My trip to the US

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My trip to the US

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John O.

Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany

My trip to the US

Hi guys!

Yup, I was back home in Seattle for a couple of weeks. Ah, the Northwest people are so friendly and polite - it's like everyone is your friend there!

At the Frankfurt airport we saw a worker being crabby to a couple of people and my wife (German) said "Well, we're home"

Nothing against Germans, I just grew up with people being nice, polite and open to strangers - in Germany the people are more like in New York, I guess because it's about the size of Minnesota with 90 mio people.

And how as a teenager did I miss the fact that I lived in such a beautiful area??? Reminded me of pictures I've seen of Scandinavia. This big city among all the forrest and mountains, blew my mind - it's like I really saw it for the first time. Pics don't do it justice.

So anyways how's this for a sucky vacation:

I'd brought a cold with me that I was just getting over. Just as I thought I was well again it came back with other symptoms and after the first week I had really strong vertigo pushing me to the left. After that I was regularly getting extreme headaches, vertigo and was seeing stripes of rainbow. I thought migrane, knowing they can get really bad, and just tried to get through it.

So on Tuesday on the freeway thank God there was traffic, I got vertigo so strong I could barely drive straight but was still able to get to the side of the road. It didn't go away after 30 mins so I called my dad to get me. He took me to intensive care where they passed me to the ER, saving about 3 hours. I couldn't walk, could barely sign papers with my dizzyness, was crying like a baby. Think of the worst hangover you've ever had - like not only is the room spinning but your body feels like it's being pushed in the opposite direction of the spinning.

Thank God we got health insurance for abroad. They had to go through everything to make sure I wasn't in danger. CAT, blood, chest x-ray, spinal tap (didn't feel a thing), they only found a high white blood cell count. They assured me 100% there was no dangerous infection of any kind. So I got anti-biotics and meds against vertigo and migranes. They told me it must have been an ear infection. That particular headache lasted about three days but nothing else came back after that.

Besides that I had A LOT OF FUN! Hehe, oh well, what can you do. We missed a lot of things we meant to check out. We're gonna start saving already now to go back next year though, we really loved it.

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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 28 2007 7:20:42

Ailsa

Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England

RE: My trip to the US (in reply to John O.)

Hi John, welcome back!

The symptoms you describe sound just like an inner ear infection I had a few years ago. Miserable to get it on your holiday. Glad it didn't spoil the whole thing.

quote:

ORIGINAL: John O.

And how as a teenager did I miss the fact that I lived in such a beautiful area???

I feel the same! I guess it was just because we were..... well.... teenagers! That's what teenagers do.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 28 2007 10:11:15

John O.

Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany

RE: My trip to the US (in reply to Ailsa)

quote:

I guess it was just because we were..... well.... teenagers! That's what teenagers do.

Good point. I think with me it was the pot

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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 9:22:08

Kate

Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: Living in Granada, Andalucía

RE: My trip to the US (in reply to John O.)

Hey John O, Sounds awful, glad you got better and had a good holiday. I once had something similar when I was in Hong Kong. I was up one of those big skyscrapers and I felt the thing move. I thought it was an earthquake but no-one else noticed. I was so dizzy I almost had to crouch on the floor to stop myself falling over. I got out of there but then the pavement kept moving beneath my feet. Turns out it was jetlag. A mixed up body clock. Next trip to Asia I am going to spend the first week on abeach lying dwn before I go anywhere. They say you need a day for every hour you spend in the sky before you are acclimatised.

Kate

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 12:17:00

John O.

Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany

RE: My trip to the US (in reply to Kate)

Yeah I could imagine jetlag and the humid weather there don't mix well either. I had a hell of a time adjusting in Singapore. I read losing time flying west is easier, because it's like holding out another say 9 hours before going to sleep. Your body can only adjust in this direction though so losing 9 hours is actually like gaining 24-9 = 15 hours. Not to mention flying eastward intercontinental you usually get there in the morning. Beach is good though, apperantly the body needs sunlight to adjust more quickly.

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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 12:51:26

Stu

Posts: 2526
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: My trip to the US (in reply to Kate)

Thats some tough luck John! Glad you are ok now.

My last 2 snowboard trips were ruined. It was horrible! First one I caught flu from my friend and boarded the first day, but then spent the rest of the week with fever and sickness in bed. second one (last yr), a ten year old skiier smashed through the back of me, flipped me in the air and I ended up with broken arm.

you kind of get back feeling a bit robbed of your holiday.

Hey kate, whats that about jet lag?
1 day for every hr in the air, or 1 day for every hour you lose or gain in the air?

Stu

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 14:56:43

John O.

Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany

RE: My trip to the US (in reply to Stu)

That's rough man. Time to take up another hobby

Nah, I don't feel robbed really. It was only three days of 2 weeks...

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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 15:08:02

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: My trip to the US (in reply to John O.)

quote:

And how as a teenager did I miss the fact that I lived in such a beautiful area??? Reminded me of pictures I've seen of Scandinavia. This big city among all the forrest and mountains, blew my mind - it's like I really saw it for the first time. Pics don't do it justice.

We're gonna start saving already now to go back next year though, we really loved it.

John, if you can (and you like that kind of thing) try to take a few days to go hiking in the North Cascades or the Olympics. So beautiful.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 30 2007 20:40:02