ok final story; I have to get some sleep at some point.

my very first healthcare job was as a phlebotomist going around room to room in the hospital collecting blood samples. So possibly one of the few jobs on their feet as much or even more than the nurses. But I didn’t really understand how hospitals were laid out yet so I had just been trying to keep my eyes out for a water fountain and just couldn’t seem to find one. So I got a little dizzy but figured we’d go for lunch or something soon so I’d just push through.

Finally I was starting to get real dizzy though so I went and asked a nurse for some water and she was like “oh, you mean the nutrition room!” and pointed it out in the nurses station. So I turned and looked where she was pointing, then looked back, and the world narrowed into a pinpoint and disappeared. I vaguely and briefly remember walking on a beach and talking to someone at this point, but I don’t remember who it was or what was said.

Then I woke up sitting in a rolly chair with like ten people around me and I couldn’t move my mouth because my lips were completely numb. Somebody took my blood sugar and it was fine, but also I got really nauseous suddenly and I wanted to warn them but I couldn’t speak. But then I gagged a little and there was an eme-bag under my face SO fast.

Anyway at that point a stretcher showed up and some lady introduced herself to me as the intensivist and they started wheeling me down to the ER and the only words I was finally able to get out were nooooooooo and she was like “oh honey no, you’re going to the ER.” And then my supervisor (my brand new supervisor, this was my FIRST. DAY.) came down while I was still puking everywhere and helped clean my puke off me.

The end!