Posted by Survivor on 01/06/2016

One morning at 6:30 a.m. two days after Christmas, my husband and I were just approaching the TSA at LAX after visiting our son and his family. I suddenly felt faint and said to my husband "I feel like I'm going to faint". He said I just dropped and he was close enough to catch me before I hit the ground. My eyes were open and I had no heart beat. He immediately started CPR and yelled for help. LAX personnel pulled me away from my husband and a nurse who was helping him (she compressed my heart while he blew into my mouth). They tried the first automatic defibrillator and it didn't work. Another one was called for and it did the job. I was resuscitated a total of 7 times before the doctors at the hospital miraculously saved my life by inserting two stints in my LAD. I was put into a medically induced coma for 5 days and awoke with no memory of much except saying I felt faint at the airport. My husband told me that I did become conscious several times, but had a form of retrograde amnesia. I have recovered my memory, but still have difficulty multi-tasking and had to retire from my job as an accountant/office manager.
In my case, they think a small piece of plaque in my LAD artery was suddenly jarred loose blocking the artery entirely and stopping my heart. Why? No one knows. Now, 8 years later, I am retired and taking internet classes. I had a TIA last March and an MRI found that my brain was covered with white spots indicating areas of brain damage. However, except for some short term memory losses from time to time. My life is very full and I am enjoying retirement and learning lots of new things from internet classes including higher math. You cannot replace neurons, but the brain can form new pathways.
I have a great regard for the men and women of the Los Angeles Police, Fire Dept., and LAX emergency personnel (and of course my husband) for saving my life. I am VERY lucky to be alive and functioning normally.
Anne

Comments

Submitted by Bob Trenkamp on 01/06/2016

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...the ones told by the friends and relatives of about 350,000 people each year.

Congratulations on the achievement.

You will find many people on this site that have a similar story to tell.

Bob

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