My first and (hopefully) last accident in Abu Dhabi #ClevelandClinicAbuDhabi

So this happened on the way to work Wednesday morning. Everyone is okay.

Part 1

I awoke really tired, but I did go out to dinner last night and late some yummy bread, which often wears me out the next day. 

Before I left for school my stomach didn't feel good but it passed by the time I was ready to go, so off I went. about 2 stoplights away from my apartment building when I started feeling nauseous again. This time it was accompanied with sort of an overwhelming feeling of ick. I got kinda hot but the big thing is that my vision started to get funky. I realized I should go home and started praying that I'd make it. I did a U-turn and my vision field of vision started to get smaller and smaller. I remember praying again that I make it back to my building...

The next thing I know I'm calm and feel like I'm sleeping in my bed. Then I remember I am supposed to be driving to work so something must be wrong. I smelled gun powder. When I came to and looked up, I saw two puffed up airbags and a man standing beside the van in front of me on the phone. 

Then I freaked out. I got out of the car sobbing and the man and the island security guy that had stopped both motioned for me to sit back down and it would all be okay. And so I sat back down in my car and kept sobbing while I called work. The security guard even told me, "This minor. It happens all the time. Today you, tomorrow me, next day him."

Eventually the Saeed (the traffic police) came, and he joined the other two men in trying to get me to calm down. He moved my car and our little party relocated off the street. Now all three men, the driver of the van, the Saeed and the security guy all urged me to calm down and sit down. I was asked several times if I were okay, did I need an ambulance? I refused each time.

Eventually they all left and I waited maybe a half hour or so for the tow truck to come and take the remnants of my car away.

Just a note about cars here. Many people here rent cars on either a long-term or month-to-month basis. I rent and pay an extra premium every month for comprehensive insurance, meaning that if anything happens to the car I am not responsible for covering the damages. Now, even if I bought a car I would have full coverage, but I prefer to rent because a) I was not sure how long I would stay when I got here; b) I wasn't sure I wanted to drive here, so renting was a good way to test the waters; and c) when the car needs service of any kind, I just make a phone call and someone brings me a replacement car at work and brings my car back when it's finished. Everything here requires driving and therefore takes so much time that I am willing to pay a premium to not deal with registrations and inspections and service.

Now back to yesterday.

When the tow truck was out of sight, I grabbed my belongings and walked the 2 blocks back home.

Bye, bye, Dead Car :(

The security guards at my building's reception greeted me and I burst into tears. I told them and showed them the pictures.  One said, "Go take a rest," and that is what I did.

Part 2

After tidying up some things for my substitute at work, I told a couple of people what happened and both of them suggested going to a doctor might be a good idea. After all, I did pass out while driving a car!

I suspected that I passed out from my body freaking out about something I ate the night before. My theory goes like this: I am allergic to many foods and I haven't been eating super great over the break so my immune system is hurting. The night before I ate out and ate a bunch of bread that I'm sure had gluten and eggs in it. This freaked my body out and somehow I ended up with an upset stomach and this further overwhelmed my body and....[then there is a little unknown here]....pass out.

So yeah, a doctor seemed like a good idea.

Also, I should tell you that this has happened once before except I didn't pass out. That time, about a year ago, I was on the Sheikh Zayed Road (what must be the busiest highway in the Middle East) when I felt nauseous and lightheaded. That time I managed to pull over and get out of the car until it subsided and I went home for the day.

So yeah, a doctor seemed like a REALLY good idea.

The best hospital in Abu Dhabi is said to be Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, but my insurance doesn't cover it. I looked up the nearest hospital to me that is covered, which is actually within walking distance, but I was not inspired. The reality is that I wanted to go to the best for my own piece of mind, so off I went for the 6 minute, 12 dirham (about 3.27 USD) taxi ride.

It was amazing! I had to wait about 5 minutes for the woman in front of me to check in, but that was the only time I waited for service. After I was checked in I was immediately taken to a room through the nicest medical facility I've ever been in. A nurse arrived minutes later and the doctor came before the nurse was finished with her initial questions. The nurse was trained in Ireland and the doctor in California. The doctor was American and so there was no problem with translation as I told him my allergy theory.

They did an EKG, a chest x-ray and a blood draw, got my results and sent me on my way in under 2 hours! The doctor reported that everything looks good- even my iron levels (YAY)! As far as the fainting goes, he didn't really entertain my allergy idea, but he did say that this is called a vasovagal reaction. From what I understood, a triggering event causes the vasovagal nerve to overreact, which in turn causes the heart rate to drop suddenly, leading to fainting. To top it off, the entire visit cost 900 AED (about $245 USD). Where in the United States can you visit the emergency room in under 2 hours AND for less than $300 with all those tests?

While I was relieved to hear that it is so common it has a name, but I still don't know what the "triggering event" was. This is the part that really scares me.

So I was back home 2 hours after I arrived at the hospital, the entire episode almost completely finished. The last piece was taken care of at 3 when my rental car company dropped off my new car.

My new car!

And so within 10 hours the entire ordeal was finished: the accident paperwork tended to, the old car disposed of, the new car delivered and the doctor's visit completed. The only thing left is to pay the traffic ticket.

There are so many things to be grateful for here: that I wasn't on the freeway; that no one was seriously hurt; that I wasn't in the intersection when I blacked out; that I now know the warning signs at which point I will pull over, no matter what; that I can afford to go to a good medical center outside of my network; that I will probably get reimbursed some for what I did pay; that everyone was so kind; that my new car is way nicer than my old car; that my colleagues were super supportive. The list goes on and on. I am so blessed.