Heart attack !
"...expecting to see that Richard had pulled a bookcase down on himself."
What would you ?It was a quiet Thursday evening and James and Felicity were both away on respective holidays. James was attending at Rotary Youth Leadership course and out there somewhere in the "weather bomb" with the NZ army. Felicity, was attending an 11 day Buddhist meditation course north of Auckland. No talking, vegan food, cold showers and meditating for 13 hours a day.
Richard and I had had a quiet glass of wine and then amicably decided how to spend the rest of the evening. Richard had a document to complete for work and I had some administration work for a committee I am on. Richard retired to the office and I wandered upstairs to collect my computer and papers, preferring to curl up in front of a warm fire while working.
As I walked down the hallway I heard a crash from the office, dropped everything I had and then raced down to the office, expecting to see that Richard had pulled a bookcase down on himself.
That was not what I saw!
What I saw was shocking and I have relived many times!
Richard was lying on the floor. His eyes were open wide and dilated. His face was red and turning blue.
What would you do?
Those of you who worked with me, do you remember a couple of years ago, we had a team day when the company organised to have someone come in and teach CPR? This was not the first time I had done a course but it was a fantastic refresher. Remember how it felt using the manikins? How we were all a bit too gentle until we got the hang of it and realised how much pressure we had to exert?
My knowledge of CPR saved Richards life
I immediately pushed Richard into recovery position, cleared mouth and tongue and ran back down the hallway, picked up the cordless phone and dialled the emergency number. As I ran back down the hallway I asked for an ambulance and briefly described what had happened. I then put the phone down beside Richard and put it on speaker phone.
The operator started to explain what I would have to do, but I interrupted him with "I know! Just tell me the compression rate" (Does that sound like the Alison you know?)
I started CPR straight away with 30 compressions to the chest and two breaths. It was so natural, as if I had done this many times before. The operator on the phone continued encouraging me. At times Richard appeared to start breathing and then I realised that the exhalation was an automatic reaction as the body expels all air in the process of dying.
What happened Next? !!!
CPR begins...
It is amazing how quickly, though the colour in his face changed from red/blue to a normal hue, once I was in a rhythm of administering CPR
I continued, shouting the numbers as I did so. The operator updated me as to where the paramedic and ambulance team were. They were coming down Remuera Road, they were turning into Fancourt Street, they were outside our house and getting their equipment out. I continued CPR for 10 mins at least and when the team arrived they asked me to continue. We had four in the team, two Advanced Paramedics, one Paramedic and an ambulance officer. You may not be aware that James is currently studying to be an advanced paramedic which is a three year degree course.
Finally they were ready to take over but involved me in the holding of drips, drugs etc. The team of four worked for half an hour on Richard, trying to restart his heart with a defibrillator. Two times they tried unsuccessfully, administering drugs and with one paramedic continuously keeping up the CPR. The third restart was successful.
After half an hour Richard's heart was restarted and he was stable enough to ambulanced to hospital. On arrival in the resuscitation unit a team of ten descended on him to insert every type of tube and artificial life support. Richard was put into a drug induced coma with the intention of then lowering his temperature to 33.5 degrees which is a process that has been known to reduce brain damage in these circumstances.
At the same time I was interviewed by cardiologists and registrars. The message was clear. Richard had not had circulation for 20 mins. There would be damage. They could not tell how much and depending how much brain injury would specify the next course of action.
Richard was then taken for an angiogram and then up to critical care where he was sandwiched between ice blankets while his whole body was being operated by machines. It was touching to watch the nursing staff warm up his extremities such as his ear lobes to ensure he did not get "frost bite".
Then we had to wait. In twenty four hours Richard's body would be warmed and we could understand how much damage there was and take a course of action.
I drove to Kaukapakapa (ask Ross how to pronounce that one!) to collect Felicity. The news for her was so uncertain - her Dad had had a heart attack, he was in critical care and in a coma, but not sure what condition he would be in when he was roused.
I continued, shouting the numbers as I did so. The operator updated me as to where the paramedic and ambulance team were. They were coming down Remuera Road, they were turning into Fancourt Street, they were outside our house and getting their equipment out. I continued CPR for 10 mins at least and when the team arrived they asked me to continue. We had four in the team, two Advanced Paramedics, one Paramedic and an ambulance officer. You may not be aware that James is currently studying to be an advanced paramedic which is a three year degree course.
Finally they were ready to take over but involved me in the holding of drips, drugs etc. The team of four worked for half an hour on Richard, trying to restart his heart with a defibrillator. Two times they tried unsuccessfully, administering drugs and with one paramedic continuously keeping up the CPR. The third restart was successful.
After half an hour Richard's heart was restarted and he was stable enough to ambulanced to hospital. On arrival in the resuscitation unit a team of ten descended on him to insert every type of tube and artificial life support. Richard was put into a drug induced coma with the intention of then lowering his temperature to 33.5 degrees which is a process that has been known to reduce brain damage in these circumstances.
At the same time I was interviewed by cardiologists and registrars. The message was clear. Richard had not had circulation for 20 mins. There would be damage. They could not tell how much and depending how much brain injury would specify the next course of action.
Richard was then taken for an angiogram and then up to critical care where he was sandwiched between ice blankets while his whole body was being operated by machines. It was touching to watch the nursing staff warm up his extremities such as his ear lobes to ensure he did not get "frost bite".
Then we had to wait. In twenty four hours Richard's body would be warmed and we could understand how much damage there was and take a course of action.
