As I try to piece together the past few days I have found some answers that has brought us comfort knowing that Homero was not in pain when he died. Would it have made a difference if I was home? No, he left that evening watching sports in his favorite chair with his two best friends, Ajax and Bodie. He finished painting the kitchen, spent the day talking with his children, family and friends, ate dinner and left a plate for me. He was happy on the last day of his life. After speaking with the coroner and learning it was not a blood clot or a heart attack but Sudden Cardiac Arrest, I needed to know more. I hope reading this will help you as it has helped my children. As I have received an outpour of support the past few days, it's difficult to remember everyone I have spoken to. Please forward this information with other friends. We are posting more photos and information on the family blog.
We will get through this together,
Karen
What Is Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), also known as sudden cardiac death, is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When this occurs, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs.Sudden Cardiac Arrest, occurs when the lower chambers of the heart, called ventricles, stop beating normally and start quivering very quickly and chaotic. This is called ventricular fibrillation or VF. When the ventricles fibrillate, they do not contract normally, making it difficult to pump blood or oxygen to the body. Often, VF can become so erratic that it can result in SCA. If SCA is not corrected immediately via a shock from an external defibrillator there is little chance of survival. SCA is not the same thing as a heart attack. A heart attack is a problem with blocked blood flow to a part of the heart muscle. In a heart attack, the heart usually does not suddenly stop beating. People with heart disease have a higher chance of having SCA. But most SCAs happen in people who appear healthy and have no known heart disease or other risk factors for SCA. SCA usually occurs without any warning. If an individual is not treated within four to six minutes from the onset of SCA, the results can be fatal. Ninety-five percent of people who have SCA die from it, most within minutes.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), also known as sudden cardiac death, is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When this occurs, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs.Sudden Cardiac Arrest, occurs when the lower chambers of the heart, called ventricles, stop beating normally and start quivering very quickly and chaotic. This is called ventricular fibrillation or VF. When the ventricles fibrillate, they do not contract normally, making it difficult to pump blood or oxygen to the body. Often, VF can become so erratic that it can result in SCA. If SCA is not corrected immediately via a shock from an external defibrillator there is little chance of survival. SCA is not the same thing as a heart attack. A heart attack is a problem with blocked blood flow to a part of the heart muscle. In a heart attack, the heart usually does not suddenly stop beating. People with heart disease have a higher chance of having SCA. But most SCAs happen in people who appear healthy and have no known heart disease or other risk factors for SCA. SCA usually occurs without any warning. If an individual is not treated within four to six minutes from the onset of SCA, the results can be fatal. Ninety-five percent of people who have SCA die from it, most within minutes.
2 comments:
There are so many memmories we all have of Homero and they all seem to be shuffling through my heart all at once.
One of my favorites is a really old one though. It was right after I met Homero and he hardly spoke any english. I was visiting them from Utah. Homero and I were driving to San Rafael to get their Mustang looked at. It was kind of an odd drive, because we hardly knew each other and there was also that language barrier. He got a speeding ticket on 101. We pulled away after he was issued the ticket in silence. The silence went on for a few moments when I heard a little voice from the driver seat - "No tell Karen, OK?"
Or there was the time that Karen and I pulled into their driveway late at night to find Homero sitting on the front porch alone. He was waiting for us because he was afraid to go into the house alone in the dark! He caught grief for that for a while.
Or there were the thousands of wonderful meals with family and friends that he was always so happy to prepare and so happy when we told him how great the food was.
I know that now he is with so many people that he loved in his life, looking down on us and knowing how very much he was loved by all of us.
Homero was my brother in every sense of the word. I will miss his smile, his jokes, his love and his kindness so much.
An amazing family...
We only knew your Dad through, Joan and Dennis Sullivan"s, annual 4th of July party.
Your Dad was always so funny and friendly.
Thank you for sharing your family with us.
It is obvious how proud your Dad was of his family...
We wish your family strength and peace.
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