Clinically dead
I had recently turned 35 and gotten married with what I thought no serious medical conditions. Just watching TV one night I collapsed on the sofa and started seizing. My wife called 911. The police officer who first showed up realized I wasn't breathing. He pulled me into the floor and started CPR, cracking my sternum in the process to save my life. I was in full anoxic cardiac arrest. It happened again in the ambulance and twice more in the ER before they medivacced me to a larger nearby hospital. I was then diagnosed with Brugada syndrome and fitted with an A-ICD. Since then, after being let go by my employer, with sternum arthritis, post P/T as my shoulder was hurt during process, post therapy and 18 months later, I lost consciousness in bed and the ICD appropriately fired as I was in VTach. They made the settings on my device more sensitive in hopes I wouldn't pass out and put me on Quinidine Gluconate. 16 mos later having had bothersome side effects I was taken off meds. 2 mos later, in bed, passed out, in VTach, ICD appropriately fired. 2 mos later I am just the 11th or 12th patient with Brugada to have a Cardiac Ablation which so far has been successful. I was found to have the SCN5A mutation and 6 other family members have as well, all recommended for ICDs including my eldest son, then 14 years old. All have gotten devices but 2 aunts, one since deceased and other already with a pacemaker. PCP did say I was clinically dead. It's been a crazy ride.
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