It was supposed to be a regular follow up visit to my cardiologist. Trying to figure out why I went into sudden cardiac arrest 6 months earlier and why I was still passing out. I was getting the results of the holter monitor I had been wearing for a month and adjusting some meds. I took this picture right before I went into the clinic with the caption “Wonder if I will get out”, not knowing what was ahead of me…

My cardiologist came into the room and I could tell he had something on his mind. The monitor hadn’t shown more than my heart rate was often very low (bradycardia). Not unusual for it to drop to 35bpm while awake and the lowest noted while asleep was 19. A heart block but not serious enough to explain the events. But he had made up his mind; I was getting a pacemaker. He had an opening for surgery the following day and since I didn’t have insurance he told me to go down to the ER, tell them that I needed to be admitted for surgery. So I did. 

I was feeling good sitting there in the ER waiting room. Texting people to let them know the quite exciting news and replanning the next two weeks. Looking at other patients that felt way worse than me. It was a little awkward actually. 

I remember the nurse coming to take me back to a bed. He said “perfect, you can walk so I can…” That was it. 

My next memory is from ICU. Someone is sitting next to me saying that she is waking up. Who is she? Oh, me? What happened? They tell me to be quiet, I have a tube down my throat. My chest hurts. I recognize the pain. Did it happen again? A doctor comes in and ask to turn “it” off! Turn what off?!? I almost panicked! What was going on? Where am I and what time is it? They all look at me. “Perfect, she is breathing on her own, take it out”. Finally a nurse tells me they will take out the tube and it will hurt. It wasn’t too bad but the pain on my chest was too overwhelming. 

I asked her what happened but she couldn’t answer because my cardiologist walked in the door. “You sure like drama huh?”. He told me that my blood pressure dumped when I stood up in the waiting room and I was most likely so bradycardic it all just stopped. Exactly the same as the first time except that I was closer to help. They had worked me a couple of minutes in the waiting room and then in a trauma room. Got me back after some rounds of Epi and other good stuff thereafter shuffled me to ICU to monitor. I had scared the crap out of some other patients watching all go down. Poor people! Surgery was still on the following day thankfully. This surgery was going to be special for me. Not only was it going to change my life; It was going to happen on my late grandma’s 90th birthday! 

The surgery went well. I woke up and felt like a new person! I can’t really explain it but I could feel the blood flow through my body. I felt stronger. Usually they let you go home the same day but I was in so much pain from the CPR so they agreed to let me stay. 

That night the nurse from the ER came up to my room after his shift to check on me. That was so sweet! He told me that I had stood up, made some weird noise that had made him turn around at the same time I collapsed. I had gone from normal color to ghost white in a second. Thankfully they knew what I was there for but didn’t expect this. It sure had been a buzz in the waiting room afterwards and patients had been asking what happened. Well if you’re going to die, do it in the ER waiting room! Make sure they know their ACLS and protocols… they absolutely passed the test because I could go home two days later with a bandage on my left shoulder and a new friend inside me to help me stay alive. 
Grateful to be alive is an understatement! What is the likeliness that you survive one cardiac arrest? or two???

So that’s why I celebrate March 21 as my birthday or “heartday”! I got a second (or third) chance at life and I believe that my grandma May-Lis made it happen! 

How am I celebrating tomorrow? I have no clue! I am off work but a storm is coming in so I guess it’s just to hunker down and stay inside. If anyone wants to do anything, let me know… I’m all for celebrating!