the pneumothorax

Posted in Uncategorized on 09/24/2009 12:26 am by Amy

So, I got a call at midnight last night and it’s Simon on the other end, a lovely German friend of mine also on exchange in Shanghai. He tells me that he’s having trouble breathing and he’s quite sure he’s going to pass out any minute, if he stops talking before he makes it to a taxi that I need to call an ambulance. Simon lives alone in a very Chinese neighbourhood, so finding someone who could understand that he needed to go the hospital wasn’t really a realistic possibility. Luckily, Simon made it to a taxi and made it in relatively good time to a private hospital where they speak English…this was largely thanks to some mad googling on our end and the fact that Daniel was home with me at the time and was able to translate the address and directions for the cab driver.

30 minutes later Sandra, Daniel and I arrived at the hospital to meet Simon. It turned out to be a collapsed lung, something Simon had had once before in Germany, but still (as it sounds) a very serious condition. In any case, it was the cleanest, most professional, most impressive hospital I’ve ever been in..all of us could agree on that point.  There was nobody else waiting in the emergency room, Simon saw a very competent and friendly American doctor , had blood work and x-rays right away, and had two English-speaking Chinese nurses tending to him the entire night.

The majority of the last 24 hours have been spent at the hospital.. Simon was moved to a private room which is so much like a hotel room that we’ve decided to take pictures…mood lighting, a fluffy white bathrobe, flat screen TV and DVD player, and even mini toiletries in the bathroom! But of course it all comes at a price..turns out Simon’s bill for his 3 day admittance is 35,000 yuan which is wait for it…..$5,500 Canadian dollars! Can we say ‘hooray’ for travel health insurance?!

Anyway, Simon will be fine, so far his recovery is going perfectly and we are keeping our fingers crossed that he will be released tomorrow. Unfortunately after your lung collapses you’re not allowed to go on planes for awhile (because of pressure changes) which puts a damper on the Korea trip which we’ve already booked flights for..we are now trying to work out plans to take  a ferry instead, so here’s hoping!

Anyway, drama drama in Shanghai!  The moral of the story is to take your travel health insurance seriously. Also, if you live alone in China, you should know your address in case you need to tell a friend where you are because you’re quite certain you’re going to black out (perhaps this last moral is more for Simon than anyone else).

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15 Comments

  1. hmm, makes the mystery rumble noise out here seem a little less dramatic

  2. Omg! That sounds really crazy! I’m glad your friend is okay! Steph just let me in on your blog… LOVE IT! So good to hear how you’re doing! Take care and keep up the posts! I’ve bookmarked you so I’ll be regularly checking!!! Take care!!!

    • Hey jess!

      good to hear from you and i’m glad you’re enjoying the blog so far! I was going to send it to you on facebook but my secret facebook connection has been on the rocks lately. enjoying being back to school? anyway, keep in touch, thanks for reading :D

      • Hey!!! I just tried to comment on your most recent post, but it wouldn’t let me for some reason… so I’ll just write here!

        OMG, that is terrible about your friend Simon… It’s really nice that you are supporting him… it must be soo scary and freaky!

        I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying everything so far :) Life in Vic is totally the same! School is already so so busy :S I’m already spending my days and nights at UVIC… Ohhh Codeman and Matt were at UVIC the other day working on some assignment til 5am! Those boys are whack! Ohhh only to eat a bunch of pizza and drink a box of pop during the process! Ohh and I’m going to see Kelly Clarkson!!!!!!! Which I’m stoked about.. otherwise that’s pretty well it!

        Well, TAKE CARE! And keep up the bloggin!

        Peace
        xoxo

        • hmmm very strange, blog kinks already!

          I’m glad that life is going on as usual..busy with school, cody working and eating pizza until 5am, etc.

          Kelly Clarkson, eh? I didn’t realize she was still around actually – should be a good show! There’s a giant stadium up the street from us and i get the urge to see a show every time i go down that way, but i guess it’s mostly concerts of chinese artists i don’t know :(

          Thanks for reading jess!

  3. Hey, you know those blue vikes pj’s you bought? Can I have them?

    And yay travel insurance! My BFF! Travel insurance sure has treated me right in the past haha!

    OH! And Cody! It’s nice to see that you have time to reply to Amy’s blog, but you’re too busy to reply to my friendly facebook message! Some friend you are…

    • yeah, i guess health insurance would be the BFF of any full-blown hypochondriac! haha just kidding (well only half-kidding)

      anyway, the PJs are all yours.

  4. Glad to hear about your crazy adventures. I emailed the BCH crew for you just moments ago and I’m sure they will all be perusing this by the end of today!! I look forward to the next webisode (Is that even a word?)

    /s, Alysse

    PS Not really /s but I feel the need to remind you….

    • Thanks alysse! Glad to see our invention is catching on in the online world…nice first usage by the way (/s!)

      -amy

  5. Oooh, this is fun. Nice to read the adventures and get to travel vicariously. Hope the ferry thing works out; Fred and I learned about the “no-flying” thing just the night before we were to head off on our own adventure last week. Guess they were worried his brain would explode or something else just as ridiculous. That’s my new word for most of what is going on in life these days….RIDICULOUS….

    If you weren’t too terribly sick, the hospital sounds like a rather nice vacation all in itself.

    Better get going, as I’m doing this at work and should probably be actually WORKING instead of messing around in your blog.

    More later…Hilary

    • Hi Hilary!

      Glad to hear from you and glad to hear i could assist in slacking off from work for a bit!
      Sorry to hear that your travel plans got kiboshed as well, we are still working on ferry plans but it seems they might be complicated. We also thought the hospital might be a rather nice place to stay and considered faking Swine Flu, but decided that would probably land us a lengthy quarantine sentence elsewhere.

      Hope things become a little less ridiculous for you soon and please send all my best to Fred in his recovery.

      -amy

  6. Just read your blog. Sounds like the kind of adventure worth having! No good if everything is to normal and smooth!
    And don’t be too quick to turn down the rich old Chinese businessmen letchers. Remember the old slogan: What happens in China,stays in China!!!

    • haha thanks Uncle Gary. China so far has indeed been an adventure worth having, never a dull day that much is for sure! And thanks for the advice.. I do remember my dad pointing out that there are more billionaires in China than there are millionaires in the United States, so I guess it might be a worthwhile avenue to pursue!

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