Are you concerned about falling down dead because of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)? Are you wondering who will be there to "save" you if that should happen? Will it be a passer-by, fellow shopper, diner at the next table? In other words, will it be a BYSTANDER?
The America Heart Association and other large "Heart Groups", talk a lot about "bystander" participation in emergency rescue situations. Lately, "Bystander CPR" has become a popular term for someone who happens to be there if you have an SCA, and performs "hands only" CPR on you. If there is an automatic external defibrillator (AED) handy, the bystander may allow that machine to shock your heart after it has stopped beating - thus saving your life in some cases.
If someone called 911, then the emergency rescue team will arrive and take over your emergency care. Most likely, they will have, and use, the defibrillator. Without it, your heart would probably quit beating forever.
But with your heart beating again, and your lungs breathing, you are taken to the hospital from where you may recover and return to normal life.
And that's a good thing, right? I say, "Right, Dr. Lundberg?"
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Columns/At-Large/33114
If you just read the short rant by Dr. George Lundberg, you know that some people in high places are seemingly against any bystander helping you if you have an SCA! Since it takes 3-5 minutes for the quickest ambulance to leave the firehouse, and then more minutes to reach your lifeless body, the bystander is probably your best hope! And Dr. Lungberg, former Editor-in-Chief of the American Medical Society's journal (JAMA), says the bystander should NOT help you, except by calling 911?
Well, this is causing quite a stir on some websites, such as www.Inspire.com, and my own Facebook group, "Surviving Cardiac Arrest". It has reached all the way to Spain, Netherlands, and the U.K.
Survivors of cardiac arrest, or their caregivers, are really angered by Dr. Lundberg's remarks. So am I.
I am one of the SCA victims described by Dr. Lundberg as hopeless. Yet, here I am - four years after a vicious SCA - still alive to write about this physician's callous remarks. And I have many friends - SCA survivors and caregivers - who are expressing outrage of their own.
So, why does a prominent and respected physician say that bystander CPR should not be used? I can only guess at the reason, or reasons:
1: He is actually being sincere, and there is nothing more to his remarks than what is stated in the article.
2: He, along with others, wants to stop, or regulate, bystander intervention - something that he considers to be "Practicing Medicine Without A License".
3: Ribs are worth money. So are other body parts, like hearts, lungs, livers, stomachs, arteries and veins, etc. There can be damage to a body by a bystander who "plays Doctor", or tries to be a "Hero". Perhaps this doctor, and others, are simply interested in the undamaged organs, and body parts, of anyone who dies from an SCA. A Dr. Frankenstein type of thing. Would the fatality be renamed "SOD", or "Sudden Organ Donor", as I would call it?
4: Maybe the huge, physician-guided organizations such as the American Heart Association, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, etc, are trying to increase their membership roles and increase donations, by stirring up the emotions and passions of potential members.
But shhh..... this would be a secret.
Those are my four guesses. I don't care much if it's number 1. I don't like the other three.
Since there are already many instances of families being told that their loved ones have no chance of survival following the SCA (me, for ex), or that they face a low quality life of with a damaged brain (me, for ex), and euthanasia is the best choice, then maybe it's time to start building a memorial for Sudden Cardiac Arrest victims - something similar to the U.S. Holocaust Museum Memorial in Washington, D.C. (USHMM)
I took the following quotation from that museum's website. You have probably heard it before, by Martin Niemoller, a German-Protestant Christian Pastor:
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me."
It's something to think about...
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Another Happy New-Birth Day
Well, I'm FOUR years old today! I can't believe how quickly these four years have passed. I'm surprised to find that I don't remember most of it. Part of that may be that I haven't done much in all that time, but it's mostly because of my anoxic brain injury. Hard thing for me to accept, but what choice do I have? That's the way it is... and I live with it, that's all.
It would have been impossible to get this far alone, without a support group.
It is hard to say just what "support" really means. Sometimes, it is like an ocean, at times very rough. A long, wooden board floats on the water. I have my hands on it - sometimes wrapping one arm around it so I can keep my head above water while I sleep - but at least one hand on it, always. It would be a very lonely existence if not for the others, themselves lost at sea, who have taken hold of this same piece of driftwood. And so my life goes on, pretty much without me it seems, but I'm not alone. I have my friends. Some let go, preferring to sink or swim on their own. New ones come along to replace them.
I carve another notch into the wood with my fingernails, the fourth so far, hoping I'll remember. Next year, it will be five notches if the sharks and such don't take me.
Fins, dark and scary, circle around us. Now and then, something heavy under the water bumps hard against my legs. It passes by... rubbing roughly as it goes. I try to remain calm... and be still. I tell myself, "This too shall pass." And it does.
