I have an amazing Thanksgiving story: My older brother came to our house yesterday around 2. He is a very heavy guy, 55. We are sitting in the kitchen and I look over at him and his eyes looked like they were glazing over. I say "Larry, are you OK?" He says yes. He starts to flop sweat and takes off his sweater. "Are you OK?!" Yes, he mumbles. His eyes are completely glazed over. I think he's having a stroke. I run and get my wife, come back upstairs, and he's keeled over. I yell at my daughter "Call 911!!!!!" His eyes have rolled to the back of his head, he's completely unresponsive, and he turned gray. No breath that I could see. I thought he was dead. I have never seen anything like this - his eyes bug out, glazed. The 911 operator tells us to roll him on his back. I immediately started doing CPR on him. All I knew was to push his chest to the beat of "Staying alive." My daughters are screaming and weeping in the background. I do this for about 2 minutes, all while my wife, calm as could be (not me!) was saying in his ear, "Larry don't leave us." He's completely lifeless. It seems like forever, and still no paramedics. Actually, it was probably 7 minutes. All of a sudden, we hear a gurgle from him. The 911 operator says, turn him on his side, stop CPR. we do. He mumbles something and then starts to come to and says "where am I?" Then the paramedics show up. His blood pressure was 60 over 30. They work to stabilize him. They took him to the hospital, and I am grateful to say he is OK today. He's in the intensive care, but is talking and normal. They are not sure what caused it. God bless all of you in the medical profession. Amazingly giving people you are. And it was the best Thanksgiving ever!
Glad to hear your bother is doing better. That's a really scary situation to be in. I remember having to do CPR on a little old lady once at a wedding reception. Over 80 people there and I was the only one who stepped up to do anything. It was soooooooo f'd up, I could hear the ladie's ribs crack with each chest compression (which is not uncommon when doing CPR on old people) while a crowd of people just stood there and watched. Ambulance came and took her to the hospital, I preceded to get really drunk and ended up bagging with one of her granddaughters. The paramedics said if I hadn't done CPR she would have died. She sent me Christmas cards for a few years afterward. Never heard from the granddaughter again.
The ribs cracking is supposedly common in every case of CPR. You're breaking through the ribs to compress the heart.
This is why they deserve the big bucks. Thought of becoming a Doctor myself, but really ANYONE in that profession deserves our gratitude. I've been in the ER too many times to count and have a real respect for them. I'm really happy your bro is okay. Must have been terrible.
Very nice story. I'm happy he pulled thru. Good job to you, your wife, the 911 operator, paramedics...
Forget the medical profession! It sounds like you are the one who saved your brother's life. Nice going.
This may sound like a crazy question, but bare with me. I assume you had to remove her shirt and bra correct? I'm CPR certified and currently this is the part that scares me most about having to take action if ever in a situation where a female needs cpr. They teach us that it's not really a big deal, but I still think about it and hope I wouldn't hesitate if something ever happens.
I've been CPR trained and they say to uncover the person's chest. I guess the idea is that a shock to one's modesty is preferable over dying. Steve, glad you and yours are well, and kudos to you to. It would not be a Happy Hanukah had your brother not made it.
