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Time for tea.

Saturday 7 January 2012

My sister helped save a life

Today my sister told me of something that happened at her work last month. She was working night shift when one of her colleagues walked past, she noticed he didn't look well and asked if hse was ok. He said he had a pain in his chest and was going home, she turned towards another colleague, the first aid officer and told him to get after him as he was having a heart attack. When they got to the locker room the first man was vomiting. My sister sat with him while an ambulance was called and access for them made easy. He was apologising, saying it was only indigestion as he ate his dinner too fast and that he would just drive home and go to bed. Even refusing to let my sister bother his wife over something so trivial. My sister said he was panting for breath and refusing to believe it was worse than indigestion.

He apologised to the paramedics for the bother, they told him it was their job to look after him before heading to the hospital. Later on that night the man's son came in to thank the staff members as his father did have a heart attack.

Another staff member wanted to know how my sister knew he was having a heart attack, she told him that he was grey and vomiting. The other guy told her that vomiting was not a heart attack symptom.

The man is now out of hospital and has called my sister to thank her, he said he remembered nothing between being at work and waking up in hospital. He told the nurse his chest really hurt and was told that it was because he had died in the ambulance and had CPR performed on him. He asked about the vomiting and was told that vomiting was one of the final symptoms of a heart attack.

I'm proud of my sister if it wasn't for her he would have died, even the first aider didn't notice the signs and had asked the man if he wanted to go home or wait for the ambulance. One of the other staff members in no uncertain terms told him to call the *bleepen ambulance.

3 comments:

Thrifty Household said...

Well done to your sister!
Thank you for the post-I didn't know that vomiting is a sign of heart attack but I do know now!

white_lilly said...

Great story, your sister did well to stand up and speak up her concern. Send her my love

Miss Robyn said...

yes, well done to your sister!!