Lucky

Have you ever had one of those moments that snaps you out of the mundane day-to-day issues that typically bother you? I find that in my normal routine I have lots of little regrets like missing lunch with a friend, not getting enough sleep, or procrastinating on homework. But last week I gained some fresh insight.

I had gone about my usual day with class in the morning and Perkins in the afternoon and had planned to attend a night-spin class in the Wilson Gym. As much as I’d love to claim that I make it to the gym six days a week, I usually don’t quite hit that goal. So when I actually do snag a spot in a 6:45 p.m. spin class, I inevitably feel a surge of sanctimonious pride. I had dragged my poor roommate along and as we pushed through hills and tabata drills, I could feel my heart pounding in that “wow-I’m-basically-an-athlete” kind of way.

If you’ve ever taken spin, you know that spending an hour in close proximity with thirty, sweaty out-of-breath people can actually be incredibly fun. On the other hand, it can be a little intense and hot. This particular class got the best of me and at the end of the class I passed out and hit my head.

If you’re wondering what it’s like to pass out in the basement of Wilson, it goes a little bit like this: your friends will freak out. They will frantically shake you and ask you to tell them your name, what day it is, and what was the last thing you remember. Then the (very well meaning) staff at Wilson will ask you (in your semi-passed out state) to tell them your address and personal info while they diligently fill out some kind of electronic form on an iPad. The medical student who just happens to have been taking the class will take your pulse and ask you if you can see properly. At some point multiple police officers will arrive and ask for your unique ID, followed by an EMS team who will then call another team of medics from Duke Hospital.

At that point, I had gathered quite an entourage. After begging not to be carried out on a stretcher, we made our way to the emergency room which miraculously saw me within two hours of being admitted. After meeting several lovely nurses and Duke medical school residents I was given a stern lecture on hydration and eating throughout the day and was discharged with little fanfare.

So why am I telling you about this fairly strange and lengthy life experience? I was absolutely fine, but I realize that I was incredibly lucky. I was lucky that when I collapsed my head hit the wall first instead of directly hitting the tiles of Wilson. I was lucky that I went to the class with my friends and that there were medical students (and pre-med friends) who were immediately there. I was lucky that all the medical personnel came quickly and that the hospital saw me quickly. I was lucky that the electrocardogram came back normal and that other than having been dehydrated and missed meals that day, I was fine.

Not everyone gets to move on. I rarely go to hospitals, but while waiting in the ER I was struck by how sad and scared some of the patients looked. I know that emergency room is where people who need immediate medical attention go, but seeing the patients there still had an impact on me. I couldn’t help but to think that all day, while I’m usually going to class and meetings, there are people constantly filtering through the Duke Emergency Room less than a mile away.

The obvious lesson here is to drink water and eat before a cardio workout. What I actually took away from it is that I should be a little more grateful that I get to have mundane problems and be a little more thoughtful about making sure that life is balanced.