My husband experienced a medical emergency while already in the hospital. He went from stable to critical in less than two minutes, right before my eyes. I felt completely helpless. He had to be defibrillated three times within just a few minutes. Once the code was called, the medical staff in his room went from just a few to over twenty people, each playing a role in saving his life. In total, P required 21 defibrillation shocks just to get him stable enough to be intubated and placed on an ECMO machine. I was there for all 21 of those shocks. I needed to be. I held his hand when I could, and I kept talking to him, even as he drifted in and out of consciousness, reassuring him he was going to be okay, even though I didn’t know if that was true. I tried not to let him see the fear in my eyes. I wanted to give him strength.

Tanner talked me through everything. I told him I needed to know what was happening because understanding helped me stay strong for P. He explained every step: the medications, the intubation, the attempted neck numbing procedure that didn’t work, the ongoing efforts to control his PVCs, and finally, the ECMO surgery done right there in the room. He explained the procedure, how it worked, and why it could help. He checked on the rest of our family and me; there were seven of us there. He gave me strength when I had none. He took the time to keep me informed, which I’m sure was not easy in such a high-stakes situation. If this had happened anywhere other than Mayo Clinic, I don’t believe my husband would be alive today.

This all followed a failed ablation and a concerning increase in PVCs, which is why he was still in the hospital. The team had wisely decided to keep him for monitoring. Had he gone home, this might have happened with no medical help nearby, and we could have lost him. I am endlessly thankful to every nurse, doctor, and caregiver who helped my husband. It’s been a rough road, and there’s still a long way to go, but I’d rather have a bumpy road than no road at all. He’s still here. And he’s everything to me. Thank you, Mayo Clinic. I will be forever grateful.