My afternoon of pampering was going well. I'd just completed the first session: physical therapy - a back and shoulder massage, and was about to begin the second session: retail therapy. I entered the department store blissfully unaware that by a bizarre sequence of events, an old lady was about to transfer her dizzy spell on to me!
There I was approaching the bottom of the open plan stairs, while 2 floors above me, the aforementioned old lady was approaching the top of the stairs. I was walking up the bottom few steps, my mind on the goodies which awaited me on the next floor, when I heard an almighty crash from up above, as if someone had just dropped a dinner service. The old lady, who I keep mentioning, but in fact never did meet, had just come over a bit faint and had grabbed the nearest object to steady herself. Unfortunately, the nearest object happened to be a display stand of crockery!
As I looked up to see what the noise was, I got something of a shock. In fact, not to understate this, it frightened the hell out of me! Cascading down the gaps between the steps was a shower of crockery shards of various sizes. As I turned to race back down the stairs, what looked like half a dinner plate smashed in front of me. The rest of the dinner service then followed as I retreated hastily. I was extremely lucky I wasn't a step or 2 higher. None of the pieces hit me on the head. I felt various bits ricochet on to me off the steps, but thankfully no direct hits!
Screams rang out as shards bounced off the counters around the stairs. One by one all the eyes then turned to me - the pathetic quivering wreck in the suede jacket, now steadying herself on the hosiery stand - somewhat more solid, one would imagine, than a crockery display! In my mind, the words: "Oh no not again!"...
...A year or two earlier, I had been descending the escalator in another department store, when a small child hit the emergency stop button. With both hands full of shopping I went flying forwards and landed flat on my face on the floor, thankfully unhurt. Everybody fussed around me, as the mother started screaming blue murder at the child. I insisted I was OK, brushed everyone aside, and heroically headed out of the store. I passed out in the doorway!...
...So there I am holding the hosiery stand, and a shop assistant offered me a chair. I felt it wise this time to accept the offer. I sat there trembling like a leaf, feeling very faint. Someone fetched me a cup of water, while a first aider asked me if I knew where I was and what day it was. I had to think hard whether it was a Friday or Saturday, but I think I was in better shape than he feared. It took a lot of patience and self restraint to simply sit there and wait for the dizziness to pass. A few minutes later though, I felt well enough to decline their offer of a cup of coffee and a cake, and still trembling a little, started my shopping spree.
I don't consider myself a particularly frail person. In fact I thought I was an adrenaline junky with my windsurfing adventures. Until these two incidents I've never fainted before in my life, although these weren't black outs, more like grey outs if you can call them that. I've mentioned before in this blog that my resting heart rate is 36bpm. I've heard that this can sometimes cause problems. Is this an example of just such a problem?
20 minutes later I was right as rain. I managed to inject a bit of quality into the session with the purchase of a rather posh evening wear dressy top. It was then on to the third session: beauty therapy - a hair do, and finally finishing off with more retail therapy: the purchase of a digital camera. I've just had a really comfortable 7 mile recovery run, so no lasting damage.
Can my low heart rate contribute to these adrenaline fuelled grey outs, or is this all normal when someone drops a dinner service on your head? Informed comments welcome!
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