Dead Man Walkin'

[Tahitian_Red]

Well I almost took the long walk down the dark tunnel, towards the bright light. 

I was playing basketball Thursday night and hit the floor, when my heart stopped.  I am the luckiest man in the world, because someone on the other team was an Emergency Medical Technician and there was a medical doctor standing just outside the gym.  It really opens your eyes (no pun intended).  I had to have a couple stints inserted in some clogged arteries and have several medications swimming around in my blood system now, but I'm glad to still be here. 

Two months ago I was playing basketball and a 24yo collapsed during our game, it took 4-5 minutes for the ambulance to arrive.  He did not make it.  Just those few minutes made the difference for me. 

Believe me the air smells sweeter and loved ones are even more precious today.

 

[Simo63]

Wow, glad to hear you are okay.

Some times it makes no difference to the outcome but in these situations early intervention can seriously be the difference between life and death.  I've been a first aid officer for 14 years now and the more people that can provide early emergency assistance the better.

[steve234]

Crickey! Lucky break eh, make the most of it  

Cheers,
Steve

[pancho]

Crickey! Lucky break eh, make the most of it  

Cheers,
Steve

I agree, good news. As the saying goes, take time to smell the roses!
 cheers pancho.

[Nathan S]

A close call there, Mr Red!
Good to hear you're still with us... I'd say something like "make every day count", but it's clear you've already figured that out yourself. Probably a damn good reminder for the rest of us, though.

[VMX247]

a first aid officer for 14 years now and the more people that can provide early emergency assistance the better.

Always amazed at the amount of grand parents who have no training in first aid. As a generation that have become babysitters there maybe a situation of devastation on the day they may need it on there own grandkids.

WOW scary, glad you still walking/breathing Tahitian Red  

[firko]

Wow, Jay......You're the luckiest guy to have those two medical professionals right there on the spot. A few years ago I was playing veterans rugby when a scrum collapsed. Everyone got up except for one guy from the opposing team whom everyone thought was taking the opportunity for a rest....that's how relaxed he looked. When he hadn't got up after a few seconds we found him to be not breathing and fast turning blue. Almost as soon as we realised that all wasn't well a player on my team started CPR and  like your situation, we were lucky to have a surgeon on the sideline waiting to go on as a replacement player who joined in a team effort to try and get his heart ticking again. Thankfully they managed to get the poor buggers heart working again and to keep him stable until the Paramedics and ambulance arrived. After a quadruple bypass the player actually returned to play rugby again the following year.

After experiencing my own close call last year I couldn't agree more that once we get through the drama, the air does indeed smell better and the things and people we once took for granted are now the centre of our existence. Get well quickly my friend, I want to see you race the shit out of that RT1 .

[Dono113]

Did you buy a lotto ticket?, man that basketball is dangerous game!!! I think I'll stick to racing. Good to hear your on the road back, but isn't funny how it always takes a scare to make us look around to see what was always there and to appreciate  it every day above ground is a great one, you got plenty left in ya Red.
Cheers
Bret

[TM BILL]

Really pleased you made it red  but not half as pleased as you or your family must be. Man you are obviously one of the good guys and I cant imagine how frightening that experience must have been .
 
I have always lived for the day and by the theory lifes not a practice  but since I had a self induced moment at CD8 I've become all careful and boring as batshit 

Your incident  was the wake up I needed  fork tomorrow you gotta live for today , we are fragile beings no matter how hard the shell  .

Wishing you a speedy recovery and im sure your good for many VMX and basketball seasons to come yet my friend 

[Davey Crocket]

Yes, lifes too short, glad you made it, obviously the DT1 God was looking after you, they seem to be everywhere, hope you make a speedy recovery and as Firko say's, race the shit out of those bikes.

[suzuki59]

Shit Red, that was a close one.
I am pleased you made it mate.

Without wanting to generate melancholy, I think the events of the last few years; with the pasing and near passing of some of my VMX mates, has reinforced the "get out there and do it" spirit for me.

We all have excuses for not getting off our butts and going riding/racing,but the opportunity will be gone before we know it.
I trust that your recovery goes  well mate.

Cheers
Craig

[vmxrider]

Glad you made it back Red. Life is indeed short, and these sort of events kind of reset our way of looking at life and make us realise just what is important.
Reds experience should prompt us all to to get a check up, just because you feel well, doesn't mean you are well.

[Matador107]

Hey Red, with all that equipment in your shed you can't check out yet.
Get well soon.

[Iain Cameron]

Wow Red that was a close call , I think luck plays a major part in these things . Mine was the same just lucky . Ambo was in my street and Hospital only 1.5 klicks away . Good to hear your ready to play again and like TM Bill Ive got a lot slower ( enough from the stalls about being slow to start with ) . Iain
God or the Devil must look after old Yamaha riders .

[SON]

You certainly are lucky,
Second benifit of the artery stents, they should help reduce your Arm Pump.