Personal Stories: A loving Wife=she will be missed!
Hi Brian,
Less than two weeks ago on May 21, 2009, my wife (60 years
old) passed away of “hemopericardium” due to “dissection of the
ascending thoracic aorta” according to the medical examiner of the
state of MA. I would like to give you as much as I know of the
details in hopes that you could render an opinion as well as tell me
what , if anything, I should ask about as well. I would like you
to refrain from using this story for the time being but hopefully it
will help to complete your present mission once it is revealed. I
have only read a very small portion of your website but I can see you
are already an expert. It is typical of what can be accomplished
when someone is truly motivated and for this I admire you. I also am
praying for your personal battles with this condition. Two weeks ago
I knew nothing of this illness.
On Thursday morning around 6:15 AM of May 21, my wife had an
“event” while at work. She described this as “like a sudden
shock” (some took it to mean electrical in nature but I truly believe
she meant this descriptively) at which time she became woozy and
disoriented. She does access some electrical-use equipment but not
high or dangerous voltage. She was helped outside the building where
others helped her walk around and sit down and relax.
The companyacting quickly did dispatch emergency vehicles to the
scene. The
EMTs did an onsite EKG (by the way no de-fib or irregular heart
rhythm that might be associated with electrical shock were detected)
and checked her vital signs which were all good at the time. In fact
she wanted to return to work but they insisted on taking her on the
gurney to the hospital for test and observation. Later, at home at
around 7:00AM I received the call from a rep of the company about the
situation and that her vitals were ok.
At this point I planned to dress and head to the hospital about
an hour or more drive to the hospital during morning rush hour.
Before leaving I called the hospital, they said call back in 10
minutes as the doctor is with her. I did so and asked how is she
doing and a nurse said “she is very sick” which I could not
understand given what I was told previously. I said is she
conscious? Unconscious , what ? She said, “she is unresponsive” at
which point I lost it. She also asked at that time, “is she allergic
to aspirin or anything else ?” I took off for the hospital and did
not make it before she was already dead.
What I learned of the sequence of events at the hospital with
very little detail to date is this. She arrived at the hospital
feeling ok as she asked to get up from the gurney to go to the
bathroom which she did and then came back to a room in the ER. I
assume she had an immediate EKG somewhere close to that time. She
was treated with aspirin as far as I am aware, possibly something
else. I assume this might be done if one was suspected of having a
stroke from blockage or possibly a heart attack. After asking the
nurse if her husband was on the way, within only a few minutes of
taking the aspirin her eyes rolled into the back of her head and I
assume a Code Blue or whatever was issued but she died quickly
without being revived.
The doctor made two strange comments when I arrived while he
talked to me inside the “quiet room”. He mentioned an electrical
shock from a “faulty plug” that he was aware of- I have no idea where
this came from except a misinterpretation from the EMTs. He also
said the “EKG” showed a “massive heart attack”.
Question: Now with a minimal understanding of aortic
dissection, it would seem to me that giving aspirin which enhances/
causes internal bleeding would be strongly contra-indicated.
Is that correct ?
Do these circumstances that I describe appear to be a case
where the doctors assumed something far removed from aortic
dissection and thus were unable to apply the correct procedures that
might have saved her if applied immediately ? I don’t want to put
you on the spot but please be candid.
thanks sincerely,
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