LAST DAY! So sad.:-( Once all this is done, I’ve got some WORK to do!! (write-ups and postings, I mean)
Worst. Flight. Ever.
My redeye out of Honolulu to Newark yesterday definitely took the cake in terms of horrible flights. And it was all of my own doing, ironically.
Friday night I boarded the plane, prepared to sleep the whole 9 and a half hours to Newark. I put on my brand-new eyemask, got into my sleepsack, put on my U-pillow, and lastly, took 2 Tylenol Simply Sleep sleeping pills, just as it was written on the bottle. Hub had suggested I take them to sleep the whole flight; as my last trip to New York last year I had taken a dose of Nyquil when I wasn’t sick…and instead of sleeping the whole way ended up jittery and awake the whole way. Never had Nyquil not work for me before, but after that experience I decided I shouldn’t take medicine if I wasn’t sick, and so Hub recommended Tylenol Simply Sleep, which is what he always takes. The last time I had taken any sleeping medication of any sort was more than 2 years ago. But this time I was exhausted from going to the wedding and the long day, and just wanted to sleep.
Well. (Read on for the gruesome details…)
I had taken the medicine on what I guess was an empty stomach. We had had the wedding banquet from noon -3 pm Friday, and I was honestly so stuffed still at 9 pm that I didn’t feel like eating anything. I had just guzzled a whole lotta water too. I felt full!
An hour later the pills didn’t seem to be working. I felt my breathing was depressed – it was difficult to make my lungs inflate; I felt a little short of oxygen. (Sleeping pills/cold medication depress one’s breathing rate in order to force relaxation.) I felt nauseous, and got up to go to the bathroom. I didn’t throw up, but in the bathroom my vision started to get fuzzy; I felt claustrophobic and couldn’t figure out how to open the door. I scrabbled at it, and managed to get out. I was walking back towards my seat when it happened.
I blacked out and fell down the aisle, hitting my face on the carpet when I fell.
At least I think that’s what happened. Nobody I asked saw what had happened; there was no sensation of falling, no feeling of faintness, no warning whasoever – just one minute I was walking down the aisle and the next minute I was conscious of people all around me – “What happened?” “Did she fall?” “Is she okay?” “Is there a doctor on the plane?” I had a glimpse of a white uniform and I thought the pilot had come out (it was one of the stewards). There were voices all around me; I was being pulled by numerous hands, and dragged across the floor to the back empty row, where they stuffed me on the floor in front of the seats. [could they not have lifted me into a seat?] I heard the words “nurse practicioner” and then “I’m a doctor” and an elderly man was looking at me, taking my vitals. I told him I had just taken 2 sleeping pills; I told them where the bottle was. They kept asking me if I was on any other medications or if I had drank any alcohol. I kept saying no; I hate alcohol, but they weren’t listening. I kept falling in and out of consciousness and my head was lolling back. Finally, I threw up. The doctor said now I had thrown up it would be okay, and they took me back to my seat [so I would vacate the 2 seats I had been lying in, which were for the crew to lie down and sleep in], and gave me some juice. The doctor told me to sleep.
Funny thing was, I couldn’t. I was all shaky and nauseous, but kept drinking and eating some crackers. I threw up again, and then felt like I was going to pass out. I called the steward back, and let him know; he brought the doctor who re-checked my vitals. I threw up again, everything I had drank or eaten since boarding the plane. (I was on the aisle side in the middle; the guy next to me must have been loving me by that time.) I kept saying “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” I realized I was also wearing two titanium Phiten patch discs on my shoulders where I had some sore muscles; once I removed them I suddenly felt loads better. [Phiten uses magnetic technology to draw blood flow into sore areas, relieving pain.] It shouldn’t have made a difference, but I felt much less woozy; though I insisted they were just magnetic discs the doctor didn’t believe me and told me they had medication in them. Anyway, I thought the ordeal was done.
But per procedures the crew had to call MediLife or something – a ground unit that relays medical advice to crews when flying. They instructed to put me on oxygen for an hour, and then do an IV if I wasn’t responsive. If I further didn’t respond, they would have to land the plane early. I heard them whispering in the back.
Anyway, so I was put on an oxygen tank which ran out after about 25 minutes. I kept breathing in the mask for another 10 minutes before I was feeling faint again and finally told the attendant I couldn’t breathe and was taking it off.
After that, I spent the remainder of the flight shaking and nauseous. Luckily they assumed I was sleeping and did not have to land the plane early. When we got to Newark I was so weak I couldn’t walk, and disembarked the plane on a wheelchair. I was taken to the curb and put in a taxi, and collapsed when I got to the hotel room.
Much fun. Must do it again sometime.
I was too weak to go to the Academy of Arts University show [section G, row 4, seat 4, thank you very much], could not do my backstage interviews, missed going to the HauteLook suite (free pampering! ugh.) and couldn’t go to Irina Shabayeva’s show sponsored by Tupperware [which looked fabulous by the way – will post piccies soon]. I barely was able to make it around the corner from the hotel to get something to eat and check in at BP for my press credentials.
Now today I’ve slept a fair amount since yesterday, and am ready to go. Much better- stomach is still a little tender, so I’m taking it easy.
So. Moral of the story? Don’t take sleeping pills on an empty stomach! [love that it doesn’t say this on the box.]
Maybe this is not normal, even on an empty stomach. Had anyone had any similar experience with Tylenol SimplySleep?
