My Monday morning was going as usual - out the door around 6:20AM and driving to Vienna metro. I arrive around 6:50 and discover there are lots of delays on the orange line due to the flooding of various stations caused by the continued rainfall. I decide to just board the existing train on the platform even though it was standing room only (not typical at the Vienna station - the last station on the orange line). Evidently the trains are running a lot less frequently and many were having mechanical issues. Anyway, I am still feeling good, not stressed or worried about getting to work by a certain hour or anything. I am standing and reading an interesting book that is keeping me fully engaged as we begin our departure to D.C. At Ballston, a seat opens up and is offered to me - I didn’t take it since it seems there were more needy passengers and I was feeling fine. Beginning at Virginia Square, the orange line seemed to be having even more delays - long wait times at the stations and absolutely no room for more passengers to board the train, but still everything is fine.

We arrive at Clarendon, for another delay, this time for a train having mechanical delays ahead of us. Many people outwardly sigh on the train, and again I am just content with my book. Then all of a sudden, this wave of nausea comes over me. I instantly get extremely nervous I was going to get sick on the train - if so, I would certainly vomit on at least 2 or 3 people because we are all standing on top of each other and I am literally at the center of the train, no where near the exits. I begin to fan myself with the book to help ease the nausea. Suddenly I start to sweat profusely and have trouble breathing - it is getting progressively worse. At this point I wake the guy up that is sitting in the chair in front of me and tell him I need to sit down because I think I am going to pass out. Before he has a chance to fully comprehend (since he was sleeping) and get out of the seat, I fall down, or really slump over him. He tries to hold me up and ask if I want to sit down - I say yes and thank him profusely. I basically sit there with my eyes closed for a few seconds, still sweating profusely. I am not sure how much time is really going by because the train is not moving and I feel I am going in and out of consciousness. Another guy standing near me asks if I want a cold drink - I tell him yes and he says I should wrap my arms around it to transfer heat. I try to do so, but still feel so very tired and hot. At some point we arrive at the next stop, Courthouse. We are waiting at Courthouse now - much longer than normal. As I still feel awful, I announce I should get off the train. The guy yells they need to make room for me to get off - “this is an emergency so make room and let this lady off.” A passage way is cleared for me, I just keep saying thank you, and step off the train on to the platform. One or two steps off the platform, and I go black again. I fall to the ground and am basically lying on the disgusting platform in my skirt suit. Nobody comes over to help me - nobody seems to notice, despite the packed platform, and packed train remaining with the doors open and going no where.

I proceed to call Chris at home - one, two times, no answer. Third time I call his cell, no answer. I call home again, this time leaving a message.

I then call work - I frighten the heck out of my secretary telling her I have passed out at the metro, not sure what to do, won’t be coming to work, and am lying on the ground. She is afraid, wants to call 911 and I tell her I will be okay, I will call her later once I get help. I try home again, this time Chris answers. I basically tell him I have passed out twice, am lying on the platform at Courthouse and don’t know how I am going to get home. I tell him I don’t know what to do or what happened, I simply passed out and am on the ground. Chris is pretty frightened and is telling me he will come get me. All of a sudden, an older gentleman comes over and asks if I am okay. I say “no” I passed out and don’t know what happened. He pulls a water from his briefcase and then tells me he is getting the station manager. At this point a younger guy comes over to me and apologizes - he said he saw me, but just thought I was reading my book (huh??). Anyway, he keeps apologizing and tells me I should try to sit up and lean against the sign to support my back - he then begins to fan me. He asks if I want a banana and I tell him no, since my stomach feels a bit wheezy. At this point the station manager comes over with the older gentleman who gave me the water - they help me to the station mgr’s kiosk, which is air conditioned and has a comfortable chair. The older gentleman then tells me is going to buy me a Gatorade which should help replace some electrolytes. This guy was amazing - he was literally a hero to me that day.

While I am in the kiosk the station manager is taking down some information and trying to be as helpful as possible, despite interruptions from annoyed passengers that are angry about all of the delays on the metro. As I drink water and cool down I start to feel better, but then my body starts shaking uncontrollable. This could be due to how cold the kiosk was, compared to how hot my body was feeling. At this point the station manger asks if he should call for an ambulance. I asked him what he thought and he said it was better to call and be sure I was safe - I agreed. The EMT arrived within 5 minutes top - I was shaking a lot less and feeling better. They checked my vitals and said they were okay. They asked if I wanted to go to the hospital. I told them I didn’t think it was necessary - I would just rest some more and then go back to Vienna where Chris was going to pick me up. The EMT said that I should definitely call my doctor - they would not force me to go to the hospital, but I should consider it, since passing out is definitely not normal. I decline their final offer, sign a waiver, and they are on their way.

I then stay in the kiosk with the station manger for another 20 minutes or so. This guy is so cool!! As I start to feel better we start talking more - L.A. Jones has been with metro for 27 years and was planning on retiring next year. He is a very patient and kind hearted man. He is being bombarded from all sides at his kiosk from angry customers, and his most common response is “go through the swing gate.” This is really the gate that you can enter or exit without paying, and it seems to satisfy everyone, and Mr. Jones gets the angry passengers on their way and out of his hair. He starts telling me all kinds of interesting stories about people and experiences he has had - all I can say is there are some cold-hearted, selfish people out there.

After 20 or minutes, Mr. Jones is tracking a train for me to catch back to Vienna on the electronic map. Once the train is getting close, he walks with me down to the platform to make sure I get on safely. The train arrives and it is packed - I pass, not wanting to go through the same ordeal all over again. We wait another 8 minutes for the next train back to Vienna, which is quite empty. Mr. Jones gets me on the train where I head back to Vienna where Chris is waiting for me.

Chris takes me home and I fall asleep pretty quickly. I wake up to him sitting over me and I ask him what is wrong. He says he just wanted to make sure I was still breathing!! This surprised me, since I certainly was feeling a lot better. I was pretty lazy and a little dizzy the rest of the day, but feeling okay. I decided to make an appt for the doctors anyway to make sure nothing was wrong - this type of thing just doesn’t happen to me. Even though everyone kept telling me it was the “heat” and being in such a tight space for so long, it just didn’t sound right to me. For one, the trains have A/C, and I definitely wasn’t feeling hot until I passed out. In fact I was very happy and comfortable. Plus, I can deal with a lot worse heat, and never had a problem (recently evidenced by a bonfire to burn tree trimmings two weeks earlier in high 80 degrees temps). That is what frightened me the most, the passing out seemed to come out of nowhere.

I went to the doctors on Tuesday and he also couldn’t find anything wrong - all my vitals looked good and my heart sounded fine. He said he could do more tests, but it didn’t seem necessary at this point. If it happens again, we will investigate further. I told him that was fine since I was feeling normal and hoping it was just some type of fluke.

Anyway, I am doing fine, and plan to head back to work on Wednesday - hopefully on “normal loaded” trains. I sent an email to the orange/blue line rail manager to praise L.A. Jones for all of his efforts - he truly was amazing. I also sent him a hand written thank you letter, so hopefully it will find its way to him. The only thing I could think to do for the kind gentleman who initially approached me and brought me water, and then left the station to buy me a Gatorade is to thank him (again) via a letter in the Washington post express paper that is given out freely in the metro - he truly was a hero to me that day and I hope he knows how much I appreciated what he did for me. I also got to thank the hubby, who took care of me and bought me lots of ice cream to make me feel better.