga talaga.
I was able to sleep for several hours, from exhaustion, and from Bonamine. I woke up at 4:45 am and dialled the National Health System 111 for emergency health assistance. The female who answered my call got as much info as possible as to the cause of my injury and to be certain that my life was not threatened. She asked if I had difficulty breathing and if I could walk, etc. She told me to wait for 15 minutes, a doctor would give me a call. I waited for more than an hour and no call came. I was feeling restless because I couldn’t take off my blouse. I went down to the lobby and asked for scissor. I asked the recptionist to cut up my blouse at the back. I also asked for a pack of ice. Finally, it was a big relief to get off my masikip blouse. I laid down on the bed and iced my painful shoulder while waiting for the doctor’s call. Meanwhile my family was in panic. My husband wanted to fly to London but his passport was still with the UK embassy in Manila. Then he asked me to fly home instead. He also ordered Oyen to cut short her bonding with her brother so she could fly to London immediately. I ws crying when I told my sister to come and stay with me so she could be my caregiver.
I WAITED FOR 5 MINUTES for the dial tone. It was odd waiting for something I wasn’t sure if it was coming or not. Cute phone but not functional most especially in emergency situations like mine.
Siguro sa nerbyos ko o sa pagmamadali, natanggal ko yung door knob.
After an hour and 45 minutes, the doctor called. He said they’d been calling but no one at the hotel reception was picking up. After asking me probing questions to give a good diagnosis, he told me to go to the emergency department of the University College London Hospital, the closest to my hotel. He told me it was a bad time to get injured because I was traveling. He said the hospital doesn’t charge for emergency situations like this.