(original img from aol travel)
xoxox
Carly
It’s funny how much and how little of the geography here we recall. How to get from here to there is still a source of contention as Hub refused the map at the rentacar place, insisting he knew Honolulu. But as we pass street after street, things start coming back.
Both yesterday and today were full of visiting the airport. Yesterday, twice to the airport to pick up the inlaws, then to the Children’s Discovery Center where we further psychologically-scarred Lil Tot with the exploding organs doll (an 8-ft tall stuffed doll that’s probably been there since the 60’s, kind of resembling Raggedy Andy with blue hair, with a large zipper in his chest. When you pull open the zipper, the doll’s stuffed organs projectile vomit at you. Nice for little kids.)
Then to Mariposa for lunch, a delicious pan-island restaurant atop the Neiman Marcus at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. (We always get full on the starters that the waiters bring: hot popovers with strawberry butter [used to be papaya butter which I thought was better], and a cup of light consomme soup.) I had a salad with island greens, goat cheese, wasabi-crusted pecans, broiled salmon, and papaya vinaigrette, one of my favorites. I shared the cheesecake with Hub – a whipped cheescake with blood orange gelee, manadarin slices, raspberry coulis, and a coffee crunch crust: I’m not really a cheesecake person but this was pure heaven. They also have a location in Bellevue, WA if you are ever in that neighborhood.
Today we woke up early to got to the wedding that was our primary reason for coming to Hawaii this time.
Hub’s best friend from high school was getting married – and get this, exactly one week before today the travel agent they booked the entire trip and wedding with went bankrupt – and stole their money – $20,000+ of it! (This is a travel agent based in Japan.) Since all their friends and family had given the couple money for their travel accommodations, the couple then felt obligated to pay for everyone’s plane and stay that all had to be rebooked last week. The travel agent had cancelled the wedding plans and reservations and everything – and Hub’s best friend had to rebook everything himself at the last minute. What an awful start to their life together! 🙁
Anyway, the wedding was held on the North Shore where Hub and I got married (his best friend was in attendance then and liked the ceremony so much he decided to get married at the same place now, 5 years later). It was pouring with rain on the way up so the ground was soaked, but everyone put on a happy face and tried to make the best of it. The bride was beautiful, and the groom got all choked up during his speech at the reception where he mentioned the difficulties they’d had in getting to today and all the inconvenience they had caused everyone. They even presented Lil Tot a toy: a Darth Vader with removable helmet and megalomaniac computerized seat hutch (you’ll have to forgive my lack of words; I’m really, really tired at this point) – which I’m sure Hub will place in the location of honor on his Star Wars shelf at home. (Don’t ask.)
I ripped chiffon strips to make this dress – would have added more had I had the time – and was even tacking them down to the bubble hem in the car on the way to the wedding. (I bought the dress below off-the-shelf and added a layer of ripped chiffon to make it look more unique.) Hub calls it my “jellyfish” dress.
The necklace is kind of reminiscent of the $700 Michael Kors Rhodium Bead Necklace from his S/S 2010 collection…just better. (And cheaper.)
Anyway, after a long drive back to the hotel, I got ready to leave, and am now sitting in the airport about to board the redeye flight to New York City in order to cover Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
I’m super-nervous about the plane breaking apart in midair and being engulfed in flames (or being knocked unconscious by a wayward headrest), so if that happens, I told ya so! 😉
See you on the other side (of the country) ~
xo
Carly
However, about 2 hours into the flight my son had woken up from his nap and was lying with his head in my lap – and I noticed the guy sitting in front of me was shifting around a bit and suddenly, OUT OF NOWHERE this gigantic, cumbersome, heavy blue thing whizzed up in the air and landed in my lap 3 INCHES FROM MY SON’S FACE. I was staring at it blankly for a few moments, trying to figure out what the hell it was, and the guy in front of my turned around and was staring at me – and I realized that the thing in my lap was the headrest to his seat.
Tights with super-large polka-dots…
They had a few different colors, though I was drawn to the green one. Aren’t the dots like starlight? Lovely.
But I picked up some DIY ideas, even if I wasn’t in the mood to buy…
Add lace to the back of a hoodie to girl it up a little…
Punch a variety of sizes of eyelets into a clutch bag…
Decorate a beret with studs. Oops! Done that already. Turned out pretty cute – have to take a photo to share with you guys.
I left the store somewhat let down, I have to say. 🙁
Me and my newly-bright red hair are hopping on a plane this morning headed to Honolulu for a friend’s wedding. Then Friday I’m heading to New York!
Thank you for all your kind comments – especially about flying – here’s hoping nothing will go wrong! (And if it does, maybe after watching all those crash videos Hub will be able to take the controls if the pilots are rendered unconscious or something. One hopes.)
While I’m in Hawaii I may or may not be able to do some updates, but once in NYC I’ll be trying to give you a play-by-play of the action at Fashion Week! Stay tuned!
I hope you gals all had a fabulous Super Bowl Sunday (not that I even noticed it was Super Bowl Sunday, LOL) and have a great rest of the week!
xoxox
Carly
Image from University of Canberra
from Formspring.me:
Have you decided what you are going to take to wear to NYC when you go to fashion week?
Yes! I am making a small collection of clothing & jewelry to take – some sheer, some formfitting…I’ll be cold, but layers are a must as inside the tents it’s boiling hot with all the people!
Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
