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Judith's StoryIn late June 2006 I was working on a hot summers day at an Equestrian event in Norfolk. The heat of the day was increasing gradually and I was due to assist in Calvary Display my boss had arranged, we did the display and my partner Antonio commented on hot flushed/hot I looked but I put it down to heat and not having time to drink water. By 5pm I felt awful still on horseback I finished my display in which I had to pretend I was drunk on a horse but I found this easy swaying and not standing straight as everything was spinning and my heart felt like it was working overtime. At 5:30pm I sat down and then decided I wanted to lie down, my partner stayed at my side the whole time he had been watching me like a hawk. He offered the services of St John's who were at the event but I said I was okay. Once lying down I felt like everything went black and by this point Antonio had called to the St John's crew he told them my symptoms and mentioned the week before I had fainted on the yard and gone flushed but didn't know why. The two St Johns crew raised my legs and I remember them murmuring something and they took my pulse the young lad watching over me said "her eyes are rolling, her pulse is erm" and the other older crew man then double checked and radio'd to his full crew the next thing I remember is I had 8 St John crew around me and Antonio looked on concerned and shocked, I remember the crew reassuring him. The lady from St John's asked if I could sit up but by this time I was in so much pain and my eyes were still apparently rolling, they re checked my pulse and it had risen from the first check and a stretcher appeared and the female St John crew by my side held my hand as I was in tears from the shock as she said "we need to airlift you to hospital, just stay still and we'll take you into the ambulance to try and cool you down." The heat of the day or whatever was happening had hit me hard and my temerature was sky high at 95 and the St John's crew didn't have the equipment needed to help me. A Fast Response Paramedic then appeared he had already spoken to my partner and he did an on the spot ECG due to the severity of my symptoms, the Fast Response man went outside and then opened the rear ambulance door. Again everything was spinning, the pain was emense and I felt my heart cuoldn't cope they tried to keep me talking but my boss told me the rest as I had gone unconsious in a short space of time and my heart wasn't slowing. Antonio told me the following and the hospital confirmed the facts: "on opening the ambulance door, this had only been 5 or ten minutes since all the checks Judith had rapidly deteriorated, the Fast Response said the code word and the Air Ambulance had landed on the field where we had performed only a short while before, crowds of people stood and watched. The crew raced to Judith's attention and gently moved her into the helicopter, then they took off. I was given a police escort by road to the local hospital. Once at the hospital and I'd located A&E I found Judith still on oxygen which had been given by St John's crew and the hospital staff were workng fast to calm her heartrate down from 520 beats a minute. I checked on her as much as I could or as much as the hospital would allow. It took seven hours for the hospital staff to help Judith's heart return to normailty. The whole experience was scary and upsetting to see such a fit young woman in so much pain and discomfort, I was determined not to loose the lady I love and stayed with her the whole time." During this various drugs were given but I tend to react to drugs badly and so I was tired and groggy after, I stayed in hospital overnight and by the next day Antonio said I looked much better, the specialist arrived and told me they had found that I have an irregular heartbeat they couldn't explain why it's happened now in my life but the fact they had found it was a good thing. Since then I have had varying types of problems like this and in August 2007 I collapsed in London and was admitted into Guys & Thomas Cardiac Specialist Unit for 3 days this led to me having a 24 tracer and being put on Beta Blockers but I have not really felt any improvements. I have been back to my GP and local hospital for reviews and the most recent talked of "abalation" I am awaiting this to happen, until then I just hope this doesn't happen again. It's a horrible feeling and it must be hard for my partner especially, I know he saved my life and for that I am truly greatful. Condition Diagnosed: Atrial Tachycardia - Upper Left Chamber Judith You are here: Home >> Your Stories >> Judith's Story |
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