Lost my neighbor, I performed CPR...

My older gentlemen neighbor was having dinner with his wife, brother, and sister-in-law and had gone upstairs for a moment. I was in my garage running the Fiat with the door open. Suddenly my neighbor's brother comes running up my driveway waving his arms, I thought my Fiat was too loud for them. Then he says he needs help something is wrong with his brother and that he's not strong enough, for what I didn't have a clue. I shut down the Fiat quickly and start heading over, he says he passed out, I ask if they called 911, they said yes. Suddenly my neighbor's Sister-in-law shouted from the door if knew CPR. That was when I realized what was happening and I sprinted in and upstairs as fast as I could get there. He was on the floor unconscious, no pulse, no breath. I tried to clear his airway, checked for breath and pulse, then began CPR. I had his brother do breaths while I did CPR, they changed it again by the way anyone who was taught CPR years ago should brush up again. His sister-in-law was on the phone with 911 and even after I had started doing chest compressions and breaths they said to do 600 chest compressions straight, no breaths. The pace was fast, faster than I remember in CPR class once upon a time ago (I'm an Eagle Scout from 15 years ago) because I had her count as I was compressing. He went from blue in the face to a normal color as we worked. Apparently that many compressions is like a defib for a heart attack victim. It was probably less than 5 minutes before the paramedics arrived but I swear that was the longest 5 minutes I have ever lived through, it felt like an hour. I was scared, horrified, worried, sad, shocked, it was surreal. When the paramedics go there and the firemen took over compressions till they could get the defib on. I was so shocked I just told his family I was sorry and that that if they needed me I would be over at my house. I got home and cried and almost puked. About 30 minutes later one of the paramedics emerged and I asked, he said my neighbor didn't make it. I've seen dead family at funerals, but never something like this, I mean I would talk to him about yard work or fixing this or that around the house. I'll always remember the look on his face the day I brought the Fiat home and unloaded it from the dolly, he smiled ear to ear. What's ironic was that I was going to go to dinner with my buddies while my wife is out of town this weekend and we'd put a full day of work in on the XR4, instead I stayed home. Even stranger was I had no good reason to work on the Fiat at 8:30 at night, but decided to anyway. All my other neighbors aren't home this weekend. Wow, just realized that was a long post. I needed to get that off my chest, and remind everyone to make sure you tell your love that you love them every day because you never know.

You did the right thing.

Joey

That is insane. I recently went to visit a family friend. He's almost 90 and was a tugboat captain, was in the Navy and owned a gym. He used to be ripped, up and about all the way until a few months ago. His meds reacted somehow and caused issues. Now he has the big C. When I visited him, he was laying in bed and looked like a skeleton unable to speak. He used to look like Popeye not but a year ago. It was extremely difficult. I've never watched anyone lay in their death bed.

I can't even imagine what it's like to do CPR for 5 minutes on a dying man while their family stands around and watches.

You definitely did the right thing. I can't imagine how hard that must have been on you. Looks like the planets aligned for you to be in the right place at the right time.

Hey man sorry to hear of your loss, sometimes a great neighbor can feel almost like family. You did all you could, and I am sure that his family is thankful for hard you tried.

It's good samaritans like you that make this a great place to live, and God bless you for it.

It sounds like you took control of the situation and acted acordingly. you did well. It sounds like this incident had an effect on you. If you cant stop thinking about it make sure you find someone to talk too like a grief councellor. It is amazing how a traumatic occourance like that can affect you.

Be Prepared.

Take some comfort in that you tried your best; I'm sure the family is thankful that you were there to try and help their loved one. It was simply his time.

You brought some smiles and enjoyment into his life; he sounded like a good guy. You have met death about as close as you want to, or have probably experienced before, and it is a shocker. It shakes you up the first time.

Yes, there has been a BIG change in CPR: chest compressions are FAR more important than "rescue breathing". Chest compressions should be in tune with the BeeGees's hit (ironiclly) "stayin alive." Yes, that fast, as you saw.

Things happen; don't over-analyze with the "what ifs". You'll drive yourself crazy. Calm down, and realize you tried your best.

Wow, sorry to hear that. You did your best, that's all anyone could ever ask.

