On July 3, 2015, I suffered SCA while visiting family in Murrysville, PA. My husband and mother in law performed CPR on me until the paramedics arrived. They resuscitated me and life flighted me to UPMC Presbyterian. While there, a defibrillator (S-ICD) was implanted. I am receiving treatment for my injuries through a cardiologist and a neurologist. The cause of my SCA is still unknown.
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Thank you for sharing!
Hi Dawn, We are so happy to know you survived cardiac arrest. It is wonderful that your family members gave you CPR. Thank you for sharing your experience. We invite you to join our Sudden Cardiac Arrest Network.
Best wishes,
Mary Newman
Sounds familiar
Hi Dawnstudniarz, I had my SCA ten days after you. At 2am, I fell out of bed not breathing. My wife did CPR then EMS and the AED came soon after. I too have an AICD. All I know was my QT was too long, my potassium too low and I was dehydrated after a long bike ride. I also was found to have central sleep apnea. The QT prolongation may have been from an antidepressant medication. Unlike a lot of other SCA survivors i didn't have an acute heart attack. But they did find I had an old blockage, not uncommon in people my age.
As my QT was prolonged I had genetic testing and it was negative. So it's not real clear what happened, so I have an AICD to be safe. I dont think it's too life style limiting, do you?
I just returned to work today! I'm an anesthesiologist, so I really can't have any cognitive issues. I'm thinking that after today it should go ok. All my ribs were broken from the chest compressions, and mentally I was a bit off early on. I did neurocognitive therapy with a therapist and with Internet programs all day everyday. It likely helped, or maybe just the time off did just as well to help. I then had low back pain and spasms for a good month. Good news has been the treatment of the sleep apnea with a sleep machine.
This whole thing is hard to fathom, it has certainly shaken my confidence. This will require a lot of work too, I guess. I find myself thinking about things as pre arrest or post arrest sence my SCA. Reading seems to help in a lot of ways. Take care, BICYCLINGGUY