While we were on holiday in Spain, my husband had a severe allergic reaction to something -at first we thought plants or an insect bite as he had been gardening with our friends who own the villa, but later we thought it could be penicillin.
My friend and I had gone out into town when she got a call from her husband to say come back quickly as my husband was feeling ill. When we got back he was lying on the bathroom floor, scarlet all over, feeling sick, shaking violently, dizzy and with stomach pain. We thought he was having a heart attack but he said he knew he wasn't.
My friend called 112 but the recorded message was in Spanish. We called an English friend we have out there and he said he would try to get someone who spoke Spanish to meet us at the local medical centre. My husband had to be helped into the centre by wheelchair but they wouldn't do anything until I had produced his EHIC card.
Because at the time we thought it was a reaction to plant or insect, that's what he was treated for and he was put on 2 drips and given a total of 4 injections over an hour but because there wasn't much improvement, an ambulance was called to take us to the nearest hospital.
To cut a long story short, the allergic reaction went away and he was released from hospital with instructions to go to our GP when we got home and get tested to try and find out the trigger as the doctor stressed that it was very dangerous and that next time would be worse.
When we got back to the villa, my husband said he needed to check something and then said that he had taken a penicillin tablet instead of his acid reflux tablet that morning. He had had dental work before our holiday and the dentist had given him penicillin in case of infection. He has taken penicillin before with no problems but I know allergies can start at any time.
So we are going to visit GP as instructed and see if he can have some tests. The experience was very frightening and we all realised how hard it is to get help in a foreign country when you don't speak the language or have the number for doctors and hospital. Our friends were equally alarmed- they don't even take their EHIC cards with them on holiday!
So ladies, when abroad make sure you carry your EHIC card with you when you go out and about and put the phone number for local doctor and hospital in your phone. Find out where nearest medical centre and hospital are too.
I was frightened my husband was going to die and all manner of thoughts about how I would cope went racing through my mind. Thank god he's OK.
I told you we always have a disaster when we go to spain
Ariadne xx
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Topic: Frightening experience in Spain (Read 3612 times)