I am an American here on holiday and an avid cyclist. My brother-in-law and I left Bristol on a beautiful warm sunny day and set off to ride from Bristol to Bath and back.
Everything was going fine until I thought I was getting a little shaky from low blood sugar, as I am a type 1 diabetic, so we stopped at the Bitton railway station so I could eat something. We did and everything seemed fine, so we set off and about a mile further up the path we decided to have lunch. We ate and admired the countryside for about 30 minutes. I then realized I could not stand up and felt like I was going to pass out. I was sweating profusely and thought my blood sugar was still low.
Things progressively got worse and an ambulance was called. Soon a medic named Craig was at my side (it seemed only minutes) giving me IV fluids and caring for me in the most informative and professional way. I must confess I knew about how healthcare professionals are supposed to react having worked in the healthcare field for 10 years, and Craig was certainly one of the best I've seen.
Eventually I was transported to Bath Hospital where I received more fluids and was then released.
I want to extend my heartfelt thank-you to Craig and the ambulance drivers who helped me. You all were tremendous and I will go back to the USA with nothing but wonderful praise for all of you. Thank you again.
P. S. Diagnosis: severe dehydration (too much tea, not enough water)
"An episode on the Bristol to Bath bycycle trail"
About: Royal United Hospital / Accident and emergency Royal United Hospital Accident and emergency Bath BA1 3NG South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust / Emergency ambulance South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Emergency ambulance Exeter EX2 7HY
Posted by mschef58 (as ),
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