survived a cardiac arrest

[ThisCosyWasp]

there seems to be a lack of understanding , even in the medical fields .
i had a out of hospital cardiac arrest and had less than a 1 percent chance of survival .
i hope to bring awareness to it .

Another one here! I had an out of hospital cardiac arrest completely out of the blue eight years ago. Collapsed in a shopping centre, 8-10 mins downtime with no CPR until paramedic arrived and shocked me. I had a cardiac artery blockage (mostly hereditary I suspect - I had normal cholesterol and BP) Had a stent fitted and was in an induced coma for a week. Came out after another week. I have no memory of the event, of the previous few days nor of most of my time in hospital. I didn't really understand what had happened to me until I read the discharge letter sent to my GP. Then I realised just how lucky I had been. I am very, very lucky and grateful to be alive, and never forget it.

sorry to hear that. i think its just uncommon and heart attacks are more common . the specialists new but it was when i had scans and was transported ,physio etc .
im on 4 meds . they work to keep my heart healthy and strengthen it . scans have shown they are working . entresto ,nobivoral and 2 others . i also have a pace maker and a defib fitted internally . i wish you all the best xx

Firstly, I'm so pleased you're alright now.

Can I ask please, the fact you've had one before, does that means it's more likely to happen again, or that you're more likely to have a heart attack?
And if so is there any way of knowing if it will be more severe the more times you have it? Ie can you survive multiple CA?

Sorry if that was garbled! My dad died of a heart attack/heart failure when I was a kid and it's quite a shocking situation. My dad had one, seemed better, then 6 weeks later another fatal one.

my husband to start with then an ambulance crew (3)
husband started within 4 minutes and ambulances there within 8 minutes . i think they said its because out of hospital your likley not to have anyone to do cpr or shock you . i think thats why i survived because it was done so quickly .had he gone for a shower , well i wouldnt of done as well

Did you have any previous heart symptoms? Had you ever had an ecg or electrocardiogram before it happened? So pleased you are ok.

im so sorry to hear that i think its sometimes harder for family . if i had one my defib was shock me , its like the ones hospital use but internal . ialso have a pace maker so it regulates the beats . they monitor me alot . people do survive multiple ones , and its often the case but i thankfully didnt . they found the cause of mine so im on meds , im probarbly in a safer situation than ever .i have medication that means my blood pressure is as low as possible , its always been low but they make it so my heart has less work to do. so heart attack no im not more likely prob less as monitored and all meds . defib would kick in with a cardiac arrest ,however my heart is showing positive results on the many scans and tests . my cardiologist said there is no reason to think i will have another and i should live a normal life . although there are limitations x

yes i know i did now . they tested me for copd and said it was my asthma . been going on years .problems walking up hill just thought i wasnt fit enough .i have had one during pregnancy as i collapsed but it showed normal . i guess as iv aged its got worse . i can now walk up hill tho! thankyou

same it takes a while to sink in . im so glad you are well and i hope you dont have too many limitations and can live your life as you wish x

cardiac arrest is when the electrics go . a heart attack is caused normally by a blockage and you will have pain or acheing , sometimes round your shoulder into your jaw . i had few symptoms and certainly nothing to predict something so serious

How old are you?

Do you see the world differently?

i dont know what you mean ? sorry

Woo hoo always brilliant to hear from some survivors (I'm a Community First Responder and ROSC is just the most FANTASTIC THING).

How old were you all when you had your cardiac arrest?

You really have to be pretty generally healthy to survive what gets done to you, that makes a massive difference. Along with CPR/quick defibrillation etc etc.

we are all just walking each other home , i dont let things bother me now as i used to. on a bad day i think well i havent died today.

Gosh, OP. That's a beautiful sentence and sentiment. We are all just walking each other home. Wow. That's hit me, in the good spot, that love place. What a wonderful outlook. And I totally get those 'bad days'. Those are the days I tell myself, "I've got a pulse. There's more right with me than wrong." 😆

I've got physical stuff; numbness, blue toes, tingling, memory loss. I've never quite bounced back but also, menopause has come along. A perfect storm!
I could speak and read when I began to recover but I couldn't write or type. I developed a short-term dyslexia almost. I wouldn't know what letters to use, despite knowing what I wanted to write. That was strange. The memory loss was hard. That's gotten better but I've never gone back to who I was before. But then, do you, after all this?

second yes i did . my nan who i was very close to was just stood in the door way watching me .i think she was waiting to take me with her as i was so ill. a friend had died a few months before and he was screaming at me and that it was selfish go back . he talked about the baby ,i thought he meant my kids (have a big age gap)i later found out my oldest is expecting !
i dont know that i believe in god but there is more to just us . i wish you all the very best and im so glad you survived xx

This just -to sound totally American (I apologise!)- got me right in the feels.* Wow! *This is where I don't know if I have the words to say what this does to me, reading your experience. So powerful and so undeniably true that we're more than what we see, we're part of something glorious. That's what I came away with. We belong to something eternal, something I haven't found the language for even now, four years later. But this something binds us as individuals to something greater. Love. It's about love. That much I feel. I wish I could find my words. I only know the feeling. God bless your grandchild! You need to be here. You have more loving and living to do, my friend. I'm so glad you're here, talking to us, sharing your miracle. Here's to you, yes indeed, my soul sister. Fellow traveller. Keep on beating that heart of yours to the rhythm of love and life.

well i didnt think so but the signs were missed as being unfit and asthma . early 40s and i dont smoke . no family history of it either

DH had one. Like the plug had been pulled out. Doing CPR until the paramedics arrived, then the first one says you are doing a good job, carry on while I get set up! DH still here and compos mentis a year later.

Cardiomyopathy and VT/VF I assume OP? I used to be a devices nurse specialising in CRT pacemakers/defibs.

Hope you are on the mend, it's a big thing to come to terms with psychologically. Best wishes.

Another cardiac arrest survivor here too. I was 29 completely unexpected, I was very lucky though as I was in an operating theatre mid c section so had the right people around me for it. No reason was ever found though which terrifies me if I'm honest.

last year so still early days , 9 months ago . yeah i was very lucky - very and i remember that when i have rib pain still !

So pleased you are OK.
I had a heart attack and people seem to think that it involves cardiac arrest, probably where a lot of misinformation comes from.

I walked into A and E...

do yo have a defib or pacemaker ? im so glad you were in hospital it makes your chances so much better x

I'm so pleased you got through it and I'm interested to read all of your answers. My question is, how is your husband?...

yes a friends husband was simular . he found out when they did a blood test . i think there is a lot of miss understanding and having someone willing to do do cpr and know to ring an ambulance makes such a difference . i hope your well now.

I'm OK thanks.
How are you?
Do you fear a recurrence?
Do your family treat you differently?

im doing better than most of my family . he has found it very difficult . he looked after me for a month so didnt have time to think. then it hits home i think . i wasnt there ,i was dead . i dont remember much until day 5 . he has had support but iv been affected with memory issues and cooking meds and generally not getting lost worries all my friends and family .
theyhad been taken into the family room and told the brain scan wasnt looking good . im lucky and despite not been able to work im greatful that i get another chance . my oldest told me he had gone to see a friend and said my mums going to die . i think thats the hardest part for me. he broke lots of my ribs and sternum doing cpr , i keep reminding him he saved me but i think he thinks alot of what if s. but he has support . im not much use as i only remember snap shots - proberbly a good thing . thankyou for asking

Are you early forties now? How old were you when you had the cardiac arrest?