Las Vegas, NM: Where the adventure began (part I)

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Las Vegas, NM: Where the adventure began (part I)
Just like everything else in this universe, or multi-verse, depending on your school of thought, there is a spark that ignites a person’s passion for travelling.

The spark that ignited my interest occurred in an unforgettable series of circumstances which unexpectedly led me and my wife to Las Vegas, New Mexico.

This is my story…

December 30, 2004 – It was the night before our trip to California. This will be our first time visiting my parents via the Amtrak Southwest Chief – a 36 hour train ride from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California with stops at cities in the states of Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. We made all necessary preparations two weeks in advanced. However, no amount of preparation could have predicted the series circumstances that happened next.

On that night, my wife had an unfortunate incident of being food poisoned from a spoiled nilaga (Beef stew, Pinoy style). Anticipating the discomfort of the combination of the after effects of dehydration and the sickness brought about by the motion of the Chief, we asked a prescription strength anti-nausea medicine. Consequently, our physician prescribed my wife compazine.

The events that night throughout the wee hours of the morning were not very charming. It was composed of a couple of Gatorade and cracker runs to Walgreen’s, frequent visitation to the toilet due to diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and capped off listening to many of my wife’s finest collection of swear words.

December 31, 2004 – The following morning brought upon some glimpse of hope of a good trip. My wife’s symptoms of the incident have subsided, and though weak and dehydrated, her appetite was back to normal. Everything went smooth that morning: we arrived at Union Station in Chicago at around 2:30 pm; we checked-in; boarded the train at approximately 2:45 pm; then the train departed at exactly 3:00 pm.

The Chief chugged along the predetermined course. I spent the first half hour of the trip examining the different coaches. I immediately felt that the coaches were cozy. The chairs were comfortable and the windows were wide enough so the view of the scenery outside was not impeded. I noticed that the lavatories have decent space making the movement less awkward. The chair-less coach (I forgot what it’s called) gave us a big space to walk around, lie-down, charge our electronics, mingle with other passengers, etc. The staff was friendly and accommodating. The list of food on the menu was acceptable and reasonably priced. The diner was clean, and the community seating provided an atmosphere of togetherness, which I think was natural as it was the New Year’s eve.

Everything was fine and relaxing. I was enjoying the trip until during the stop in La Plata, Missouri at approximately 7:30pm. It was at this time when my wife began to feel nauseated again. As recommended by our physician she took a prescribed dose of compazine thinking that it would be best for her to have a good night’s rest. From then on however, everything that could go wrong, went wrong.

On the seventh hour of our trip nearing the stop at Kansas City, Missouri, my wife was awoken by lower back pains. We immediately dismissed it as nothing more than an effect of dehydration to her body. To remedy the situation she just drank water intermittently with the hope of feeling better in the morning. However, it didn’t. In fact, throughout the night, the pain on her lower back progressively worsened, and her entire back and jaw began to stiff. I knew at that time that something was off, but my wife, ever the trooper, just wanted to hang-on and deal with the matter when we get to California.

The last hours of 2004 crept so ever slowly that it seemed like Los Angeles was still thousands of miles away. Finally, when I saw my wife asleep, I kissed her eyes and wished her a happy New Year before going to sleep myself.

January 1, 2005 – The first morning of the 2005 found us somewhere in between Lamar and Trinidad, Colorado. My wife looked as white as the snow outside. But to my relief, her first words when she woke up were “I’m hungry”. Her back and jaw did not get any worse but it had not gotten any better. And to top it off, she was again nauseated. Like most of everyone else in and outside the belly of the Chief, we were exhausted, wasted, and weak – not from too much partying or drinking, but from everything that took place two days prior.

I tried my best to look stoic about everything, but I knew that if I was feeling weak and exhausted, then my wife was feeling like she was in hell.

I wanted my wife to have a good breakfast and so I told her to take another dose of compazine. Now, most of you may already know what was going on, but at that time, whether due to exhaustion or panic, we honestly did not.

Within an hour after breakfast, my wife’s back and jaw have gotten much worse. It was more severe this time around that it made sitting and standing difficult for her. Her speech was so slurred that I could barely understand what she was saying.

The entire ordeal made the train ride feel as if it was specially made for the damned en route to hell!

We had to get off the train… immediately. The conductor of the Chief advised us against getting off of the next stop, Las Vegas, New Mexico, and suggested that we wait until we stop at Albuquerque. However, panic had already enveloped me that I insisted we get off of Las Vegas.

At approximately 12 noon, we arrived in Las Vegas. At his point I had nothing to say but praise to the staff of the Chief. At the stop, they assisted my wife, short of carrying her, off the train, and then helped me with our luggage. They contacted 911 for us and offered to stay until the paramedics arrive. But again, my wife being the trooper that she is, told the conductor to go on ahead as she did not want to be the cause of the Chief’s delay and ruin everyone else’s new year.

The thought of the arriving help immediately lifted my spirit.

The moment the train left, I realized something… we were in Las Vegas, New Mexico. The immediate questions I asked myself were: where is Las Vegas, NM? Where is the nearest emergency room? Is this place safe? I immediately assessed our situation and found out how vulnerable we were. Here were a couple of luggage laden Asian tourists, with one of them barely able to move, in what I assumed as a nowhere town. I began to comprehend why the conductor advised us against stopping there.

I then noticed a couple of men furtively looking at us, and then started walking towards our direction. Their actions kick-started all my senses anticipating danger, and when they finally reached us, I could see nothing else but concern in their eyes. I could not have been more wrong. They asked if we were ok and offered any help that they can provide. After we explained our situation and that 911 was already contacted, they decided to keep us company until help arrived.

Minutes after, paramedics arrived with flashing lights. We were then taken to the emergency room at Alta Vista Regional Hospital.

After evaluation, it turned out that - as you may have already guessed it - my wife was having symptoms of anaphylaxis from compazine. My wife was then given fluid intravenously for dehydration and treated with Benadryl for the allergic reaction.

After the administration of Benadryl, my wife within hours felt better. I can’t put into words how the feeling of relief had hit me. All I can remember was that I cried (manly cry – not soft sobs).

We stayed in the emergency room for five hours. During the five hour stay, Tina, our closest friend who lives in Chicago, made all the necessary preparations for what then would become a long drive from Las Vegas, New Mexico to Oxnard, California. She booked a reservation at the nearest Comfort Inn and arranged for Enterprise Rental Car to pick us up at the hotel the following morning.

After the nurse gave my wife the discharge papers, we asked the nurse if they can call a taxi cab for us, for although the Comfort Inn was a walking distance away, my wife was extremely weak and I cannot carry all the luggage by myself. Unfortunately, the nurse informed us that it was the new year’s day and no taxi nor bus were on service. “Just my luck” I remember telling myself. But for some reason, I was not frustrated. All the worries in the world did not matter anymore at that moment because I was so relieved that my wife was finally better.

As we were about to pass the double door as we exited the emergency room, the nurse called us back. Apparently, while we were preparing to leave, the nurse had talked to the officer present at the hospital and requested that she gave us a ride to the hotel.

The officer escorted us to the patrol car. She was petite – not so very tough looking. But when she man-handled our heavy luggage like it contained nothing, my manhood suddenly felt very inadequate. She helped my wife in to the backseat and jokingly shoved my head inside like an apprehended individual.

On our very short trip to the hotel, I remembered my mom telling me that she’d disown me if she ever finds me in a police car… with how bad we probably looked like after everything we just went through, what would she have said back then if she had seen us.
(to be continued…)

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