Survivors share near-death stories

5.

“Years ago, I was in my neighborhood knocking on doors and introducing myself to neighbors. I was a new realtor trying to keep up with my work. At the end of a four-hour day of door knocking, I approached the door and almost immediately, I felt nauseous and knew I was about to pass out.” And I woke up to the voice of a woman talking to 911. The operator spelled my name…

“…I always wear my name badge when I’m out and about. When I came back, she asked me if I wanted an ambulance. I said, ‘No, I’m just dehydrated.'” The lovely lady was a retiree in her late 60s or early 70s, and she asked her husband To drive me home three times I started drinking water but I passed out several times I got out of work not wanting to fall again, I went to my bedroom and lay down.

She arrived with the Gatorade, drinking a portion of it before throwing it back. I lost consciousness several times. I live with my older sister, who was returning from a business trip that evening. When she returned home, I talked to her about blacking out several times that afternoon. My sister insisted we go to the emergency room. We all piled into my truck, and my sister drove. I blacked out again while driving the 2.5 miles to the hospital.

The emergency room nurse placed me on a table after she admitted me. At this point, I was feeling very hungry, having missed lunch, and it was now past 10pm. I explained to the staff that I had passed out at least 10-12 times by then. Medical staff entered the hall to discuss my condition and possible treatment. I felt nauseous again and told my sister it was all over again.

You haven’t seen me lose consciousness yet. I ran to the door and called the medical staff. When she turned around, I was settled. The emergency crew immediately performed CPR, including shocking me with a defibrillator. When I came back, I looked at the nurse and said, “It happened again, didn’t it?” I asked if this was what I had been experiencing all afternoon. I confirmed before passing out again. The episodes continued for the next several hours. When they finally woke me up again, the cardiologist explained that my heart was stopping due to the vagus nerve.

They decided the best course of action was a pacemaker. I was devastated again when they moved me from the ER to the ICU. I remember waking up in the hall. They explained that when a patient had an accident in this way, they had to stop the transfer and stabilize my condition again. I can only imagine the pain and fear my family went through that evening. My part was pretty easy. The heart stops, you lose consciousness, CPR is performed, and you wake up again. Later, I explained to my friends that I no longer feared death, as I experienced it more than 30 times in a single day. “I am now living with a pacemaker and learning how to enjoy life again.”

—Bob E.