My Funny Turn

My Funny Turn

       I had a funny turn the other day; on Thursday evening, at half past six.

    I was bustling from a pre-opening Private Show at the Museum ("Photographer of the Year") the short half mile to the Writers' Café on Parson's Street. So, across the canal, through the car-park, down the snicket and round into Parson's Street. I was nearly there, when I noticed that the ground immediately in front of me had begun to sway around. Not just the ground. The corner of 'The Old Auctioneer' pub was also swirling around. A bollard-thing, guarding the corner, lurched towards me and  I grabbed onto it. Just as well, for I believe I would otherwise have tumbled over in the street. 

     There I clung for 10 or 20 seconds, as thing gradually calmed down. Then, letting go, I tentative walked the last few yards to the Café. Never, in my life, before or since (it is now 10 weeks since) have I felt anything like it. 

       Reason tells me that it was I, and in particular my head, that was swaying around, and not the world. But I want to emphasise the subjective experience, the ego-centric, eye-centred, feeling of stasis. It seemed as though, for the space of 10 or 20 seconds the information from my vestibular systems of the inner ear was switched off. My eyes told me that the road was approaching my face. My vestibular systems should have detected an acceleration of my head towards the road, but detected nothing, reporting,  instead, the condition of being stationery. 

      Was I fainting from cerebral anoxia, or hypoglycaemia? I noticed absolutely no 'greying' of the visual field that I associate with fainting. I normally eat at 6.30 but, having enjoyed a beer at 5.00, I had skipped dinner. I reckon I could live off fat reserves for days or weeks. But I realise that the automatic maintenance of blood sugar, might get faulty with age; everything else does. I am not sure that I have ever been hypoglycaemic and do not know what that feels like. So I asked an acquaintance with type 1 diabetes melitus, and found that I had none of the symptoms.

      When I got to the café, I had a coffee and a flapjack. I felt fine, completely normal; and now (ten weeks later) have never had a recurrence of that 'funny turn'.

Should I be concerned? Should I give up driving?