Yeah I'm not shaken anymore and I know I did what I could, it was surreal at the moment and rehashing it helps me understand it all because it happened in a blink. I talked to his brother when I was out walking my dogs, he had a massive heart attack and the medics believe he was gone before I got there. I should clarify he was only in his early 60s but to me that's older (29), and after talking to his brother found out my neighbor was the healthy/active one in the family while his brother was the one with 5 stints in his heart.

I'm happy you had a chance to help and tried your best!

Last weekend, we were not as fortunate; at midnight in the middle of nowhere during a overnight navigational rally, we found a crashed pickup with a cold body inside (looked like a farmer type). Nothing we could do, but we set up triangles and scored the area for thrown victims/people who might have wandered off from the accident in shock. Took the authorities almost 30 minutes to arrive.

Ugh, sorry to hear that. Being there when someone passes is incredibly difficult, I've been there before in tragic circumstances.

Here's to knowing you did what you could to help and getting through the trauma.

Best wishes.

Raze,

I am so sorry for your loss but please realize you did all you could. Venting here was the right thing to do, and we are all here no matter how long you need to talk. You did well!

I just hope that when I'm old there will be a neighbor who wrenches on cool cars and knows CPR.

Wow. Sorry to hear you lost your neighbor after going through that. Thanks for posting such a powerful reminder to folks to brush up on their CPR, though... you may end up saving a life after all.

Margie

BoostedBrandon wrote: You did all you could, and I am sure that his family is thankful for hard you tried.

+1, absolutely. It is enormously important to know that what could have been done, was done.

That is berkeleying intense. Good on you for being there, with the knowledge and wherewithal to do what was needed.

Man, I thought I had a bad night when I had to kill an injured baby rabbit in my back yard. You win.

Big, huge kudos to you. A couple of weeks ago, my elderly neighbour collapsed on his bedroom floor early in the morning. His wife, who has early Alzheimers, tried to help him up but couldn't. Rather than ask a neighbour to help, she waited for her son to come home for lunch... he promptly called an ambulance. I can't help thinking of that poor old couple, him, lying on the floor for hours, and her, feeling helpless... and all the time I was right next door and would have helped.

I'm sorry to hear that. Sure sounds like you did the hardest you could.

Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. Take some solace in the fact that you did well.

Most people have a misconception of what CPR does. It doesn't so much "save lives" as "maintain lives"; keeping the brain alive until the ER docs can get their hands on the patient and address the underlying problems.

I've probably done it 100+ times. We've saved a bunch of people, but we still lose most. Keep in mind that the person is beginning to die before you even begin. I think that the only time I've ever seen a person sit up and talk to us after getting CPR was a guy who coded after OD'ing, and that was because we hit him with Narcan. Not that it doesn't happen, but it's usually after we've packaged them and shipped them to the hospital.

I had a client suffer some form of a seizure in my office. He turned blue quickly even as my secretary and myself readied him for CPR. We got him back to normal color and breathing by the time the First Responders got there and eventually the ambulance. He got to go home from the hospital but suffered a similar seizure several weeks later and died. Again, he already was suffering from a severe heart attack and you gave the Pro's a chance to treat him. Too bad he didnt make it.

Thanks for doing the best you could. To often people don't care enough to get involved, even when the situation is serious.

In reply to Marjorie Suddard:

Good point. Everyone should take a CPR and basic first aid course. A lot has changed in the past few years, and alot of us don't remember as much as we think we do from jr high, Cub Scouts ect.

In just the past few days this is the second time I have read about someone being at the right place at the right time.

I know that the family thanks you for all your efforts. I also know that you were able to all that you could. So hang in there. I further know that your were guided and directed to help a family in great need.

Thanks for being there.

In reply to Lesley:

Might wanna suggest a wireless medic alarm to the elderly neighbors or son. The pendant button can alert programmed numbers 911, docs, kids, neighbors etc. and open mic intercoms are available.. if the patient can't reach the phone as in a fall. Starting around $25/ month it's cheap insurance.

The neighbor gent was lucky he wasn't having a stroke as time is critical.

Now, if I could just convince my stubborn elderly parents.

In reply to Raze:

Wow. I commend you on doing the right thing. Most people don't.

I'm sorry you lost him though. You were in the right place at the right time.