Single In Silicon Valley: In Case of Emergency

In Silicon Valley, it can be easy to be self sufficient and connected at the same time, thanks to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and other forms of social media. If you find ways to use social media wisely, it can be the best way to send an S.O.S. to a certain group of people when you’re in need.

For example, of the 500+ "friends" I have on Facebook, only 30 or so of them can actually see my status messages.

Recently, I developed stomach pains that I initially dismissed. There was a perfect storm of other issues happening around me that a tummy ache was the least of my concerns. However, after an hour, the pain became more intense. I updated my FB status with details of the perfect storm of events with a brief mention of the pain I was having. Friends chimed in and basically told me to get to the hospital ASAP (especially after I started Googling my symptoms and saw there could be a serious situation going on).

I made sure to check in on Foursquare so friends could know I made it to the ER. I updated my status when the doctor initially checked out my symptoms, ordered tests, etc. Friends kept me upbeat with positive thoughts and funny, slightly inappropriate jokes. Others offered to sit with me in the ER, but I declined because, frankly, what was going on wasn’t a pretty picture. I did snap a pic in the ER to show I was ok.

The doctor sent me home with pain meds when the labs he ordered came back clear. Well, at 6 a.m., I barely drove myself back to the ER in the worst pain ever!  Again, I used FB and Foursquare to let friends know the change of events. The procedure that hadn’t been done the night before had now been performed, and of course it showed what the source of the pain was.

While I put on the "I’m okay I don’t need anyone to sit with me" status out there, there is a reason why those 30 or so friends can see everything I post: they know me best, even when I’m trying to fool myself. One friend came by to bring me my iPhone charger so I could stay connected. Another friend came by to say "Hello."  My boss even stopped by to help alleviate my natural panic that all of my projects would fall apart if I didn’t somehow get it delegated (he handled it). Last, but not least, one friend came and stayed with me the majority of the afternoon, keeping me entertained and connecting with mutual friends to help with post-op issues (picking up my car from the hospital, getting me transport home, etc).

Surgery happened that evening, and the next day I was discharged. I still managed to have two unexpected but welcomed visitors just before I left the hospital. Again, they followed along with all the status messages and determined when they should show up.

Now I’m at home, recovering. I’m grateful for the power of social platforms and its ability to help get information to people in a successful fashion. I can’t imagine trying to telephone people individually to let them know what’s going on or even reaching the right people.