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Posted: 12/31/2023 2:07:52 AM EDT
Volunteer FF here. My wife and I were sitting on the couch watching the Cowboys game and my phone alerted me on a cardiac arrest one street over from me. Turned out it was a friend of ours, 41 years old female, mom of 3, nurse, and staunchly conservative woman.  I hauled ass over there and she was completely naked, laying next to the tub. Her husband has been doing CPR for a few minutes and had dispatch on the phone. The dispatcher is a volunteer on our department and her husband is one of our LT’s.

She had no pulse when I got there. I did CPR on my own for 5 or 6 minutes before the calvary arrived in force.  We were able to get a strong pulse and she was stable enough to transport to the local hospital.  

This is the second one of my neighbors I’ve done CPR on this year. The first one was a 13 year old girl that decided to hang herself. I had dinner with her dad the night prior.

I have so much respect for all you paid guys. I don’t know how you can do this shit everyday.  Not looking for accolades or feedback on my punctuation, just needed to type out my thoughts and feelings.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 2:44:56 AM EDT
[#1]
Well done Sir.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 2:55:49 AM EDT
[#2]
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 8:40:00 AM EDT
[#3]
Never did it on anyone I know, but I'm also a white cloud.  Only did 3 I can think of all year.

Did hubby at least throw a towel over her at some point?  She's going to be mortified at the next Xmas party
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 9:20:46 AM EDT
[#4]
Well done. Been there many times.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 10:57:59 AM EDT
[#5]
Paramedics are a different breed. Amazed and disgusted how they’re paid pennies for what they do. Haven’t had to work anyone I know but eventually that day is going to come. Not looking forward to it.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 10:58:25 AM EDT
[#6]
WTG. Getting ROSC on any patient is pretty rare, TBH. Of the roughly dozen I have done since I started back in late 2019, I only got ROSC on 1 and he passed away later that day at the hospital. Life is fragile, all we're trying to do is step in and help, in whatever way we can. Sometimes help doesn't look the way you might think it does. Way to be a good neighbor and contributor to your community.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 11:12:49 AM EDT
[#7]
Not on neighbors but done it plenty.  Wife too.  19 year old pregnant girl who ODd on fentanyl was probably the toughest.  

Drug addict we saved to commit a whole bunch more felonies pissed me off after the fact.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 11:30:59 AM EDT
[#8]
Husband didn’t cover his wife, he was really distraught, as I would have been. The first thing I told my wife when I got home was to cover up my naked body so my friends wouldn’t see how tiny my dick is. We put a blanket on her when we transported her to the ambulance.

I want to reach out to the husband for an update on her but I want to respect his space.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 11:43:11 AM EDT
[#9]
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 11:47:50 AM EDT
[#10]
Good on you op.  Prayers for that family, sounds like a tough thing to deal with.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 12:04:31 PM EDT
[#11]
I've yet to see a successful CPR event.  Good Job OP!
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 1:14:36 PM EDT
[#12]
Great job!
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 4:43:22 PM EDT
[#13]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By CanaryCamaro:
Husband didn’t cover his wife, he was really distraught, as I would have been. The first thing I told my wife when I got home was to cover up my naked body so my friends wouldn’t see how tiny my dick is. We put a blanket on her when we transported her to the ambulance.

I want to reach out to the husband for an update on her but I want to respect his space.
View Quote

Understandable.

If he's a friend, you'll find out either way. Hope for the best.  ROSC is pretty rare, discharge from hospital even more so.  At least she's young, she's more likely to recover than all the elderly.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 7:29:13 PM EDT
[#14]
Quick update, she's alive in the ICU, intubated and sedated still. She arrested again last night at the hospital but the cardiologist for the hospital was doing rounds late last night and was there when ambulance dropped her off.  They're dialing back the sedation and she's slowly starting to communicate with people.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 9:10:05 PM EDT
[#15]
Mr. Camaro,
Thank you for saving her life.  You are an inspiration for all of us.
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 9:36:43 PM EDT
[#16]
Great job!
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 9:41:56 PM EDT
[#17]
Link Posted: 12/31/2023 9:50:41 PM EDT
[#18]
Great work OP and as others have mentioned talking about it is likely the very best therapy.
Link Posted: 1/1/2024 4:31:58 AM EDT
[#19]
Good job!

Be there for your neighbor and ask if there is anything you can help with. Maybe offer to bring over some dinner one night for him. Its a tough time, and every little helping hand makes a difference.

I was a FF/Medic for 21 years. Been there done that, made me feel pretty awesome every time we got someone back from the dead side of the spectrum... Its an incredible feeling you can treasure for a long time before it fades away. Then maybe you can get lucky enough to save another. It makes all the lost family events and missed holidays worth it.
Link Posted: 1/1/2024 4:54:11 AM EDT
[#20]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By akbluz:
Mr. Camaro,
Thank you for saving her life.  You are an inspiration for all of us.
View Quote

Link Posted: 1/1/2024 5:13:14 AM EDT
[#21]
Great job OP.

