From Aqualand to Cologne Emergency Room
By Lothar. Filed in Germany |
The visit to Aqualand is a lot of fun. The kids enjoy the different pools, whirlpools and water slides. Gabi and I relax in the whirlpool and steam bath, followed by a nap on a hot stone platform. After 4 hours, we all get dressed and assemble in the pool’s lobby. All of a sudden, John yells for help. One of the girls has passed out and is lying on the stone floor. I check her breathing and pulse and she regains consciousness. Simultaneously, Gabi is feeling faint and is sitting on the ground as well. Joe is getting 2 bottles of water and we rehydrate the 2 ladies. Our student hit her head during the fall, but shows no signs of concussion. On the way home, Gabi feels weak and has chills and nausea. She is unable to eat the good dinner, which our host Maria had prepared for us. After dinner, Gabi insists on coming with me to the Koeln-Porz Hospital, where our student’s head injury is being evaluated. The girl has a normal neuro exam and is being discharged. We are given the type-written doctor’s report and a bill. The total hospital bill came to 30 Euros, or 42 USD at the current exchange rate. In the US, this visit would have cost about $2000!
We are not done yet. Earlier today, another student fell at school, injuring his knee. We only hear about it, as we are leaving the pool. I examine the swollen knee and find a large hematoma, possible joint effusion. I tell him that he also needs to go to the ER tonight. Sitting in the hospital’s waiting room, we attempt multiple phone calls, but his host family is not answering. I program their address into my GPS, and thanks to the computer voice, we find their house in the darkness and rain. Nobody answers the door. They call us around midnight, informing us that they went to a different hospital. The knee is not broken, but our injured student won’t be able to come with us to Berlin tomorrow.
Late at night, our GPS guides the way back to Maria’s house. I say a million thanks to Carsten, who had given me the GPS as a Christmas present. We could not have done it without it! Thanks, Carsten!
Finally, I can put my sick Gabi to bed, so that she can get some rest. She is having flu symptoms, and I don’t think that she should travel to Berlin tomorrow!