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Linefinder
Posts: 7,856 Senior Member
Very near thing.
Linefinder
Posts: 7,856 Senior Member
I was walking across the machine shop floor around 1pm, Monday 13 August. The next thing I know, it's 5 pm Friday, 17 Aug.
Long story short, I had a ventricular fibrillation resulting in cardiac arrest. I was extremely lucky in that a young mechanical engineer just by chance was looking directly at me when I dropped. Had he not been, no one would have seen me due to equipment blocking the view, and I would have been dead within 3 to 4 minutes. Luckily, he was performing chest compressions on me within 20 seconds, while yelling for help, which brought our HR director with AED paddles, while someone else called 911. The local emergency medical response company stations ambulances at strategic points throughout the city, and one of those places is 1 minute away from my workplace. Which means that within 4 minutes of me hitting the floor, the pros were cracking half a dozen of my ribs along with my sternum.
Once in ICU, they dropped my body temp to 82F to avoid organ damage and brain swelling. They kept me in an induced coma while raising my body temp one half degree per hour. Once I was back to 98.6 they installed a Medtronic internal cardiac defibrillator.
I started becoming aware of my surroundings around 6pm Friday. My wife, god bless her, hadn't left my side except for the time it took to take 1 shower.
That's pretty much the exciting part, and I was unaware of any of it. The next 4 days was waiting to get released. I got home yesterday around 2pm.
They've got me on 7 different drugs, some of them 3 times a day. It seems my body doesn't process potassium properly, which is a major factor in regulating heartbeat.
While I wish it hadn't happened, I consider myself a very lucky man on many levels.
So.....Hi, ya'll. It's good to be back.
Mike
Long story short, I had a ventricular fibrillation resulting in cardiac arrest. I was extremely lucky in that a young mechanical engineer just by chance was looking directly at me when I dropped. Had he not been, no one would have seen me due to equipment blocking the view, and I would have been dead within 3 to 4 minutes. Luckily, he was performing chest compressions on me within 20 seconds, while yelling for help, which brought our HR director with AED paddles, while someone else called 911. The local emergency medical response company stations ambulances at strategic points throughout the city, and one of those places is 1 minute away from my workplace. Which means that within 4 minutes of me hitting the floor, the pros were cracking half a dozen of my ribs along with my sternum.
Once in ICU, they dropped my body temp to 82F to avoid organ damage and brain swelling. They kept me in an induced coma while raising my body temp one half degree per hour. Once I was back to 98.6 they installed a Medtronic internal cardiac defibrillator.
I started becoming aware of my surroundings around 6pm Friday. My wife, god bless her, hadn't left my side except for the time it took to take 1 shower.
That's pretty much the exciting part, and I was unaware of any of it. The next 4 days was waiting to get released. I got home yesterday around 2pm.
They've got me on 7 different drugs, some of them 3 times a day. It seems my body doesn't process potassium properly, which is a major factor in regulating heartbeat.
While I wish it hadn't happened, I consider myself a very lucky man on many levels.
So.....Hi, ya'll. It's good to be back.
Mike
"Walking away seems to be a lost art form."
N454casull
N454casull
Replies
You were being held very close that day.
I will keep you in my prayers.
Dad 5-31-13
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
Good to hear that someone saw it happen and was able to help you out. Not good that you now have to deal with cracked ribs. When I went through CPR training at work we were told that basically if you are not cracking ribs, you are not pushing far enough.
My experience with cardiac arrest was quite like yours, had it went into an induced coma and woke up 5 days later, that was in 06
Once again glad your still here.
JAY
Very glad you are still with us my friend...
― Douglas Adams
Stick around awhile, OK?
Glad things turned out well. Hope your recovery goes smoothly
Mike
N454casull
Mike
N454casull
Scary stuff.
I still owe you a cup of coffee, and I intend to pay up.
Glad you're still here.
Hope your recovery goes smooth, take it easy for a while.
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer and politician
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
N454casull
So, it wasn't blockage or disease? Just electrical??