An Unusual Christmas Story (Part 1)

  In 1985, when our youngest was only eight months old, our middle one three and Buddy twelve, we hit a very low point as a family. All seemed to be going very well.  A new baby, a new house and even a new car but then my hubby's dad suffered a stroke late in November. His mom asked if we could come for a visit as it was his dad's wish. We arranged to fly to see him in early December since it was near the Christmas holiday time and I could take a short leave along with the holiday break. But fate had a different plan for us, one that shook my very foundation almost to it's breaking point.

  Our destination to his father's home was miles from Toronto. We would have to fly to New York, then New York to Frankfurt, then Cairo to Karachi where we'd change planes again to our final destination. With two little ones we knew we needed to pack lots of goodies. Then there were the gifts for his six siblings and their families. We had a total of seven huge suitcases, two strollers and four cabin bags to manage and the kids. The smallest one I carried in a Snuggly carrier freeing my hands. The other two we tried to hang onto as best as we could. La Guardia Airport to JFK was the first struggle away after leaving home. Using the shuttle bus system, we had to transfer all our luggage manually along with us. And we made it just in time for pre- boarding.
 Our trans Atlantic crossing went as well as could be expected. Hubby entertained Buddy and I kept the girls relatively calm and quiet but had little time for myself. In Frankfurt we had some time to stretch our legs. As we strolled  about the kids were happy to see the Christmas decorations. But I noticed hubby looked a bit stressed. A smoker, he  took the opportunity to puff on his pipe as smoking had not yet been banned.  We bought some snacks and reboarded.
   Now we were heading for Cairo. Hubby dozed a bit. So did the rest of us but as we descended to Cairo hubby was not looking well at all. Cairo was a stop over where one remained on the plane. We sat and waited but something was not right with hubby. He was short of breath and anxious looking. An alarm in my brain went off. Having experienced my dad die of a heart attack at forty-two when I was sixteen, there was a fear it could happen to my hubby now forty-five. Very concerned, I asked the steward if we could have hubby checked. He was very helpful and had an airline doctor sent onto the plane to examine hubby. He was given a shot of valium for reducing his apparent stress. He was deemed fit to continue the flight and seemed calmer when the plane taxied for take off.
 As the plane climbed steeply upwards hubby's face grew strained. He tried hard to deal with his unwell feeling. About forty minutes into the flight he was definitely loosing his ability to cope. Severe pain in his legs had set in and he had trouble catching his breath. We were all seated together in the centre of the jet, making it convenient to help each other. I asked Buddy to play with his sister and climbed out of my spot to make my way to the galley where the staff was preparing refreshments. They recognized me and I tried to imagined their thoughts,

 "Yup it's her again. What does she need now?"
But they were very busy, hardly even noticing me and that was most disturbing. I began to feel fear. No make that terror as I stammered out the words that hubby was much worse and would need further help. Might one find out if there is a doctor on board who could be of some assistance? Perhaps the look on my face gave my plea some credibility because one staff member quickly headed to hubby's seat and returned moments later instructing me to remain calm and return to my own seat as they took further action. They'd help as quickly as possible bearing in mind that the other passengers also needed to be attended to.

 On my way I heard the announcement one occasionally hears on a flight, 

 " If there's a medical doctor on board who is able to give us some assistance would he or she please contact our staff."
Now I realized how invaluable those words might be for someone. Barely seated, a staff member arrived with a doctor who decided that hubby had to be moved. He had begun to moan and that could be upsetting to other passengers. His pain had worsened. With help he was located closer to the front of the plane where seats were cleared. He could be stretched out on his back. Another doctor with his stethoscope out was heading towards hubby. And then another doctor appeared beside me. He questioned me about his earlier episode. With him I went to see to hubby who continued to worsen. I was feeling so helpless. However, the doctors were all attending to this patient very professionally. Again back in my seat, I watched another doctor pass by me. He had a medical bag in his arms. So many doctors. That was reassuring.
Eventually one of them came and told me that the heart specialist had given hubby some nitrroglycerin and a mild pain analgesic. All  the doctors concluded that hubby had had a myo infarction and needed immediate hospital care. They had conveyed their finding to the captain who began the process of finding a hospital in a city and country that would allow him landing permission for the emergency and disembarking for the patient and the family. Three cities in two counties were in close range. It would take a bit of time to get the final permission. A heart specialist was attending hubby. Now we had to have some faith.
 Holding my three little ones close to me, tears rolling quietly down my cheeks, I began to pray. And I thought of my mom who had been in this situation at the same age. I prayed that I be stronger for my children. Of course I prayed for hubby and his family who were awaiting his arrival.