- Lauren Canaday, 39, from Virginia, suffered a cardiac arrest eight months in the past
- She survived because of her husband performing CPR and response by EMTs
- Now she’s sharing the surprising advantages of her ‘second life’ on the opposite aspect
A 39-year-old lady who was declared clinically useless for twenty-four minutes after struggling a cardiac arrest has stated she seems like she’s been given ‘a second life’ – and described the surprising advantages which have include it.
Lauren Canaday, from Virginia, shared what it actually feels wish to die earlier than being resuscitated – and the way it modified her, throughout an interview with Newsweek.
‘When individuals say loss of life is simply part of life, I take that very actually,’ Canaday stated.
She skilled a sudden cardiac arrest in her dwelling eight months in the past, and her blood stopped flowing as regular for a staggering 24 minutes.
Canaday stated she has been on treatment for managed epilepsy for years, and on that fateful day she had a grand mal seizure, which causes aggressive muscle contractions and lack of consciousness. She stopped respiration.
Lauren Canaday, from Virginia , shared what it actually feels wish to die earlier than being resuscitated – and the way it modified her
Canaday survived the sudden cardiac arrest in her dwelling because of her husband performing CPR, earlier than EMTs arrived and shocked her 4 occasions with a defibrillator
‘My husband was throughout the corridor and heard me say, “oh s***,”‘ Canaday advised Newsweek’
“He rushed in to find me unconscious on the floor. I had stopped breathing and turned blue.’
Canaday’s husband dialed 911 before performing CPR on his fading wife until EMTs arrived. Miraculously, the medics managed to restore her heartbeat after using a defibrillator to shock Canaday four times.
She was rushed to an intensive care unit, where doctors diagnosed her with myocarditis – an inflamed heart muscle that reduces its ability to pump oxygen around the body – along with a bout of COVID-19.
Canaday said the medics speculated about whether her coronavirus infection triggered the incident.
Incredibly, she was discharged from the ICU after only nine days – and Canaday said that once her memory returned she realized her mindset was radically different after the episode.
‘I got frustrated a lot those first few days because I had no short-term memory and didn’t understand what was going on, and I was just super uncomfortable,’ she said.
But as she began to recover and was declared ‘cognitively intact’ by doctors, Canaday said she found overwhelming joy in small moments, from taking a shower to eating a hospital cheeseburger.
‘I remember a lot of very serene moments in and after the hospital, like none of the worries I used to have mattered, and I got insanely excited about things like cheeseburgers. Things just felt very simple,’ she said.
‘I feel like this is my second life,’ Canaday added. ‘I feel like I have two birthdays.
‘In my first life, I was very individualistic and strong. In this life, I have a completely different worldview and am comfortable—mostly—with depending on others…
‘A lot of stuff like status and career success don’t matter beyond survival needs, creature comforts, and helping others (now).’
Incredibly, Canaday was discharged from the ICU after only nine days – and she said that once her memory returned she realized her mindset was radically different after the cardiac arrest
As she began to recover and was declared ‘cognitively intact’ by doctors, Canaday said she found overwhelming joy in small moments, from taking a shower to eating a cheeseburger
Canaday conceded she was forced to give up her job, but spent her free time writing a memoir, released in November, called ‘Independence Ave: How Individualism Killed Me and Community Brought Me Back.’
The book explores living with chronic illness and how to rebuild your life after a shocking incident throws it off course.
Canaday said she now prioritizes the simple things in life – such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy, exercising, meditation and strengthening her relationships.
‘I try to walk 10,000 steps a day and hike once a week as far as I’m able,’ she said. ‘I take a lot of time to be quiet, including silent prayer or meditation. I go to bed around 8 p.m. most nights.’
Canaday said she’s passionate about sharing her story because a lot of other people have gone through similar experiences and she hopes her words can help them.
She’s one of the lucky ones – as only 10 percent of people who experience a sudden cardiac arrest at home survive.
In January, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation launched the Arrest Survivor Alliance to support survivors and their relatives through an online, global community.