Not trying to be an ass but did she get the shot? I've lost some young friends (40s) who had the shot.
Link Posted: 1/1/2024 4:25:18 PM EDT
[#22]
Last update, she’s off the vent, awake, and responding.
Link Posted: 1/1/2024 5:45:52 PM EDT
[#23]
That's great news OP. Glad for your friends.
Link Posted: 1/2/2024 1:51:41 PM EDT
[#24]
Thats great news. I'd be interested to hear what they end up attributing it to - not the shot  - underlying cardo issue, something exacerbated from the heat of the bath etc. Whenever we see someone younger go down it always makes me wonder medically what was the cause and of course we rarely get to hear any follow up
Link Posted: 1/2/2024 5:23:55 PM EDT
[#25]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By sefus:
Thats great news. I'd be interested to hear what they end up attributing it to - not the shot  - underlying cardo issue, something exacerbated from the heat of the bath etc. Whenever we see someone younger go down it always makes me wonder medically what was the cause and of course we rarely get to hear any follow up
View Quote

Two weeks prior to her arresting she went to the ER after having heart palpitations.  They worked her up and sent her home. The night before her arrest she went to the bathroom at 1:15 am and fainted. Her husband found her slumped over the toilet. EMS transported her and the ER found nothing wrong. There’s clearly something wrong so I’m curious as well.
Link Posted: 1/6/2024 9:39:25 PM EDT
[#26]
One of the reasons I prefer not to work in the area I live.
Link Posted: 1/11/2024 2:50:56 PM EDT
[#27]
Great job OP!
Link Posted: 1/11/2024 11:26:17 PM EDT
[#28]
Wow- great job.  A successful event is so uncommon.  Glad you were there to make it happen.
Link Posted: 1/12/2024 4:14:37 PM EDT
[Last Edit: CrustyKayak] [#29]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By dirtyboy:
I've yet to see a successful CPR event.  Good Job OP!
View Quote


Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests have a survival rate hovering around 10%.  Doing good CPR gives people a chance, but most don't make it.

Good work, OP.

Edot: I saw where on 1/1 things were looking up.  How is she?
Link Posted: 1/12/2024 4:33:42 PM EDT
[#30]
From someone who's been on the receiving end, thanks are not enough.
Link Posted: 1/12/2024 4:54:15 PM EDT
[#31]
2019 I had a boy riding a stolen dirt bike  in the dark with bald tires around and blind corner at twice the legal speed limit ,almost hit me head on he proceeded to go down the side of my jeep catch his leg on the bumper superman about 60 feet rip his knee from his kneecap to his groin,and he was bleeding profusely on the side of the road . being an ex-military I knew basic combat wound care I took my web belt off and I applied a tourniquet up in his groin and saved him from bleeding out on the side of the road and dying. my reward for this because I was sued for millions of dollars be careful when you help somebody because you put yourself in jeopardy , I am a kind of guy that would stop and help anybody and  I’ve never doubted my decisions ,I don’t know if I will do this in the future because it’s been four years very stressful It’s affecting my health and was in fear of losing my home
Link Posted: 1/13/2024 3:03:26 PM EDT
[#32]
Awesome! Great Job!

I guess the difference is when you do it on the job, its usualy not someone you know.
So at the job, for me as a LE-Medic its kind of easy.
For sure I give my best, but the emotions are different as if it were my neighbors, friends, of brothers in arms.
I guess less the 30% make it after CPR, even if done by professionals with medication.
CPR after a trauma is less then 5%...
Defibrilliators are a game changer. Safed some peopel with that.
Stay safe and dont skip your medical monday.

Rob from Berlin

Link Posted: 1/14/2024 12:29:59 AM EDT
[#33]
She came home today. She survived 3 cardiac arrests and isn’t out of the woods yet.

Her condition is PEA, pulseless electrical activity and coronary arterial spasm which occurs in less than 2% of people.
Link Posted: 1/18/2024 12:34:56 PM EDT
[#34]
I'm a few weeks late to the party, but good job being willing to do something to help someone else and then doing it.  No doubt you saved her life.
Link Posted: 1/25/2024 6:30:53 PM EDT
[#35]
Link Posted: 1/26/2024 3:16:17 AM EDT
[#36]
You deserve accolades.
Link Posted: 2/4/2024 11:27:11 AM EDT
[#37]
Link Posted: 2/7/2024 11:49:41 AM EDT
[#38]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By TacticalConcepts:


thank you for doing it on a volunteer basis!

curious, did she make it in the end?

Mark
View Quote

She’s very much alive and at home. I passed her last night while she was out walking with her kids.
Link Posted: 2/7/2024 2:50:04 PM EDT
[#39]
Link Posted: 2/7/2024 3:31:22 PM EDT
[#40]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By NotIssued:
Did hubby at least throw a towel over her at some point?  She's going to be mortified at the next Xmas party
View Quote


At least she will be alive to BE mortified.  Sure as hell beats the alternative.
Link Posted: 2/25/2024 11:35:37 PM EDT
[#41]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By RHR_12:
One of the reasons I prefer not to work in the area I live.
View Quote

I had plenty of opportunities to work in my hood and was always a hard NO. I know a few horror stories about people that went through that. One was a female medic, The bell went off, announced the address and she screamed 'that's my parents house!'. Another was responded to a TC, persons trapped. The first arriving captain tried to cancel that medic unit and respond another. It didn't work out, it was his wife DOA in the car.
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