MY STORY

We’ve always had a good sense of humor through the years, and this is how he tells the story: “I knew something was wrong, when she stopped talking.” I had taken pictures that night, and was talking about “blackmailing” certain members of my family with some really bad shots of them. 😊 Suddenly I stopped talking. He said I had set my camera down, like I knew something was going to happen and I was slumped over in my chair. He shook me to wake me, but I did not respond. He tried calling my name, shaking me more. Still no response. So he called 911. The 911 operator told Paul to get me on the floor and start CPR immediately. He asked Paul if he knew CPR, to which Paul replied, “I learned it in 1984. I think I have the gist of it.” 😊 So Paul continued chest compressions for 12 straight minutes, waiting for the EMT’s to arrive, with the 911 operator on the phone with him, the entire time, giving encouragement. Freezing rain started icing over the roads.  Kevin and Brian were the EMT’s who arrived. As they were trying as quickly as possible to get into the house, Paul is calling to them that the dogs are friendly and don’t bite. In the meantime, Brian said that George and Larry are nudging at his hand and then running to the door. He said he had never seen anything like it. It seemed that the dogs were saying hurry up! They’re this way! Hurry up they’re this way! Kevin said his main concern was how Paul was doing. For someone to do CPR for over 12 minutes is super human. (EMT’s switch turns every 2 minutes.) There were county Deputies there as well. Paul said that he leaned on the half wall, separating our living room from a hallway, and just watched. It was surreal. He was not in a panic…he just watched. The deputies told Paul that he had to leave the room while they worked on me. This was because most family members would “freak out”, but he said he remained calm as he left the room. Kevin said they had to shock me 2 times to get a heart rhythm back. He said once my rhythm was back, my heart beat and my blood pressure steadied, as though nothing had happened.

I was brought to the local hospital, where I was stabilized. Then transported to a hospital an hour away, that specialized in Heart and Vascular.  I was iced down for 24 hours, to help to alleviate any swelling on the brain. Then slowly brought back.