miracle Sunday

Sunday Jan 20th will forever be known as the miracle Sunday in our ward.  Just as the sacrament finished up and the Bishop stood up to announce the speakers somebody yelled, "STOP" "CALL 9-1-1".   Everyone stood up to see what was going on. Dave was sitting in the front row and this call came from the very back of the chapel and when he turned around he couldn't see much but thought maybe he should go check it out. Somebody had immediately called 9-1-1 and others went out to wait for the ambulance.

A lady had collapsed. Dave was actually the second Dr. to come to help. The first Dr. was an OBGYN who is in our ward but hadn't been to church in 3 years but happened to be sitting right near the lady when she collapsed. The ob/gyn was assessing the lady and had begun mouth-to-mouth. When Dave arrived he saw that more assistance was needed so he checked for a pulse (there was none) and then began chest compressions.  Two other doctors who were in the building came into the room.  They worked together looking for a pulse and continually checking her status while Dave continued chest compressions. At first everyone in the congregation sat in the chapel but when the bishop realized how serious things were and that there wouldn't be a possibility of moving the emergency out of the room, the Bishop asked everyone in the ward to move into the cultural hall. There the Bishop talked and prayed while waiting for news.

Meanwhile, it took the ambulance about 10 minutes to find the church. This is sort of ironic since the church is literally NEXT DOOR to the hospital and only about 4 minutes down the street from the fire station. However, when you call 9-1-1 from a cell phone the call is routed through the highway patrol and the address does not pop up on the screen.  Not sure where the firetruck got lost to, but it was lost for a few minutes.

When the medics arrived Dave moved Sis. Terry from the bench to the ground so they could gather around here. They shocked her heart once and nothing happened. More CPR.  A second time, and no response. More CPR.  On the third time, the heart beat returned, and her blood pressure came back, and after waiting a few minutes to see what would happen, Sis. Terry began to waken. By the time she was being loaded into the ambulance, she was awake and able to follow basic commands. Pretty amazing after having been basically dead for about 15 minutes. 

Sis. Terry was taken to the hospital and a stent was put in and she was awake and alert by the time Dave was able to go visit her after church (just a couple of hours after the event). It was amazing that she made such a full recovery so quickly and that she did not suffer any neurological deficits after being without a pulse for 15 minutes.  When Dave stopped by to check on her, she was surrounded by family and friends, sitting up and talking to them. She told Dave she felt great except for her chest being pretty sore! However, she said she was super grateful that her chest was sore knowing that it was the reason she was still alive.   She went home from the hospital later in the week.

Sister Terry sent Dave this really nice card about a week later when she got home from the hospital.

(front - totally had to laugh at this picture. She must have googled Dave and found this on the Internet. It was sort of a joke that everyone in the lab took silly "stern" pics like this.)

inside

While I think all Dr's wonder if they will ever be in an emergency situation where their skills are needed in a life or death situation, it is probably not that frequent that it is a real necessity.  This is the first time Dave had to administer real medical attention outside of the hospital setting. Most of the time when people call for help the person doesn't actually need emergency medical help -- they have passed out, had a seizure, fallen and/or have fallen and are scared. While having a Dr. present in these situations is extremely comforting (and we have had people call and thank Dave for "saving them" in medical situations), it is certainly not as dramatic, or necessary from the Dr's point of view.  

I am proud of Dave for being attentive and well trained and assertive enough to take charge of this situation and administer the most effective CPR possible and to have made a difference.

One other quick note, the medic who arrived on the scene is actually an acquaintance of ours. He is Kari's (my dad's wife) cousin, Scott. We have mingled with him at family activities and he has even brought his firetruck to our house for the kids to see in the past. Another fun coincidence since Dave was able to call him after the event and let him know that his patient was making a full recovery. It is pretty rare in his profession to hear what happens to the patients and to have a good outcome. Quite often by the time the firetruck arrives it is already too late and would have been for sis. terry if there were not Dr's at church or if she had stayed home to rest (as she had previously planned).