Dallas to Hong Kong is 16 hours in flight...lots can happen in 16 hours.
Our seats were wonderful. We sat in business class, so each person had their own little cubicle, with a TV monitor, headphones, and a seat that laid completely flat. Never want to travel any other way...thank you Fedex! Steve, Paul, and John sat on the window side all in a row. Lizzy and Sam sat by the window one behind the other and I sat on the aisle seat right beside them.
I had been worried that I wouldn't be able to see Lizzy without getting up and was concerned about that. A nice man swapped seats with me so I could sit across from her. She is only 7 and she still needs help with lots of things, needs help dealing with the technology, the food, the dropped lovies, pens, notebooks, TV controller, etc... She also needs to discuss (Loudly) HOW that lady in front of us changed into pjs in that tiny bathroom, how LOUD the potty is when it flushes, that now we are 43000 feet in the air and it is a temperature of -60 degrees...how long will we live if we fall out now?..that, well you get the idea. She was thrilled by every thing. It was a fun reminder of how cool flying really is.
Sam also thought the whole thing was amazing, kept poking his head around to tell me things, but the boys were mostly enthralled with the inflight movies, games, and getting their electronic seat to just the right position. You know how much fun kids have with the adjustable beds in the hospital? Same thing!
All four kids were well behaved, slept some, tried new foods (yes, even Paul!!), and did amazing on that long flight. Steve is a pro and slept some, but he was concerned about all of us, too, so kept making the rounds to check on us. I think having us there kept him from relaxing as much as he normally does. Good daddy.
About 3 in the morning, Steve popped into my cubby to tell me there had been a call put out for a medical professional for help. I walked up front to see if I was needed. I found a doctor tending to a flight attendant who had been vomiting and having diarrhea for 10 hours. She is a tiny woman, nearly 60, pale, and nearly writhing in misery. I figured out the equipment from the airplane medical kit (which was extensive..) and took her vital signs and the doctor looked through the medications they carried. She found Phenergan which could be given via a shot or an IV. We opted for shot since IV was iffy on such a dehydrated person anyway. I gave her the shot and continued to monitor her. She was able to kind of sit still once the med took effect and the doctor really wanted her to have the small bag of fluids in the kit. So, with the lead flight attendants help, we gathered the stuff and I dusted off some nursing rust and started an IV 43,000 feet in the air. It was surreal, but I was so glad to help her. She got about half the bag, but after about 45 minutes, she accidentally pulled it out...tape was pretty bad. The doctor attempted another one, but that one didn't work, so we had to just keep watching her. Thankfully, the med stopped her vomiting and she was able to sip a tiny amount of ginger ale. The whole thing was bad for this woman and could be made worse since Asia is tight on allowing sick people in. They quarantine immediately for fever and symptoms like hers. She felt like this was food poisoning and had no other serious illness symptoms, so that was likely. When we landed, she was trying to fix herself up enough to pass through the health area and then get to an ER. Quarantine really wouldn't help her...she needed to get to a hospital and be rehydrated and to treat the issue, whatever it was. I wonder if she got through..she really was so weak she couldn't stand for long.
We landed, made it through customs and immigration, got our 13 checked bags, hired two taxis, and made it to the hotel with a minimal of stress. After we checked in, we walked just down the street to the little plaza of shops and restaurants. We ordered a super huge pizza and went to the grocery store while it cooked. I could write a book about the grocery store...but I won't. Just know that I've been really concerned about two things mostly... Finding a home that will fit us and buying food. These are two biggies for our continued comfort over here and helping to make this a good experience for all. The short version is that we walked through the store picking up items and exclaiming to each other,"Hey, it's the same thing as at home!" Answered prayer. Lizzy and I plan to go back tomorrow and take pictures!
So I sit in our beautiful hotel room at 4:14 am HK time unable to sleep...rest of the group is sleeping, even Sam and Lizzy finally. It's 3:14 in the afternoon at home and they slept well on the plane, so it's understandable.
Made it through day one. Whew! Tomorrow is resting and the next day is getting our IDs and finding a home. Pray for that!
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