Ben and I had already decided that we would celebrate Valentine's Day on Saturday. He had a lot of things to get finished for his MCAT class and Tuesday is in the middle of the week and it would just be more convenient that way. So, when I woke up this morning- feeling pretty rad for having a cold, I was not planning on spending the day with my boyfriend. In fact, I was planning on getting to my internship, filing, emailing, organizing, hopping a train and two buses to rising stars to celebrate Valentine's and then spending the evening with Elizabeth so that Ben could have the apartment to himself to film his teach-back. HOWEVER, the universe must have been conspiring to have us spend this special day together, even if it wasn't for a particularly romantic reason.
This morning, I managed to experience something that I don't think most people can add to their list of bragging rights. I, Mandy Fahey, fainted on a SEPTA bus going into Center City. I was feeling really warm and like I might get carsick, and then I woke up on the floor of the bus, wondering why I was looking at everybody's shoes, which was scary. Fortunately, the 27 makes a stop directly in front of Hahnemann University Hospital. Even more fortunately, I was on a bus of the nicest people in the world, including a nurse and a social worker who helped me off the bus, called Ben, and made sure I was situated in a room before continuing on with their respective days. Ben got there quickly- I think half expecting me to still be unconscious, and I changed into the most confusing hospital gown EVER (there were snaps where there should be sleeves....it took a couple tries). By this time I felt totally fine again, just a little shaken and stuffed up, but I was at the ER, and they needed to make sure that there was nothing wrong with my brain or my heart, AND that I wasn't pregnant (apparently many women find out they are pregnant from passing out...? News to me, but I guess I wouldn't doubt it....). But my brain is fine, my heart is fine, and, according to my nurse, my urine was "pristine," so no babies. It was just as I had suspected, my fainting was a result of not feeling well, being dehydrated, and feeling overheated on a crowded bus. So after ingesting an entire IV bag of saline and watching The Price Is Right on the hospital TV, I was allowed to leave. Ben positioned himself to be able to catch me if i fainted on the bus ride back (I didn't), and I spent the rest of the afternoon drinking seltzer, watching Frasier, and reading cosmopolitain while Ben read up on his chemistry for his next class- how romantic! But we still might celebrate on Saturday...
And so, that is how Ben and I managed to spend our Valentine's Day together. It's also how I acquired a very bizarre experience to my life story. According to my co-worker, Doretha, I am the only person she has ever heard of passing out on a city bus. I'm sure I'm not the ONLY one, but I'm probably in a select few!
Happy Valentine's Day, all!
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