“I was given my husband back and that was a miracle”

By Sandra Meyer

Sandra, of Columbia, shared this story via the myBooneHealth.com online submission form. Click here to share your story.

My husband Walt was getting dressed in the bedroom, he was going to a basketball game. I was in another room cleaning when I heard a horrible noise. Not a groan or cry, but a fall that was so loud.

I ran to the room he was dressing in. He was on his stomach, face already deep purple. He fell with such force that he wedged the top part of his head under the metal bed frame. I couldn’t move him. I called 911 and I was screaming, “I think he is dead. Please hurry!”

I couldn’t do CPR, he was on his stomach, I cried, “Help, Dub (this is what i call him), wake up!” He was unresponsive. He was like someone that had no bones.

I placed my hands on his back the same way a person would do if this were his chest. I pumped up and down, I cried, “how can this work?”

I got up and lifted the bed off his head. I continued to pump, I had to leave him to put the dogs up so the ambulance people could come in.

Two ambulances and a first responder were there in five minutes — but what seemed like forever. Dub was shocked five times to try to get his heart back to normal. He was intubated. They were taking him to Boone.

I was so happy that we had talked way before this episode and said if I or Dub would become ill, we wanted Boone to care for us. He was admitted to the ICU. They put him under the Arctic Sun which lowers the body temperature to 91.4 degrees, hopefully thwarting any brain damage from the swelling.

I must also say that Jeannie our nurse was very supportive to my whole family treated Walt wonderfully. He remained unresponsive until monday at 8 a.m. when he started to respond.

I was going back to his room after having breakfast and a very sobering conversation with Dr. Scoles. When I walked to his room, Jeannie was sitting by his bed holding his hand. She looked up at me and said, “Sandy, come here, look.” He was squeezing her hand! She said, “Walt, move your feet.” He did!

From that moment, on he improved hourly.

Walt loves ice cream. Jeannie said we are going to have an ice cream party! He was then raised up in bed and his precious nurse and Dub celebrated with a ice cream party.

Walt with his granddaughter.

So instead of planning a funeral, I was planning a homecoming. Dub had a defibrillator put in on Wednesday, March 20, 2013. He was walking and doing everything just like before. No issues that were concerning.

Soon he would come home. Monday, March 25, he was dismissed — ten days after his sudden death arrhythmia (a deviation from the normal pattern of the heartbeat).

A very special thank you to Jeannie Grant for loving my family and always supporting Walt; Dr. Fairlamb, whom I believe is the best heart doctor around; Dr. Lohdi, Walt’s pulmonary doctor; and many more.

Thank all of you that helped us make it through a tough time. I was given my husband back and that was a miracle.

He continues to do well, he drives the car, mows the lawn. He is writing again. All is well at our house.

To the best nurse, Jeannie, and the doctors, we love you, and Boone Hospital is the only hospital to go to in a critical time.