I drove to Kaukapakapa (ask Ross how to pronounce that one!) to collect Felicity. The news for her was so uncertain - her Dad had had a heart attack, he was in critical care and in a coma, but not sure what condition he would be in when he was roused.
Is the Brain Damaged?
By 1pm the warming process started. Felicity and I left the hospital - assured that nothing would happen till the next morning. However, our maths told us that at a degree an hour, Richard would reach his normal temperature of 37 degrees in approximate four hours. So we returned to the hospital at 5:30pm.
Felicity sat by Richards beside and held his hand. She talked to him constantly, about the meditation course and about how much she needed him. Being roused from the sedation his body constantly made involuntary motions.
However, we started to notice that when Felicity finished a sentence then Richard would raise his eyebrows. Remember his eyes were shut and he was intubated. (For those fans of the program "House" you will know what I mean. For those who are not, a huge tube is inserted into the mouth and throat which takes over the breathing function) So then we started to deliberately ask questions. The raising of the eyebrows was in synchronisation with the questions. (This is referred to in NZ as the South Auckland nod - an area where there are a lot of gangs). Then Felicity told Richard that she would one day learn how to beat him at chess. He shook his head furiously! Did he really understand what we meant? She then told him that she loved him and would give anything to have her Dad back. Then a miracle occurred. Richard squeezed Felicity's hand, which was the first sign that he not only knew us but he had some motor co-ordination in his right hand.
We left the hospital, elated and dazed and had a quick meal before returning. Richard's eye's were wide open and there was recognition. However he was agitated. He kept pointing towards his stomach and then motioned for pen and paper. With the pencil in his hand he poised over the paper. Could he write? We held our breaths. But he couldn't. Would this be the first stumbling block, Richard could no longer write. We removed the pen and paper but he became increasingly agitated indicating he wanted it back. How frustrating for him, he wanted to write but he couldn't. This time he grabbed the pen and in a split second scrawled a note in his usual handwriting. I won't repeat the message but he was trying to tell us he wanted to be sick.
Felicity sat by Richards beside and held his hand. She talked to him constantly, about the meditation course and about how much she needed him. Being roused from the sedation his body constantly made involuntary motions.
However, we started to notice that when Felicity finished a sentence then Richard would raise his eyebrows. Remember his eyes were shut and he was intubated. (For those fans of the program "House" you will know what I mean. For those who are not, a huge tube is inserted into the mouth and throat which takes over the breathing function) So then we started to deliberately ask questions. The raising of the eyebrows was in synchronisation with the questions. (This is referred to in NZ as the South Auckland nod - an area where there are a lot of gangs). Then Felicity told Richard that she would one day learn how to beat him at chess. He shook his head furiously! Did he really understand what we meant? She then told him that she loved him and would give anything to have her Dad back. Then a miracle occurred. Richard squeezed Felicity's hand, which was the first sign that he not only knew us but he had some motor co-ordination in his right hand.
We left the hospital, elated and dazed and had a quick meal before returning. Richard's eye's were wide open and there was recognition. However he was agitated. He kept pointing towards his stomach and then motioned for pen and paper. With the pencil in his hand he poised over the paper. Could he write? We held our breaths. But he couldn't. Would this be the first stumbling block, Richard could no longer write. We removed the pen and paper but he became increasingly agitated indicating he wanted it back. How frustrating for him, he wanted to write but he couldn't. This time he grabbed the pen and in a split second scrawled a note in his usual handwriting. I won't repeat the message but he was trying to tell us he wanted to be sick.
Phew !
In half an hour the intubation had been removed and Richard was able to talk to us. For him his first words were - what day of the week is it? How many days of work have I lost? Because of the amount of drugs he had had, he had no recollection of anything that had happened on Thursday so was bewildered that he was in hospital. He is still coming to terms with it.
I always imagined I would help a stranger at a road side accident and save a life. I never believed that something as simple as CPR would truly save someone that I love more than life. I was not even sure of the success rate.
But having now been told by 10 medical professionals separately, that I saved Richard's life by administering CPR, I have to believe it.
One nurse said to me - if you are not going to administer CPR, you might as well not call an ambulance
Has this story touched you? If it has please take some action
· If you are not comfortable with CPR do a course
· If you have done a course, be comforted by the fact that you will know what to do at the right time
· Talk to your friends and family, tell them how important it is for them
It is very onerous to feel you have saved someone's life but I still have a husband and my children have a father. It took a few hours to learn something that saved his life!
Richard is out of critical care - he can still beat his Dad at chess and had completed the most difficult sudoku. Against all odds he has not suffered any damage. We now have to find out what happened and most importantly how many pairs of shoes is that worth? ;^)
I always imagined I would help a stranger at a road side accident and save a life. I never believed that something as simple as CPR would truly save someone that I love more than life. I was not even sure of the success rate.
But having now been told by 10 medical professionals separately, that I saved Richard's life by administering CPR, I have to believe it.
One nurse said to me - if you are not going to administer CPR, you might as well not call an ambulance
Has this story touched you? If it has please take some action
· If you are not comfortable with CPR do a course
· If you have done a course, be comforted by the fact that you will know what to do at the right time
· Talk to your friends and family, tell them how important it is for them
It is very onerous to feel you have saved someone's life but I still have a husband and my children have a father. It took a few hours to learn something that saved his life!
Richard is out of critical care - he can still beat his Dad at chess and had completed the most difficult sudoku. Against all odds he has not suffered any damage. We now have to find out what happened and most importantly how many pairs of shoes is that worth? ;^)
