Kristin Hamelin, Edmond, OK – 37 at the time of event (2007)
On the evening of March 21, 2007, I was feeling extremely exhausted. As a 37-year-old mother of a three-year-old and a nine-month old, I was frequently tired so I didn't think much of it. I went to bed that night and don’t remember anything until five days later—and even these memories are fuzzy at best. I actually suffered SCA (sudden cardiac arrest) in my sleep.
My husband—who was supposed to be working that night and at the last minute changed his work schedule—heard a strange gasping sound, came into our bedroom, and found me in our bed unresponsive and turning blue. He immediately called 9-1-1 and began CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). The emergency responders arrived and used drugs and the AED (automated external defibrillator) to get my heart beating again. I received four shocks before my heart started beating.
I was on a ventilator and in a medicated coma for approximately five days so the doctors could assess the potential damage to my brain and other organs, since I went without breathing for almost 10 minutes. I had also aspirated and developed three different staph infections in my lungs. Miraculously, all infections responded to antibiotics and there was no evidence of neurological or other organ damage.
Although I had known for 12 years that I had arrhythmias (benign PVCs), these were tolerable and I was not under medical treatment for them. While in the hospital for the SCA event, an echocardiogram revealed that I had dilated cardiomyopathy with an ejection fraction (EF) of approximately 22%. I never had any of the common symptoms of this disease so the diagnosis came as quite a surprise.
After nine days in the hospital, I stabilized enough that I was transferred to a heart hospital where an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) was implanted. I was released the following day.
I am doing great in my recovery and a follow-up echo six weeks after my event revealed that my EF has actually improved to 35%--amazing and wonderful news for me and my family.
This has completely changed our lives. Nothing is taken for granted. We are on a personal crusade to inform everyone we meet about the importance of learning CPR and about AEDs.
-SCA Survivor Registry submission