These hungry feeders - chest pains, high blood pressure, tiredness, insomnia, amnesia, unusual heartbeats - they never leave. They just circle round and round. As if they are waiting for their dinner to be ready... al dente.
Worse yet, are the sea birds. They come down and peck away at me without mercy. They steal memories from my head as easily as the shore birds pull worms from the ground. They are relentless.
But, I have my friends. They have their troubles and I have mine. We can't do much for each other except to tell ourselves that "soon it will be better". We're not afraid of the water anymore. It would be easy to just let go, sink, and be done with it. The sharks and birds won't bother us if we sink, but no one wants to let go of the board - not just yet. And so, we hang on...
We ARE the survivors.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
New Group On Facebook - "Surviving Cardiac Arrest"
I started a new group on Facebook. It is called "Surviving Cardiac Arrest".
It is for survivors of sudden cardiac arrest and/or the loved ones/caregivers of the survivor. Someone left behind by the passing away of a survivor, is always welcome.
If you would like to join, and you are a Facebook member, then just look up the group and click the "Join Group" button. Or you may email me, or message me, on Facebook and let me know. I will then sign you in. The group is growing quickly - mostly by recommendations from members.
I wrote a statement describing the group's purpose, and a few ground rules.
Here it is...
- - - - - - - - - -
Statement To New Members
By Bob Turri - Facebook Group, "Surviving Cardiac Arrest"
Hi, [name];
Thank you for your interest in our group.
A few issues have arisen that make it necessary for me to precede membership with a statement about this group and its purpose. I tend to be long-winded and I apologize for the length of the following statement, but some things just don't fit into "sound-bytes".
About me and this group:
I am Bob Turri, also known as 'rturri' on Inspire.com and elsewhere. I had a
sudden cardiac arrest on April 6, 2008.
I started this group as a way of allowing open and honest discussions about
health issues relating to the heart - and especially about living with the after
effects of a cardiac arrest; which include medications, medical procedures,
prosthetic devices such as ICDs and pacemakers, and anoxic brain injury.
The displayed "motto" of this group, at this time, is "Helping One Another To
Help One Another". It is a group of individuals who need to relate on a one to
one basis, with Friends who understand the experience of living every day after a cardiac arrest. For some this seems easy, but for many others it is not. For a few, these groups are the only way to stay in touch with others, and find real friendship.
Most especially, I want to help SCA survivors to converse with other survivors, but many times they are isolated and lonely. In cases where brain injury has left physical disabilities, they need someone's help to communicate. Let us PLEASE BE PATIENT and help the other to participate, and to be an important part of our group.
"Survivors" of cardiac arrests and their caregivers/loved ones are welcome in
this group. I am a participating member, and I am available to other members to discuss any private concerns. In addition to a group "chat box", Facebook
provides private chatting and messaging. Of course, members can meet outside of the group through email, etc, so that the few restrictions here should not be a problem for anyone.
This is a "Closed Group":
Members' posts are not visible to non-members. Members may, at times, reveal medical or personal details about themselves or others, so the privacy of our members is important. This group is a "Closed Group" for that reason.
Purpose:
Share our knowledge and experience.
Be respectful of one another.
Respect and remember the names of members who have passed on due to
sudden cardiac arrest.
Anoxic Brain Injury (ABI) is likely to follow a cardiac arrest. It can make
communication difficult and may be very embarrassing. Again, PLEASE BE PATIENT with members for whom this is an issue, and let us all be helpful and
encouraging.
Remember... the next ABI may be your own!
Restrictions:
No soliciting
No marketing
No recruiting
No collection of member-data for use outside of this group.
No selling
No fund raising
No posting of videos or web-links, or displaying of logos and organizational
names, for the purpose of any of the above.
There is a world full of opportunities for the above activities. This group
will not be one of them. Simply put... NO SPAMMING!
As for me, I have a special place in my Heart for cardiac arrest victims who
have been, or will be, in emergency rooms, ICUs, and nursing homes - their loved ones fearing the worst in all cases. I have and will continue to befriend the dying and those who are losing someone special. It is in this environment that the reality of cardiac arrest, and death, is painfully clear to everyone.
And it is where the experience of "Surviving Cardiac Arrest" will begin for the
precious few who live on - and for their loved ones. Both are the "Survivors".
Let me be perfectly clear - being SAVED from a cardiac arrest means much more than simply getting a stopped heart to beat again. One still must live long enough to become a "Survivor".
This group is for those who do.
Please let us never forget those who do not.
