You spin me 'round!

We have been back in Holland for almost 3 months now, and all this time I have been planning on writing about the most scary thing happening to me in Taiwan. I never really get the chance, until now.

We arrived on Saturday, and the following thursday we went out for dinner. And somewhere during the evening I got an gigantic headache. It felt like me head would explode. I went to bed early, but just couldn't sleep bcos of it. Early in the morning (6 am), I "woke" up and sat upright in bed. Something didn't feel right. And all of a sudden it felt like my vestibular system were turned off. I woke up YuMei and said to her that she'd better call an ambulance, bcos I was in serious trouble. The whole room was spinning. I couldn't sit up straight anymore. If I did I either fell back again, or had to vomit. My arms was leading a life on it's own, making movements I didn't have control over. It was really scary.
YuMei woke up her mom, who immediately thought of a stroke, since her late husband has had two before he passed away. That scared the shit out of me, I already was picturing myself in wheelchair for the rest of my life, or worse.
They woke up my brother in law, who helped me to the car, and drove us to the hospital.

Now, I don't know how many of you have had the unpleasant experience of being in a hospital in a foreign country, not able to speak the language, not knowing what is happening around you. But believe me, it is SCARY! Luckily I had YuMei to translate, and comfort me.
Also luckily I was to sick and tired to actually notice anything around me. All I was focussing on was how to lie down without feeling sick or having to throw up. That also prevented me from noticing that I was being used as a human pin cushion.
After a few tests, also for stroke (which luckily came out negative), the doctors still didn't know what it was. Meanwhile I was feeling better already, and was send home at 12:00. But not before I was given a huge pile of medication and corresponding instructions.
(Meanwhile, Alec had the time of his life, seeing all the ambulances come and go with whailing sirens.)
I have been in bed for 2 or 3 days and felt already a bit better. Still I was walking like grandpa, and had to have support every 10 meters or so. Still, I already felt that there wasn't going to be any approvement on that Wednesday I was suppost to have those interviews, so I had to postpone them. I mean, I have send them my resume in which it said I am 35 years old. I don't think they would take that serious, when they see an 80 year old grandpa shuffling in.
Later, back in Holland, I went to the doctor, and told him all this. He diagnost it as being a classic case of Labyrinthitis, which is an infection of the vestibular system.
I just now read it back, and feel lucky. Lucky that no damage was done. However, the wikipedia and other medical books are always writing about what COULD happen if..... Basically it always looks and feels more serious than it actually is. Still, it scared the shit out of me.