High Altitude Reaction 'Caught Us Off Guard' | Shan Hui Ming
Source: Jiaxing Daily-Jiaxing Online
When it comes to going to the Tibetan areas, Jiaxing people's first thought is whether they will experience altitude sickness. This is not only the case with our five-person medical aid team before we traveled to Sichuan, but also the most worried problem for their families and friends.
On November 2, 2018, we flew from Shanghai to Chengdu, spent a night in Chengdu, and got up at 4:00 AM on November 3. Since August 8, 2017, after the earthquake in Jiuzhaigou, the Jiuzhaigou scenic area was closed, and the flights from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou were only twice a week, and they were all small passenger planes. When we got on board, we found that the main passengers were people from Jiaxing going to Rage. After an hour's flight, before 8:00 AM, we arrived at the 9 Yellow Airport. As soon as we got off the plane, a cold air hit us. The altitude here was more than 2,000 meters, and the temperature in Chengdu in the morning was 12 degrees Celsius, while here it was only 0 degrees Celsius.
While walking, I already felt a little short of breath.
When we got out of the airport, the Chinese-medium bus was waiting to pick us up. Responsible for the team was Comrade Peng Gaojun, Deputy Director of the Agriculture and Water Affairs Bureau of Xiusu District stationed in Rage Animal Husbandry and Water Affairs Bureau, and Comrade Su Lang from Rage County. Comrade Peng Gaojun had been supporting Rage in July 2018, and his face was already blackened. He repeatedly emphasized warmth, so everyone put on thick jackets.
The Chinese-medium bus drove out of the airport for 10 kilometers to enter the town of Chuanzhousi. The town of Chuanzhousi has a long history and was the earliest political, economic and cultural center in Northwest China. From the town of Chuanzhousi, we went west to the source of the Min River, and unknowingly arrived at the Gaorital Grassland. The average altitude of Gaorital was already 3600 meters. After leaving Gaorital, we entered Rage territory. Along the way, the ground was thin snow, and there were herds of cattle and sheep on the grassland. The road was often crossed by cattle. They seemed to have adapted to the cars coming and going, and when they saw a car coming, they would wait for the car to pass first.
After a journey of 31 hours, we arrived in Rage County. Besides us from the Xiusu District Health System, we also included the teaching staff of Xiusu District, the cadres of the administrative department and a few colleagues from the South Lake Health System. We were temporarily arranged in the Kede Fengbin Hotel. To prevent us from experiencing altitude sickness, there was an oxygen generator and red ginseng mouth solution in the room.
After lunch, I felt even more short of breath. I drank a bottle of red ginseng, and I felt a little better.
In the afternoon, the welcome ceremony was held at the government. There was no elevator, so we had to go up from the stairs. I just took a few steps and felt something was wrong, I felt breathless and short of breath, I felt headache, nausea and my hands were numb. Immediately stop and take my pulse, my heartbeat was significantly faster, estimated to be around 130 times per minute. I thought, maybe I wasn't rested enough during lunch, so I asked,, to go up first, and.
After resting for a few minutes, I felt a little better, took a deep breath, but walked less than ten steps again, I felt short of breath again, my heartbeat accelerated, my breathing was rapid, and I also felt a little nauseous. I rested for a few minutes again, wanted to go up, but the situation was getting worse, I felt weak and had no strength, I grasped the railing, I didn't dare to move.
saw my face was not right, immediately called Comrade Peng Gaojun to help me down to his office to rest.
I didn't realize that altitude sickness came so violently.
asked me to drink boiled water, I couldn't drink it, as soon as I thought about eating, I felt nauseous and wanted to vomit, so I lay on the sofa. But I found that I couldn't lie flat, I could only lean on a thick cotton blanket.
I became more and more scared. At that time, my real thoughts were: if there were helicopters now, I would fly back immediately, I would fly home.
They were holding a meeting, and I lay diagonally on the sofa in the office, I didn't even have the strength to speak. Comrade Peng Gaojun asked me what I was doing, I just answered 'yes' or 'no'.
After the meeting, I felt a little better, took a deep breath, but walked less than ten steps again, I felt short of breath again, my heartbeat accelerated, my breathing was rapid, and I also felt a little nauseous. I rested for a few minutes again, wanted to go up, but the situation was getting worse, I felt weak and had no strength, I grasped the railing, I didn't dare to move.
I dragged my limp body back to the hotel, looked at the oxygen generator, kept thinking whether to use it or not, finally decided to wait and see. At 6:00 PM, the meal was on time, and Doctor Li Juju, who had been in contact with us for several months, also came. Seeing them eating and drinking, I was envious. I just drank a little local specialty sand pear juice, didn't dare to eat or drink. At 7:00 PM, I took off my sweaty clothes, and I felt a little relaxed. I drank a few cups of tea, and the nausea was a little better.
At dinner, I didn't see . After hearing that she had eaten a good lunch, she had been having a headache, vomiting and diarrhea, she was using an oxygen generator in the room. Doctor Li Juju saw me not feeling well, asked if I had 'altitude sickness', and I said it probably was. She said she was also very obvious when she first arrived and experienced altitude sickness, and it took two or three days to get better. It is said that at that time, a fellow cadre from another region who came with them had a serious altitude sickness as soon as he arrived in Rage, because he had pulmonary edema, and finally had to be transferred to Chengdu for treatment.
Source: Jiaxing Daily-Jiaxing Online
Photo: Shan Hui Ming
Editor: Liu Yan Yang
Responsible Editor: Shen Xuhong
