JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) - It was just two years ago that Bill Zahler nearly died after completing the Mid-South Championship Marathon in Wynne. "I took a few steps over the finish line and had a cardiac arrest," said Zahler.
Zahler was without a pulse for nearly 40 minutes. Doctor's used a fairly new procedure, therapeutic hypothermia, a machine that lowers your body temperature, to save Zahler's life. It is an event many often don't live to tell about. Now he is using that experience to promote a healthy lifestyle. He says his past experience has only strengthened his faith.
"He performs miracles and I consider what happened to be to be a miracle from God," said Zahler.
Friday afternoon, Bill Zahler made a trip to St. Bernard's Medical Center. Not only did he get to meet the nurses and doctor who treated him, but the machine that saved his life.
"It may remember me, but I don't remember it. And I wouldn't want to have this thing over me. It's much too cold," said Zahler.
Zahler says he experienced a pretty significant brain impairment from the episode and has since gone through cognitive and cardiac rehab. "I could not read a clock. I didn't know how to put my glasses on. I couldn't tie my shoes. I couldn't do routine stuff," said Zahler.
But now two years later, he's healthy and wants to inspire others. "I started running again and I've been running 26 to 30 miles a week," said Zahler.
And this weekend Zahler will be back in Wynne to compete. "I thought it might be the negative parts of this coming back to Wynne and running again, but I think it's all a really good thing, and facing things head on and I feel wonderful," said Zahler.
[Blogger's note: This victim was treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia. It's not a machine, it's a procedure that is used in non-traumatic arrests after ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) is achieved to chill the body - especially the brain - to minimize the neurological damage that results from the insult the brain has had during the resuscitation effort. The procedure has been used in Europe for many years and is just beginning to be used in the U.S.A. in a pre-hospital setting. The results are dramatic.]
But this time, he's sticking to the half marathon. "There's really no health benefit to running a full marathon 26.2 miles, there really isn't. As a matter of fact, if you look at the history of these people, it's not too infrequently that people have sudden cardiac death during marathons," said Zahler.
It was just a few weeks ago that a 35 year-old man died from sudden cardiac arrest competing in the Chicago Marathon. Zahler hopes to use his story to educate others to eat healthy.
"I started to get very interested and serious about nutrition because I had two arteries that were blocked and I didn't know that. The reason they were blocked was because I was eating, what I call, the typical American diet," said Zahler.
He's now on a whole food plant based diet and just completed a certificate program on plant based nutrition from Cornell. He is using that information in his health and wellness ministry.
"You got to spend time with people and help them to understand specifics about what they are doing to their bodies and what they can do differently. Americans need to get savvy about what they are eating. It's as simple as that," said Zahler.
From talking with Zahler he's very passionate about sharing his story and says even if you exercise regularly, it's important to maintain a healthy diet.
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