Paul and Kathy
My husband Paul and I had just gotten home late from a family dinner. I was looking at some pictures and talking about the evening, and that’s the last I remember. I had a “sudden death incident” where my heart just quit. Paul noticed I had stopped talking, my head was slumped, and I was having trouble breathing. He called 911 then started CPR until the rescue squad arrived. They shocked me twice to get my heart fully started then took me to Shawano.
When we arrived in ER, they stabilized me and transported me to Appleton—by ambulance because of bad weather. I still had not regained consciousness, so the doctor in critical care put me in an induced coma for 24 hours to prevent brain swelling.
My family says all the staff in Shawano and Appleton were so compassionate and thorough. They explained what was happening and kept everyone informed.
I’m a lucky gal. Lucky that Paul knew CPR and that the ambulance arrived in the right amount of time. Lucky that the Shawano hospital staff did a great job stabilizing me and knew enough to send me on to Appleton. The critical care I received in Appleton couldn’t be better. When I was released, everyone there gave me a hug.
“My cardiologist told me I was a miracle. Only 15 percent of people who experience sudden death make it to the hospital alive, and only 5 percent of those live. There really aren’t enough ‘thank-yous’ for what everyone did for me.”
