I’ve have suffered heart problems in the plumping department for some years. However, 2 months ago While walking my dog I suffered a Sudden out of hospital Cardiac Arrest. I won’t bore you with the details but apparently not a scenario that a lot of people survive to the extent I have. A lot of people helped me that day. No more than the friend I was with, and we both wanted to thank the ambulance crew for their marvellous work. I left feedback on the area website and quite rightly found the local station wanted to celebrate my recovery and so a small piece was written by their press office for my local paper and a picture of me thanking the crew was taken. I felt good that I had been able to thank them personally and they seemed very pleased to see me and hear I had recovered so well. They were very humble and said they were just doing what they were trained to do.
Now this is where I need my friends here to give me some of their thoughts. My friend and I have been approached by a BBC TV production team that does some of these emergency services programmes that involve the different emergency services and the public in unique sort of saves/situations. I feel, it might look like I’m trying to get that proverbial 15 minutes of fame by accepting to do it and cause embarrassment for the paramedics involved. But my family and the friend who was with me, who was also approached, think it would be good to accept and show how much the public should appreciate the work they do and dedication these people have. I just wanted to say thank you to them for the precious gift they gave me.
What do you think ?? Should I take this request to the ambulance crew manager or just ignore this TV thing ?
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Swalecliffe88
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13 Replies
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If you feel you need to go another step in thanking the team that apparently saved your life then go for it . You have nothing to lose. However you obviously have doubts or you wouldn't be asking for the opinions of folks on here. Perhaps you need to to consider those doubts, and on your own without others gently pressurising you, and decide whether there is anything significant enough to actually stop you going ahead. But if there is I certainly wouldn't feel guilty about not proceeding, you have already made a creditable gesture.
You have had some great replies. But I have one additional thought.
Though I'm sure this would be great viewing and contribute well to the current debate, these programmes can be really exhausting to be in. I have done similar in the past.
Masses of preparation, repetition , editing and endless discussions.
You need to think about the stress on you and on your heart.
Good point Kristin not an aspect I had thought of. Thank you for highlighting this.
Dear Swalecliffe88
Its a hard and unusual question to ask and it that balance thing appearing once again.
On the one hand it would be good publicity for the Ambulance team and how well they performed saving your life, but you have to remember that a lot don't survive and that could open up bad memories for some relatives of the dead etc.
You also have to realise that the TV production team is just after a programme to give them numbers and viewing figures.
As much as there will be someone trained to help guide you , you will be used for this one purpose only, that is their job to get those viewers and air space.
In a life { not to long ago } I walked out on a meeting were they were patting each others backs for getting certain material aired, and as much as I understood the seriousness of the subject, the way it was handled sickened me.
I also was approached to do a local piece of TV, but after talking about it to family and friends I realised that the experience was a personal one to me,
I survived { to a fashion } a lot didn't , drugs affected me and the experience affected me in ways that it didn't affect others and like wise with them.
We hear of 'cures' for this and that being found and as much as I never would wish others to suffer as I have seen people suffer, I still can't help thinking that if your had found the 'cure' sooner, my beloved so and so { put friend/family member etc here } may still be alive today.
Like I say its a balance thing,
when I go back to the hospital for checks, I don't dance down the corridors as I am fully aware that laying the other side of the wall are folk that will never do that again.
Food for thought? or just ramblings? hope it helps in anyway.
Thank you so much for again giving me another prospective which again being wrapped up in my own quandary I did not think of. It is a very valid point you have raised.
What a story! And good for you for making contact and thanking people personally. Our hospitals and ambulance services suffer chronic underfunding and many are at breaking point, and the thing that holds them together is people. Brilliant dedicated hardworking human beings who are often pushed to the limit by the work they do, but get up everyday and head back to the frontline. I’m sure your personal efforts to thank them has meant more than you can imagine.
As someone with CHD (double bypass 8 months ago) who also works in TV production I’d say go for it, but if you can check personally with the ambulance team who helped you to get their thoughts then that would be better. You’ll sign a form giving away all rights forever to the production of what you you say and any other material they film around your story. They won’t be deliberately trying to misrepresent you on a show like this (and it being for the BBC) but there will be editorial pressure to create a particular kind of emotion or respone in the audience that you might find a little surprising when it’s aired. But if what you say on camera is genuine and from the heart (!?) then for all involved, including you, this could help your healing as well as thank those that often go unthanked. Good luck!
Oh thank you so much for your reply. I want to read it again to take in all you have said. One of the ambulance crew is known to a friends daughter and like you mentioned I wanted to first get an idea of how they actually feel themselves so asked that a message could be passed on. But you have given me so much info to consider. Thank you I appreciate you taking the time to help me.
Tricky one.........on one hand I think we'd all like to shine a light on the ones who saved/treated us, after all many of us wouldn't be here if it weren't for them! On the other hand, yes this will be edited and altered for public consumption, possible even sensationalised!
I personally have found myself seeking out these very programmes, trying to understand/come to terms with my own experience...Stemi & 7 stents & damn lucky to have had the Ambulance, Nurses & Cath lab team on their 'A' game that morning! I have re-visited the ward and handed in a big thank you card and written a similar letter to the Ambulance crew, which has meant a great deal to me.
On balance, I'd say go for it, to survive a cardiac arrest out of hospital is extremely rare & those involved were truly heroic in their actions, why wouldn't we wish to let the world know we have these people around us, even if they say, it's what they were trained to do. That's exactly what the Cardiologist said to me when I had the chance to thank him face to face after my emergency Stenting.
I say go for it, there needs to be more people who are able to do resuscitation if found in the situation and if only for that reason helps to make people think yes I need to know how, then it will be worth it, I am looking out locally at the moment for a course which occasionally pops up after listening to some-one's story locally and thinking I need to know how to do this.
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