So... My flight took an eventful and unexpected turn... And I'm going
to put some things here for really one reason only. Please remember, it
is far more important that you are safe and healthy than on time this
holiday season.
I was flying trans-atlantic
on a 767 with a major airline. I was sitting in coach (near the back)
because long gone are the days that doctors can afford to fly 1st class
(if you think I'm kidding, I will explain a thing). Prior to take off, a
gentleman had (what seems like) a pre-syncopal episode. He was attended
by a doctor sitting across the aisle, and seemed ok for flight. 30
minutes into the air, he got worse. The doctor who had attended him previously asked for another set of hands. That's when I stood up to help.
Aside:
standing up on a flight to say that you can help is terrifying. I don't
like to do it. It's scary. You have very little to no equipment (none
of which you're particularly familiar with) or help. And, to put it bluntly, adults of any kind are not my specialty.
Now,
that gentleman was ok... He probably (and his family probably) should
have had the sense to not fly before we pushed back from the gate. But
if the person says they're ok, a doctor cannot really force them off the
flight. And, in defense of the first doctor (a chiropractor), I didn't
see him at the first event. I may have made the same decision. Now... he
was fairly easily managed. And I was comfortable not turning back to
Dublin. I treated him, and returned to my seat with the thought that I'd
check on him every hour (much to the dismay of my poor seat neighbor
who really wanted to sleep - I am so sorry! I should have suggested you
take the window...).
2.5 hours later...
Things changed. Another passenger had what looked to be a seizure and
collapse. Now, my college (God bless them) trained us well. I worked in
adult medicine as part of my qualifications and intern. To make a call
over the ocean with a manual sphig, a stethoscope, and your own clinical
judgement is not easy or a happy matter. But I have to say, I know a
clinical stroke when I see one. And that's when I had to make a
decision, as the only qualified doctor, on a 767, over the atlantic,
whether or not to divert the plane. And yes, I did.
The
2 hour delay plus repeat customs and passport control when we landed
was a horrible inconvenience for both the passengers and the airline.
For that, I am sorry. When they build isolation CT suites on all 767s
with interventional capabilities, I will never have to do that again.
For the passengers that missed connections, that had to reschedule
events, that had to stay in NYC overnight, I am sorry. No one wants to
start their holiday that way. It's crap. I've had it happen myself. And I
particularly apologise to those of you with small children. They were
so good! And you were so patient. To the flight attendants that took the
flack for the delay before we touched ground, I am sorry. You too are
front line staff. I know that pain. But you were all so calm and
composed, and for that, I am eternally grateful. I was also grateful for
the business class seat for the last 3 hours of the flight to NYC, not
for the leg room particularly (I'm kinda short), but it gave me a quiet
space to freak out in private. [Yes, freak out. As I mentioned before, I
don't treat adults... I'm a paediatrician... I haven't had an adult
patient in 4 years. But I did work in geriatrics for 3 months (I know
that sounds short, but I have working experience in a number of small
subspecialties) and my focus is emergency medicine.]
But
let me be clear. I am not sorry for diverting the plane. That passenger
needed hospital care on a time limited basis. I would do it again. And I
would do it for another passenger if necessary. And I'm sure the
airlines support this practice, because you cannot get repeat business
if your passengers die (That's blunt and tasteless and they care about
their passengers beyond revenue, but it's also kinda true). Furthermore,
I have one thing to say to the "super important business man" who
complained for the remainder of the flight and through customs and
through passport control and through rebooking your flight and who
suggested that "we" (I use the royal we to encompass all of the people
looking out for the well being of the passenger) made the wrong
decision--whatever it is that you do for your living... you are alive.
And I doubt your career calls on you to perform outside of your
expertise, in front of terrified and captive people, when you are
supposed to be on holiday! (Yes... that's right... when's the last time
you had a business emergency on a flight where they came over the PA and
asked for a CEO volunteer?) If it had been you... If you were
unconscious on the ground, seizing, vomiting... I would have diverted
that plane for you... And you'd (hopefully) still be alive as well.
Now...
I'm going to try to put this 25hrs of travel behind me... Sleep (since I
am now essentially post-call)... And spend some quality time with my
family.
