July 8, 2022

This is such a tragic day for the family of the two people who died when an Elevator collapsed in Burgundy Tower Makati City. It was early morning at work when I found out about this incident. Two out of four died and the other two were injured. Two out of four person will not going home for today because they are already gone.

As I was reading that report online, I prayed for the soul of the departed and praying also to let the other two live. Accident happens anytime anywhere. The location is just our office and I happened to see the fire truck who are retrieving the victims.

I am scared of elevator

I am scared of elevator. I think this is because of too much watching of action film where the elevator collapses and end the life of the thugs, living the lead actor to have bruises, but alive. I experienced before riding in an Elevator and had a brownout. That was one of the building in Pasig. We were trapped for more than 30 minutes. I can't breathe there. I thought im going to die. When the crew open the door of elevator, the elevator was in between 6th and 7th floor. They carried us out and just like in the movie, we were all scared because anytime the elevator will move because anytime the electricity will come back. Imagine the scene in the movie like Final destination where the bodies of the extra are cut in the middle because the elevator moved, yikes!! Omgee I am starting to see that in my imagination now. Stop!

I don't ride elevator

We have an Elevator at work but the floors are only up until 4th. I can ride the elevator and I can use the stairs also if I choose too. However, if the floors are more than seven, I don't ride an Elevator.

When I was applying job in Makati before, I always ask what floor is the location of the office. We all know the buildings in Makati could reach 60+ floors and some of the BPO industries are in the highest floors located. When the HR says that it is located on 20th floor, 15th or even 12th floor, I hesitate. I go to the day of interview and ask the concierge if I can use the stairs. If they allow me, I go for the interview, but if not, I go home and turn down the offer.

Why? Because when I am riding an Elevator and it is going to the highest floors, I collapse. If I stayed in the elevator for more than 15 seconds, it is difficult for me to breathe. I have fears of closed spaces, and it gets severe when one incident happened to me. I never thought I have problems in riding elevator.

It was year 2013 when I rode an Elevator at PBcom Tower in Makati City. I have to attend the interview at 24th floor. In that building elevators are divided. There are elevators for 1st to 10th floors, to 11th to 20th floor and 21st floor to the highest floors, and so on. I rode the elevator that will go to 21st to the highest floor since the location of the office is on 24th floor. While inside, with some of the people there, as soon as the elevator closed nad started to move upward really fast, I felt that my head was about to explode. I was near of passing out that I click the 6th button, but it didn't open there because the floor should reach 21st floor and will not be stopping on the lower floors. Good thing a lady notice me getting weaker that she push the emergency button and I don't remember anything.

When I woke up, I was in Makati Medical Center with an oxygen on my mouth. It was traumatic as the nurses was waiting for me to woke up. They told me that I was just revived. I don't remember if I died because I was revived, but the nurse said that I almost lose my life. I went home when I felt okay and my family didn't know it.

Since then I never ride an Elevator. When I need to a building, I need to ask the many floors or if the emergency stairs can be use. I always let the concierge of the building to know that I am not riding the elevator that they allow me to use the stairs and even accompany me once.

I even tried to ride an Elevator in a building that has 17th floor. It was 2015. I thought i already moved on from the experience, but as soon as I enter the elevator, the trauma started to come back. I can't breathe, I felt dizzy. I was holding on my neck and started sliding down with my back in the wall. An Elevator passenger panicked when she saw me almost passing out, then they push a button, it stop. What I remember was, I felt my head is getting bigger. I can feel my nerves on my nape and neck will about to get break. I hold my neck to stop it. I cannot talk anymore, because I cannot breathe. Since then, it is always negative for me to ride an Elevator.

I am not sure if this something to do with my ear surgery when I was young. It was bleeding so it was fixed. The surgeon sliced certain skin beside my tympanic membrane. Since then I have problems with balance. I didn't get deaf but it became sensitive. It doesn't bleed anymore but I feel there is something wrong. It was late for me to identify that there is a long side effects to what happened to my ear surgery. I am suspecting that my elevator problems came from it, or maybe I have some nerve problems.

I became cautious. I think this will make it hard for me to ride an airplane too. I will continue the elevator story on my future article.

Images are mine and Unsplash