Chapter 17 Russia - Moscow/St. Petersburg 2006
The next day, a field trip was planned to visit the Moscow Subway from 9:00 p.m. to midnight. There were three riverboat ships docked and many of the tourists were planning to visit the unique Moscow subway to see the many murals and mosaics on the walls as well as the beautiful chandeliers. There were eleven buses to take us on this special night tour since the millions of residents were home at that time and not working. (There are about three million workers that use the subway to go to work). We got on a train, jumped off to look and admire the art, then continued to go onto the many stations while the tour guide explained the art. I noticed that I started feeling funny and had a slight pain in the chest. There was nothing that I could do except wait until we left the subway system until we were outside at Red Square. It was cold and drizzling and I was looking at their big department store called GUM which was all lit up with white lights. Still not feeling like myself, as I heard the tour guide on my left talking, I realized I did not recognize her voice nor did I see some of the people who were on my bus. Needless to say, I lost my group which increased my anxiety level. When the group counted heads they said “Frances is missing!” All I wanted at this time was to get on the bus, onto the ship, and see the doctor. Of course, the bus driver was driving slowly and the guide was explaining for what purpose the various buildings were used. I was very quiet and didn’t know what was wrong. Once on board, they woke the doctor (it was now midnight) and the doctor took my blood pressure and looked at the guide and said something to her in Russian. I said “I want to know what’s going on!” The doctor wrote on a piece of paper 200/100 which I knew was very bad--I could have been on the way to a stroke or a heart attack. They immediately put nitro-glycerin under my tongue and called the ambulance and told me I had to go to the hospital. They woke Father Schaefer who said “do you want me to go with you?” I said “No thanks”… I was in such a bad state of mind and had no recollection where I had put my credit card. Luckily, a lady in our group was a nurse and she went up to my room, checked all my luggage and found my credit card. On the ship, I was given something to drink and given a shot in my buttocks. I have no recollection of how I got from the ship to the ambulance. What I do remember is looking at this old ambulance and thinking “this is like an old Ernest Hemingway movie, “A Farewell to Arms” (1929 novel). My legs were shaking and the young Russian girl was holding my hands.
What a shock when we arrived. We went to the American Clinic which was beautiful, new and modern and they spoke English! After many tests, blood work, checked the heart, had X-rays, etc. great care, fantastic food, administered potassium intravenously, and I started feeling better. However, my ship left Moscow and onto the next island on the Volga River. I was extremely calm. They provided me with a white, terrycloth robe, slippers, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush and there was a TV in my private room. After two nights, I felt well enough to meet my riverboat. The credit card took care of the $3,000 bill which I was reimbursed for when I returned to the States.
Now, how was I to get to the ship which was three hours away by car? The administrator said to me, “You will have a copy of your X-Ray, an itemized bill and a diagnosis and someone will take you to meet your ship which is three hours away by car.” Evidently, all I had was an anxiety attack which caused the extreme rise in blood pressure. Even though I was “alone in Moscow,” I was extremely calm.
My driver was waiting for me in a black vehicle with a white sign which said “American Clinic”. By the way he did not speak English; he only spoke Russian as I would soon find out, however, I knew this would be a three-hour trip by car. After 2 ½ hours, I needed to use the restroom and I said, “where is the river?” and since he did not know what I said, he put a CD into the slot and made me hear music. I said to myself, “Dear God where is my ship?” Finally, in the distance, I saw the top of a ship and felt a little better, but when he stopped I said to myself “Oh my God, its not my ship!” I am going on that ship to use the restroom! I don’t care what country that ship is from!. To communicate with my driver as he was having a cigarette outside, I bent over holding my stomach and said one word , “toilette” and proceeded to the ship using the same system to communicate with the girl behind the counter who spoke to the gentlemen who gave her a key to escort me to the restroom. Now I felt better and thought how to get a message to my driver about our current situation. I held my fist to my ear to make believe I had a cell phone and said one word “SPITALE” (hospital) and he understood; he took out his cell phone and called the clinic. Then, using both hands, he held up his fingers representing ten, put his hands down, then held five fingers to let me know that my ship will be here in FIFTEEN MINUTES.
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