Two attacks
A year ago I had a heart attack, and 7 weeks later a cardiac arrest. Twice I was completely gone and it is a miracle I survived both.
AUGUST 4 2018
It was in de morning of August 4 that I did not feel to well. A little later I felt like vomiting and went to the toilet. To make sure it all came in the toilet and not on the floor around it I knelt on one knee. But when I finished and wanted to stand up again, I was not able to do so. I just missed the strength to get from my knee and a moment later I fell backwards and lay on the floor. From that moment I was unconscious, till I arrived at the emergency room at the hospital.
(This part I know from what people told me)
While I was lying unconscious on the floor my wife put a little pillow under my head and called the emergency doctor. She arrived in some 15 minutes, gave me a number of injections and oxygen, and called the ambulance for transportation to the hospital.
As I had a very high fever (42°C) and was breathing heavily the doctors, knowing my history of asthma, suspected something to be wrong with my lungs. Maybe pneumonia..? And took an X-ray. This did not show any problem that could have caused it.
In meantime I got a bit clearer and could tell them I had, before I passed out, a slight pain on my chest and under my left armpit.
Immediately their attention went to my heart, made an Electro Cardio Gram, and moved me to the Intensive Care department. There they gave me a catheter numerous medicines, infusions etc. and was my heart monitored 24/7.
While in hospital the doctors and nurses kept me under close control and examined my heart in different ways. The cardiologist saw that a part of my heart was not functioning optimal and considered Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty, but weighing the risks he decided not to do it now. He told me that I in future maybe still needed the surgery but with the medicines I was taking now, there also was a chance of not.
After six days in hospital I was, after different tests (among which walking stairs), allowed to go home. While at home I felt quickly a lot better and after a few weeks I decided to go for a swim.
This swimming did not really go as I expected as I had to vomit. So I went back home. One week later I decided to give the swimming pool an other try, as I kept feeling good and thought the vomiting probably was caused by eating too shortly before swimming. But this time it went really wrong.
OKTOBER 9 2018
I think I can vaguely remember that I took the taxi to the swimming pool but it can also be because people told me or because it was the usual routine.
Further my memory is blank, till I woke up from the coma in hospital, so from here I can only tell you what my wife, the people at the swimming pool, and nurses and doctors told me.
The week before I told the personnel at the pool about the first heart attack, and they saw that I was vomiting the first time I swam, so they probably kept an extra eye on me
I cannot remember that I changed clothes at the swimming pool, I cannot remember taking a shower, or going into the water or how I came out of it.
And now comes a strange part in this story: There was a person. A very real being. I did not talk to him; I could not see him; but I felt his presence in a very strong way. This feeling was so strong that when I woke up from the coma I told my son that I was swimming with the lifeguard and that this lifeguard had helped me to get out of the water. But he wasn’t.
When my wife and I later on visited the swimming pool we thanked the personnel for their activities in CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) to keep me alive. There I also shook hands with the lifeguard who actually gave me CPR and this was not the person who was with me in the pool and helped me out!
The presence of this person I felt very strongly as long as I was in hospital and even now sometimes.
He was with me in de pool, and from that moment all the time. The strange thing is and where I have no explanation for, is that although I was completely ‘out’ I still somehow continually sensed His presence in my spirit.
Anyway the lifeguard told me that I came out of the water myself and sat down at a bench besides their post. It looked to them like I was very tired. And then suddenly I fell forward.
As I was near to them, they were in no time with me, and found out I was not breathing, had no heart pulse, and was very cold.
Immediately they started CPR and respiration, alarmed the emergency services, and sent all people in the pool home. After everybody emptied their lockers they found the only still closed locker (mine) and my ID card etc. so they knew who I was, where I lived, what kind of insurance I had etc. When the fire brigade arrived they took over the CPR till the personnel of the ambulance walked in.
When they stabilized me a little, they rushed me to the EMC (Erasmus Medical Centre) where I immediately was brought to the OR (Operation Room) where I got the first Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty where 3 stents were placed.
While the surgeon was working on me, my wife got a visit from the police telling her that I became unwell at the swimming pool and that I was getting resuscitation and respiration and by ambulance was brought to the Erasmus Medical Centre. An enormous scare for my wife. But also very nice of them that they brought my wife to the EMC.
After she arrived at the EMC she had to wait for 5 hours before she was allowed to see me.
This must have been terrible for her. Which even became worse for her and the children the next day, when the question was asked: “Will he wake up again?” and the doctors answered: “We don’t know” and “IF he will wake up, he may not be the same”.
After this they brought me to “Ikazia Ziekenhuis” (an other local hospital) where I was at the IC (Intensive Care). And a few days later I was moved to an other room and was on heart monitoring.
Two days after I was moved from the IC and on the heart monitoring room, I woke up. The first thing the nurse that was at my bedside said to me was: “Hello, awake? You have lots of angels around you watching over you!”
Not yet understanding what they had seen, and how much they had done for me I just answered “Yes, I know I have protection”. Later on the cardiologist told me that I only had a very slim chance to survive this attack. You can just imagine what relief it must have been to my wife and children to see me awake.
While I was on heart monitoring the cardiologist decided that I needed three more stents so I was brought back to the EMC (the first hospital) and after treatment back to “Ikazia” where I was back on heart monitoring.
A few days later I felt much better and after different tests (among which walking stairs etc.) I was allowed to go home. While at home I realized that although I felt much better than before, I was still far from who I used to be. But since I’m home it is going a bit better every day.
After what I experienced I dare to say that Jesus was with me all the time, and did not leave me alone for one second. Continually I was in His care, and He made the doctors and surgeons do a perfect job. What a great feeling and knowledge that I live because He gave His life for me.
He did not only do that for me, but for you too !! Do you already have a relationship with Him?
If not than tell Him now in prayer that you too want Him in your life, and that you want to follow Him.
I’m still under control, and I’m still using lots of medicines, but day after day I’m feeling better. During the different meetings with the doctors they told me again and again that the kind of attack I had only 25% survives. (I did not even know there were different ways one could have a attack). Two of them so short after each other brings the chance of survival to nearly zero.
Being without oxygen for almost 15 minutes is an other thing that many will not survive. The cardiologist told me over and again that I’m very lucky to be still around. Only 6% survives 8 minutes without oxygen, and most of them will end up in a wheelchair having brain damage, or will suffer loss of memory, ability to speak and so on.
The last words of the cardiologist?
“You really have a legion of protecting angels around you. – I want to see you again in 3 months.”
Since then I have been for control again and it is still going in the good direction. A little bit better every day.
Now waiting for the moment I feel strong enough for the operation on the skin cancer which I should have had in the days I was in comatose conditions.
The latest information is that that operation will take place during next week.
Well this was a long story, and every moment in it I sensed that I was not alone. This light but invisible appearance I still feel now and then, ensuring me that He is with me all the time.
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