Cardiac arrest

[Embo82]

Hi there what a great group.

My mum suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday evening. Luckily my oh could do cpr till the ambulance came they worked on her for 40 mins and in the ambulance her heart started beating and she was breathing and trying to rip tunes out!

She is now in intensive care after the catheter lab did their job and put in a balloon stent. She was totally sedated being breather for and blood pressure being controlled.

They tried to take her off sedation to see how she would react in terms of brain damage. So they have kept her on mild sedatives to bring her round easier and hopefully that will make her respond better?

The balloon pump was reduced by 20% and she is doing good. She can actually breath for herself 100% and the best thing is - today being less sedated she opened her eyes and was responding to me every time I asked.

Got a big day tomorrow! They are going to try and bring her off sedation and stop the balloon pump. Hopefully asses the damage to her heart and brain ( trying to be positive although she is very poorly.

Anyone have any stories of hope or encouragement TIA Emma

It's boards like this that keep me going and today has been the only day a nurse made me feel comfortable supported and was approachable I have to say some have questionable bedside manner which is wrong but will deal with that latter as I feel some changes need making when I look at this from a psychologists point of view.

Xxx

[Zena166]

Hi Emma. So sorry to hear about your mom and what you are going through. I hope tomorrow goes well for you both. You must be exhausted and on such an emotional rollercoaster. Do take care of yourself and try and get some rest. I know you are a psychologist and you know this but I will say it anyway! Do talk about your emotions. This has been a terrible shock and incredibly traumatic for you. And Intensive care tends to focus on the physiological aspects of care not the psychological. So stay strong. Take time for you and talk about your feelings. Thinking of you and your mom. Best wishes Zena x

[Embo82 in reply to Zena166]

Thank you so so much!!! This means so much to me! I have four kids so they are keeping me going.

I'm trying my best to take care of me.

It's such a strange mix of emotions that you go through on this journey.

Hopefully today we get a bit more answers and can maybe get a bit closer to where we stand.

I know there can never really be plans in intensive care but the plans that are loosely in place keep me a bit focused.

Just taking baby steps Hun xxx

[Katboglil in reply to Embo82]

Hi Emma I too suffered cardiac arrest and heart attack and my wonderful husband did cpr for 15 mins until paramedics arrived. I was on life support for ten days and it was not looking good for me as two consultants wanted to turn life support off after two days as tests showed global brain damage but my husband and daughter would not let them. But just to reassure you I have made a remarkable recovery. With love and patience she will be fine. It's early days for her. I have had no stents fitted as although i had two completely blocked arteries my heart created it's own two bypasses. Keep strong x wishing your mam a full recovery

[skid112 Heart Star]

Hi Emma,

Sorry to hear about your mother, a very stressful time indeed.

Encouraging signs post balloon though and that's fantastic. Hopefully when she comes round there will be little if any damage.

Take care Mark

[Embo82 in reply to skid112]

Thank u so much mark!

I am shocked at how I'm holding on to positives in a bleak situation. Amazing what the human mind can do.

I'm just not giving up till my mum says it's time? Xxx

[sturon]

Hi Emma.

I know exactly how you are feeling. It is one of the worst times in life to see a loved one in other peoples hands and feeling helpless.

My 56 year old partner had a sudden cardiac arrest in December last year. I was also able to perform CPR until help arrived. He spent 3 days in intensive care then some time on CCU and a further three weeks in the cardiology unit. After many investigations he had an S-ICD implanted.

We are now nearly 5 months on and he is getting back to some normality. He still gets fatigued but we are starting to plan ahead now. I am still adjusting to not watching him every minute to check on him. For the first time since this happened I left him on his own yesterday for 45 minutes so I could go to a dental appointment.

For now your Mum is in the right place and is getting the right care and support. It is very easy for folk to say 'you take care of yourself'. I had that said to me many times, but it is difficult to 'look after ones self' when you are so worried about, in your case your Mum.

I hope that everything works out for you and your Mum. I hope my story helps you see it can work out.

With warmest regards. Ron.

[Embo82 in reply to sturon]

Thank you so so so much for this post of hope and I'm so glad that things came good for you Hun. That is one amazing story.

I don't wish this experience on anyone but knowing someone else has been through similar is relaxing me.

I'm in a wave of different emotions.... all the unknowns is a killer.

Today we hope to bring her off sedation and remove the balloon pump I'm so scared! But it's a step closer to maybe some answers Hun

Xxx

Thank you for replying and sharing

[sturon in reply to Embo82]

Good luck seems the wrong thing to say, but I hope everything goes well today. Will be thinking of you.

Ron.

[barniecroft in reply to Embo82]

Hope everything goes well

[jimmyq]

I hope your mum is OK. It is a traumatic time for you both. You might feel better when she comes out of hospital and you can do something, e.g. look after her, to feel that you are "doing something". In our situation, we have made significant life style changes and this has given my wife something to focus on as opposed to watching me and waiting for something to happen. I hope you get my drift here. Good Luck!

[gal4God]

Give it time

[Hidden]

Hi, I realise your post is a few months old but I,m only now seeing it. I hope your mum is doing ok. I had an out of hospital cardiac arrest a couple of years ago, my son found me but thinks I’d been unconscious for about 30 mins. He called an ambulance and also a neighbour, who bless her, at 80 years old and a retired nurse , administered CPR followed by the medics.

I was in ICU for 32 days in an induced coma and my son and daughter who turned 19 whilst I was in hospital, were told my prognosis wasn’t good. Anyway, this was November 2016 and I,m glad to say, here and well. It’s been a struggle and I,m not quite as I was but to be honest just glad to be alive. The hospital Drs said I was a miracle to not have any brain damage . I had one stent , on several tablets, probably for life and getting on with life.

Anne-Marie xxxx