Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection

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SCAD Survivor-Thanks to God and My Angels

September 12, 2017

On July 29th, 2017, I was diagnosed with SCAD. On Aug 1, 2017 I spent my 54th birthday in the hospital, and I can say I couldn’t of been more happy to spend it there, considering the alternative.

My husband and I were on a weekend get away on the Oregon Coast in a little town called Yachats (we live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon). As you read this keep in mind the closest hospital is 24 miles away.

We were preparing to go out for dinner when I began to not feel well. I thought it was indigestion. I became clammy & short of breathe, I do not recall that my chest hurt. So my husband had me sit in front of the open sliding glass door, I began to hyperventilate, so he gave me a brown paper bag to breathe in. I began to feel better and even started burping, so I still assumed it was indigestion and went on to get ready for dinner.

The little restaurant we went to was only about a mile from our hotel. We parked, I checked us in on Facebook, and we walked across the street went in and sat down at our table. We were not sat down for even 5 minutes when I felt like I was going to pass out. The last thing I remember was trying to tell my husband that I didn’t feel good, and the only words I remember saying were “I, don….” and the next thing was being loaded into an ambulance. Little did I know I had went into Cardiac Arrest and died in my husband’s arms. He has had to fill in some of the pieces for me while I was out. He said he looked up at me, saw my eyes glaze over, my tongue protruding from my mouth, as I began to arch my back, he flew out of his chair and began lowering me to the floor as yelled repeatedly for someone to call 911. He said he knew I was dead.

A young man came in looking for the restroom and asked if he could help and began performing CPR on me, his wife hearing the sirens and commotion, came in and also jumped in clearing my airway. They brought me back to life, then lost me again. They retrieved the paddles from the EMT and gave me a jolt and saved me again. The young couple were on vacation from Idaho with their 5 yr old son. He is a cardiac nurse and his wife is an ER nurse. They saved my life and are my guardian angels…..

The EMT that was sent, unfortunately did not know what to do and had a hard time getting a grasp on my situation. The young man/cardiac nurse rode with me in the ambulance to the next town that had a hospital, where I was then life flighted to bigger hospital which also was closer to my home. Once there, I was taken to the Cath Lab and received a stent. I spent 2 days in ICU and another 4 days in a regular unit before being released to go home. I was known as the Miracle Patient and my husband calls me his Miracle Girl. I still have one week of being off work, then I can go back part time for a month before resuming full time. I just got a call that I will be starting Cardiac Rehab this next week.

I just also learned that Life Flight was just implemented to be stationed in this area as 0f June 1, 2107. Another blessing I received. Had they not be in service, I may not of survived an additional hour by ground ambulance.