The Long Flight

We had done all we could to prepare for the long flight to Frankfurt-we had travel pillows, new books/magazines on the iPad/kindle, music on the iPod, benedryl, snacks, and aisle seats. We flew from San Diego to Houston and used our 4 hour layover wisely. We ate, recharged all electronics, and did lots of walking. We thought we were prepared for the 9.5 hour flight when we boarded. 

Let me back track by saying that we flew from SD to Houston via United and it was hands down the worst flight I've ever experienced. The staff wasn't friendly, the seats were very tiny and you felt like a sardine during the entire flight. 

Our flight to Frankfurt, Germany was via Lufthansa Airlines and it was the best flight we've ever had-exciting too. After about 45 minutes in the air the drink cart came around. Super Nel and I were ready to purchase an alcoholic beverage and attempt to sleep (turns out the drinks are free!). While the flight attendant prepped my gin she all of a sudden started to push her cart away and said she would come back and that there was an emergency on board. 

At this point I looked over at Super Nel. Every single time we travel with our best friends Dario and Teddy we play the "what if" game. As in "what if someone had a heart attack on the plane-what would you do?" Then we go through some scenarios and discuss who would do what. As soon as the flight attendant said "emergency" I got this feeling that a nurse was going to be needed.

I looked across the aisle at Arnel and said "I think it's a medical emergency. We should help." Super Nel, being the joker that he is, responds "Nope. We're off duty." At that moment an announcement came on and a flight attendant said "If any doctors or medical personal are on board please proceed to the rear of the first level."

I immediately handed my gin to Super Nel (Mr. Richard would be proud that not a drop was spilled), frantically undid my seatbelt and raced to where the situation was. I didn't know what I'd find, I'm on my first international flight and already a little nervous and not to mention that I'm still considered a new nurse. I'm by no means what you'd call "experienced."

However, as I raced to the patient my mind went into "Code Blue" mode. Something it's learned to do from nursing school and the year I've spent at the San Ysidro Health Center. I told myself that no matter what kind of distress I found my patient in I was going to give him/her the best care I could offer. I also reminded myself, as I always do, that I was trained by some of the best nursing professors there are and the education they provided me with has made me a damn good critical thinker. I honestly think the last think my brain said to myself as I ran down the aisle was "I got this."

When I rounded the corner of the scene I identified myself to the flight attendants as a nurse and said I could assess the patient. Laying on the floor of the galley was a young adult male, early 20's, with pale skin, glassy eyes and an extremely weak pulse (I won't deny that at this point I also looked at the supplies the staff had brought and when I saw the AED I thought this might be my chance to finally do CPR-read: nurse bucket list). 

The first thing I did was call for help-I shouted for Super Nel to come help (he swears he was already on his way but got held up trying to set our alcoholic drinks down safely). Then I identified myself to the patient and asked permission to treat him. Once he agreed I asked about allergies, what he was feeling (any chest pain, difficulty breathing, stomach pain, etc). I also asked if he knew where he was, his name, age and if he was traveling alone. 

The patient said he was feeling dizzy,weak, had some SOB, no chest pain (dang it-no CPR) weak and a slight headache. He had fainted when he approached the flight attendants for help-a flight attendant caught him and lowered him to the ground. He started feeling like this at takeoff. Super Nel and I checked vital signs-which wasn't easy because the manual BP cuff was German made and different. We checked O2 sat, blood sugar (no lancets-only a straight pin/blade that you jab into the finger) and kept asking questions. All assessments to this point were normal with the exception of a slightly low BP. We put the pt on oxygen since he was having some trouble breathing and has a history of asthma. His blood sugar was on the lower end of normal so we gave him 1/2 a cup of coca-cola as well. 

As I continued to ask history questions I learned that the patient had just finished finals in college and had not ate or slept for 2 days straight. Aha! Now we're getting somewhere. Being a UCSD and City College nursing school graduate I understood too well how much that kind of stress can effect your body. The patient was probably severely exhausted and possibly dehydrated.

At this point the captains mate (2nd captain) informed us that the captain needed to know if he should land the plane or continue as necessary. As a nurse we can't diagnose and there was no physician on board. However, the patient was stable. His vital signs were strong (we'd been rechecking every 5 mins) and we were titrating him off the oxygen and his O2 sat was normal. He felt better after the Coke and was given a small piece of bread to devour. Super Nel and I both felt he could make it to Frankfurt. 

At this point the 2nd Captain (who we've decided to call Stephen because neither one of us remembered his name but think its Stephen) asked us if its ok to move us up to 1st class where we can have the patient lay down, eat some food and rest. He asks if one of us could sit next to him and monitor him occasionally throughout the flight. 

I look at Super Nel and gave him a look that says, "See-this is why we help when there's an emergency." I told Stephen that we would be glad to accompany the patient to 1st class but that Super Nel and I are a team and since its our first international flight we'd prefer to stay together. 

And that's how we ended up on the second floor of the airplane in first class. It's heavenly up there!!! So much space, remote control for the tv, gourmet food, snacks, unlimited booze including champagne (and not the cheap stuff). The flight attendants kept spoiling us and bringing us more and more of anything we wanted (and some of what we didn't even ask for). We were literally in shock of the fact that we'd get to spend the next 8 hours in this luxury area. The chairs reclined flat into a bed too. 

 

The patient ate, slept and was monitored throughout the flight. When we landed, a wheelchair came to take him to a hospital for an evaluation before he continued on his travels. 

Before we disembarked, Stephen came once again to thank us for our help on behalf of the company and he gave us 100 euros to spend on our return flight. 

When we got off the plane in Frankfurt Super Nel and I looked at each other and I said "Did that really happen?!" It did!!