August 19, 2018
April 9 2018 my life changed forever. I live in a small town in North Dakota called Lisbon and I work at our hospital as a Patient Access employee. On that day I kinda remember taking kids to school and having a normal day. From what Ive been told I stood up and told my co-worker that my chest hurt really bad and then I went down and was in cardiac arrest. She called a code blue and several people rushed to my aide. They brought me back and rushed me to the E.R. They ambulanced me up to Fargo to Essentia and straight to the Cath Lab. As they were working on me I coded again and they brought me back once again. They admitted me until they got me a room at the University of Minnesota.
I started to go down hill again on life flight but they were able to stabilize me until I got there. When the nurses were changing my Echmo tube cuz it was the wrong size I went into cardiac arrest again for the third time. Yet again they brought me back. I think a week went by and I was alert and talking to my husband, then later on that day I woke up I went into cardiac arrest again I do believe there was a G.I. bleed going on at this time. I don’t remember anything like I said so I coded a total of 5 times, I don’t recall about the 5th time but I was told they put me in a drug induced coma.
I was in the coma for 40 days. When I woke up I was unable to walk had black toes on my right leg, tons of machines hooked up to me, two huge scars on my right leg from fasciotomies which was from a blood clots I acquired thru all of this. I still was intubated and had a feeding tube in. I am blessed to be alive and have my wits about me. I left the University of Minnesota May 31st and came home to CHI Lisbon Health to do PT and OT. I was there till July 3rd and was able to walk which has been such a blessing to me. I still have black toes and am awaiting some outpatient surgery to amputate some of them. I have struggled with breathing and keeping food down, but am fighting everyday to get stronger and am enjoying every second with my family and friends.
I am a Survivor and I won’t stop fighting to be the best!