feddoc
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 7,439
Gotta consider getting an AED. Most, if not all, are self starting. Turn them on, apply the pads and the device will determine whether or not it will apply the shock. Very simple and very easy to learn.
My wife had a heart attack in 2015. No overt signs and I wouldn't have known about it if I had not taken a look at her. She never cried out, never moaned, never clutched her chest (I would have felt it as we were in bed watching a movie) Her face was purple (lack of oxygen)....CPR...phone on speaker...911....yelling instructions to my son....more CPR as I lost her twice. Cops get there, we tag team CPR until paramedics get there 18 minutes later. Cop and I lost her once. Paramedics lost her twice. They stabbed her with adrenaline and paddled her twice. When they left, her heart was beating on it's own. After a couple stents in her LAD (100% blocked), they put her in a chiller to prevent brain swelling. About a week later, after a return to normal body temperature, with no improvement in symptoms, she had no neural response (Gasgow coma score of 3; the lowest). So I agreed to have the plug pulled. Then the violent seizures came as did the lowest point in my life. If you don't know what 'decerebrate posturing' is, look it up. It is an indication of no brain activity and, if survivable, is an indication of permanent brain damage. It is heart wrenching to watch your wife go through that. Still brings me to tears, even as I write this.
By the grace of God she survived, but has some permanent brain damage; nothing you would likely notice. Her memory is just not good. There are other symptoms too. Doc has given her permission to resume any normal activity, including driving although she has chosen not to drive. But, the memory deficits and the other signs of brain damage will never go away.
Nope, don't feel sorry for her as that is not what she (or I) want.
The entire point of my message is sorta in the title. Get yourself an AED. Especially if you are routinely in the company of an older person at risk.
My wife had a heart attack in 2015. No overt signs and I wouldn't have known about it if I had not taken a look at her. She never cried out, never moaned, never clutched her chest (I would have felt it as we were in bed watching a movie) Her face was purple (lack of oxygen)....CPR...phone on speaker...911....yelling instructions to my son....more CPR as I lost her twice. Cops get there, we tag team CPR until paramedics get there 18 minutes later. Cop and I lost her once. Paramedics lost her twice. They stabbed her with adrenaline and paddled her twice. When they left, her heart was beating on it's own. After a couple stents in her LAD (100% blocked), they put her in a chiller to prevent brain swelling. About a week later, after a return to normal body temperature, with no improvement in symptoms, she had no neural response (Gasgow coma score of 3; the lowest). So I agreed to have the plug pulled. Then the violent seizures came as did the lowest point in my life. If you don't know what 'decerebrate posturing' is, look it up. It is an indication of no brain activity and, if survivable, is an indication of permanent brain damage. It is heart wrenching to watch your wife go through that. Still brings me to tears, even as I write this.
By the grace of God she survived, but has some permanent brain damage; nothing you would likely notice. Her memory is just not good. There are other symptoms too. Doc has given her permission to resume any normal activity, including driving although she has chosen not to drive. But, the memory deficits and the other signs of brain damage will never go away.
Nope, don't feel sorry for her as that is not what she (or I) want.
The entire point of my message is sorta in the title. Get yourself an AED. Especially if you are routinely in the company of an older person at risk.
