Air Carrier Flight Attendant reported a fumes event during cruise which was described as a chemical odor and localized to the forward galley area. Symptoms experienced were dizziness; disorientation and faintness and progressed to include tremors. Aircraft was met by medics and was transported to local hospital for further treatment.
Synopsis
Air Carrier Flight Attendant reported a fumes event during cruise which was described as a chemical odor and localized to the forward galley area. Symptoms experienced were dizziness; disorientation and faintness and progressed to include tremors. Aircraft was met by medics and was transported to local hospital for further treatment.
Narrative
Date; I was working as the #1 [Flight Attendant] on Aircraft X from ZZZ1-ZZZ. About an hour into our flight we were finally able to begin service as up until that point the Captain had us stay seated due to turbulence. I told the [FA] 3 that I could handle the service alone so she could assist in the main cabin. About halfway through the first class service I asked FA 3 to come and assist since she was finished in the main cabin. I started feeling very dizzy and disoriented. I drank some water and then OJ to see if that helped. I suddenly felt like I was going to faint and my legs felt strange like they were going to give out. I was afraid I might faint so I told FA 3 I needed to sit down for a minute to collect myself and see if I felt better. She brought me a cold compress which I tried on my forehead and back of my neck while she finished the service in the front during the next several minutes. I began to experience some mild tremors at this point in my neck and hands. The pilots called for a lav break and I went into the cockpit. I told them both I was suddenly not feeling well and the symptoms that I was experiencing. They told me to sit with them in the cockpit for a bit so they could ensure I would be ok and didn't need emergency services. I continued to hydrate in hopes that I would feel better. When I no longer felt dizzy and faint I returned to the first class cabin to assist; about 25 minutes prior to landing. FA 3 informed me that she was experiencing the same symptoms; including the tremors. She informed me that she noticed a strange smell by the forward service door; which is where we had been preparing the drinks and trays for the first class passengers. I removed my mask and also noticed a faint chemical smell. FA 3 told me that she felt that she smelled ozone as she is familiar with this due to having used an ozone machine in the past. We informed the pilots and they asked us to discretely ask the FAs (Flight Attendants) in the aft galley if they noticed anything like that in their galley. They did not. Even walking through the cabin to the aft felt like it was a bit easier to breathe. I sat in the back with them and lowered my mask to see if breathing would be easier for me and I was still feeling faint so I informed the captain that I would try using an oxygen tank. I informed them of the bin I removed it from and they told me they would take care of writing it up. Initially I told them I didn't want medical to meet us on the ground as I would follow up at an urgent care on my own; however the involuntary movements and shaking got worse and worse and I asked the #2 to call the Captain to coordinate with the medics. They came on board and took me off via wheelchair; at this point my entire body was moving in involuntary jerking motions; I suddenly developed a stutter and it was impossible to get out an entire sentence; it felt as if my lungs were having some sort of spasming/contracting forcefully which was causing me to only be able to speak in one syllable at a time. The medics did an EKG which was fine. I was making involuntary sounds and convulsing uncontrollable and they put me on a stretcher wheeled me out to an ambulance. I was transported to the hospital and received a sedative and given fluids. I asked if they would test my blood to verify if there was any sort of indication of toxin exposure which they declined and instead they referred me to see a neurologist; and gave me a prescription for Valium to stop the convulsions. I wasn't able to get the prescription filled the same day due to the pharmacy being closed. Throughout the rest of the day I would have spans of time where I was fine and then the convulsions would happen intermittently along with involuntary sounds; labored breathing; stuttering. I have had random bouts of involuntary muscle movements since but not nearly as intense as what I experienced on the plane. I am hoping this will pass and be an isolated incident; as this entire experience has been very traumatic.[Suggest] investigate cause of fumes; assess neurological risks to cabin crew from being exposed to fumes
Second reporter narrative
FA (Flight Attendant) 1 said she smelled unusual odor in FWD galley and was feeling faint/lightheaded. She said she felt better being in the AFT galley and was using bottled oxygen there. Since she felt unwell being in the FWD galley upon landing she took my assigned jumpseat in the AFT galley and I sat in the FWD jumpseat.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.