Another blackout

It’s very scary. I was really scared this time round.

I was on my way to work this morning. I woke up feeling alright, so I was quite confident that I could survive the MRT ride to work. I’m even brave enough to be lugging my laptop and a box of mooncakes with me.

All went well initially. The LRT ride was fine. I decided to take the MRT to Punggol in order to secure a seat and I did. I settled down comfortably. But soon, the nightmare started. The train got crowded as early as Sengkang. It got so crowded that I started to find it hard to breathe. I was fighting hard for some precious oxygen. In my mind, I kept telling myself “it’s alright, as soon as when most people alight at Dhoby Ghaut, everything will be fine.”

I started to count the stops - Potong Pasir, Boon Keng, Farrer Park, Little India… I began to feel sweat all over my body. At Dhoby Ghaut, the crowd cleared out, but I did not. My vision started to blur and I was sweating profusely. It lasted from Dhoby Ghaut to Clarke Quay to Chinatown. I’ve not have fainting spells that lasted so long. At Outram, I thought I am really going to faint. I imagined the people around me dialing for the ambulance. I held on tightly to the hand rail beside me for fear of falling forward.

I didn’t dare to alight at Outram, so I sat put and wait for the “clouds” to clear. It was only when the MRT pulled to a complete stop at HarbourFront that I felt my consciousness returning. I staggered out of the MRT and slammed down onto the stone seat on the deck. I sat for a long time. How long exactly? I don’t know.

It was only until I feel well enough and confident enough that I can continue my way that I started to walk slowly out of the MRT station. I made my way slowly to the McDonald’s at HarbourFront Centre and got myself a hot drink.

Recuperated, I finally took a cab to office. Now I really admire myself for being able to pull that feat, all alone and with 2 heavy loads.

But the entire ordeal is really scary. What if I’ve really blacked out completely?