Sincerely,
Bob Turri
- - - - - - - - - -
It is for survivors of sudden cardiac arrest and/or the loved ones/caregivers of the survivor. Someone left behind by the passing away of a survivor, is always welcome.
If you would like to join, and you are a Facebook member, then just look up the group and click the "Join Group" button. Or you may email me, or message me, on Facebook and let me know. I will then sign you in. The group is growing quickly - mostly by recommendations from members.
I wrote a statement describing the group's purpose, and a few ground rules.
Here it is...
- - - - - - - - - -
Statement To New Members
By Bob Turri - Facebook Group, "Surviving Cardiac Arrest"
Hi, [name];
Thank you for your interest in our group.
A few issues have arisen that make it necessary for me to precede membership with a statement about this group and its purpose. I tend to be long-winded and I apologize for the length of the following statement, but some things just don't fit into "sound-bytes".
About me and this group:
I am Bob Turri, also known as 'rturri' on Inspire.com and elsewhere. I had a
sudden cardiac arrest on April 6, 2008.
I started this group as a way of allowing open and honest discussions about
health issues relating to the heart - and especially about living with the after
effects of a cardiac arrest; which include medications, medical procedures,
prosthetic devices such as ICDs and pacemakers, and anoxic brain injury.
The displayed "motto" of this group, at this time, is "Helping One Another To
Help One Another". It is a group of individuals who need to relate on a one to
one basis, with Friends who understand the experience of living every day after a cardiac arrest. For some this seems easy, but for many others it is not. For a few, these groups are the only way to stay in touch with others, and find real friendship.
Most especially, I want to help SCA survivors to converse with other survivors, but many times they are isolated and lonely. In cases where brain injury has left physical disabilities, they need someone's help to communicate. Let us PLEASE BE PATIENT and help the other to participate, and to be an important part of our group.
"Survivors" of cardiac arrests and their caregivers/loved ones are welcome in
this group. I am a participating member, and I am available to other members to discuss any private concerns. In addition to a group "chat box", Facebook
provides private chatting and messaging. Of course, members can meet outside of the group through email, etc, so that the few restrictions here should not be a problem for anyone.
This is a "Closed Group":
Members' posts are not visible to non-members. Members may, at times, reveal medical or personal details about themselves or others, so the privacy of our members is important. This group is a "Closed Group" for that reason.
Purpose:
Share our knowledge and experience.
Be respectful of one another.
Respect and remember the names of members who have passed on due to
sudden cardiac arrest.
Anoxic Brain Injury (ABI) is likely to follow a cardiac arrest. It can make
communication difficult and may be very embarrassing. Again, PLEASE BE PATIENT with members for whom this is an issue, and let us all be helpful and
encouraging.
Remember... the next ABI may be your own!
Restrictions:
No soliciting
No marketing
No recruiting
No collection of member-data for use outside of this group.
No selling
No fund raising
No posting of videos or web-links, or displaying of logos and organizational
names, for the purpose of any of the above.
There is a world full of opportunities for the above activities. This group
will not be one of them. Simply put... NO SPAMMING!
As for me, I have a special place in my Heart for cardiac arrest victims who
have been, or will be, in emergency rooms, ICUs, and nursing homes - their loved ones fearing the worst in all cases. I have and will continue to befriend the dying and those who are losing someone special. It is in this environment that the reality of cardiac arrest, and death, is painfully clear to everyone.
And it is where the experience of "Surviving Cardiac Arrest" will begin for the
precious few who live on - and for their loved ones. Both are the "Survivors".
Let me be perfectly clear - being SAVED from a cardiac arrest means much more than simply getting a stopped heart to beat again. One still must live long enough to become a "Survivor".
This group is for those who do.
Please let us never forget those who do not.
Sincerely,
Bob Turri
- - - - - - - - - -
Friday, November 11, 2011
On My Birthday
Today, on my birthday, I'd like to give to my friends my best wishes, thoughts and prayers. (You know who you are!)
I have little else in this world but I have time, and I have some friends. Nothing can be gained that is more worthwhile; and nothing can be lost that is more regretful.
To my friends, I wish the very best to you and I pray that your needs will be met, your desires fulfilled, and that your Hearts will be filled with happiness.
As for me, I am grateful for you. Thank you for being my friends.
Bob
I have little else in this world but I have time, and I have some friends. Nothing can be gained that is more worthwhile; and nothing can be lost that is more regretful.
To my friends, I wish the very best to you and I pray that your needs will be met, your desires fulfilled, and that your Hearts will be filled with happiness.
As for me, I am grateful for you. Thank you for being my friends.
Bob
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