Vet Saves Woman's Life After She Suffers Heart Attack While Her Dog Is Put Down
Vet Saves Woman From Heart Attack As She Watches Her Dog Be Put Down
SWNS
|
A vet saved the life of a woman who suffered a heart attack using animal first aid - after she collapsed in his surgery when he put down her dog.
Matthew Fry, 49, leapt into action to use resuscitation techniques he had only previously used on animals to come to the rescue of Lizzie Bevis, 30.
The pet owner had gone to the veterinary surgery with her unwell seven-year-old dog Daisy and was given the heartbreaking news she needed putting down.
Bevis wanted to be by her beloved Jack Russell's side when she passed away, so went into the consultancy room with Fry who administered a lethal injection.
Open Image Modal
Lizzie Bevis with the man who saved her life, Matthew Fry
But as he did so the stress triggered a massive heart attack and Bevis collapsed to the floor under the operating table and started turning blue.
Using first aid techniques he learned in vet school, Fry started performing CPR and gave her oxygen from a mask usually reserved for sick cats and dogs.
Paramedics rushed to the scene at Quarrington Veterinary Surgery in Sleaford, Lincs., and used a defibrillator to revive Bevis, who technically died for four minutes.
After spending two days in a medically induced coma she was transferred from Lincoln County Hospital to Nottingham City Hospital's Acute and Cardiac Unit on 17 July.
Doctors discovered Bevis suffered from Long QT syndrome, a rare heart condition where stress can induce irregular heartbeats that can prove fatal.
After spending two weeks in hospital she has since made an amazing recovery and believes if it wasn't for the quick-thinking actions of Fry she would be dead.
Fry has since explained his side to the story. He said: "While we were putting Daisy to sleep, Lizzie slumped down against the operating table. It's not unusual for people to get upset and to faint so I just thought that's what had happened.
"I thought I'll finish with the dog first then move onto her, but when I went round to her I realised she was going blue - not just upset and fainting.
"I got my nurse to go to reception and call 999 and I started CPR. I remember lifting up her top to perform CPR and seeing she had stretch marks. I just thought 'That's three generations that will lose a loved one'.
"Thankfully the paramedics arrived pretty quick and got her away."
Open Image Modal
Daisy the Jack Russell
He added: "All vets are trained in CPR because we have to perform it on animals all the time. The difference is animals' chests are a lot deeper where as ours are quite wide but more shallow - it's completely different.
"This was the first time I'd had to do it on a human and I hope I never have to again - the pressure is so much more with a human life.
"I was actually at a county fair the day before with the surgery and there was a paramedics stand opposite. Kids kept on coming along and honking the paramedics' horn all day and by the end I was saying 'I wish they'd go away now'.
"Sarah was with me and said 'I wouldn't say that, you never know when you might need them'. I can't help but think this was karma for that."
Mum-of-two Bevis, from Sleaford, added: "I went to the vets with my mum and sister at about 10am, and was obviously already quite sad because we were putting Daisy down.
"My memory is really bad, so I can remember going into the vets room, but having to sit down on the floor because I was feeling breathless.
"But I didn't get any better and the next thing I know I'm waking up in hospital two days later having had a massive heart attack.
"The doctors told me I was dead for four minutes, and if it wasn't for Matthew I know I'd be dead now."
She added: "When I was transferred to Nottingham Hospital they ran lots of tests on me and found out I have Long QT Syndrome, which means if I get stressed it can cause a heart attack.
"It took them a while to find out what the problem was because my heart is actually very healthy - I run half a mile most days.
"They've given me beta pills and put a micro-defibrillator in me to restart my heart if it happens again.
"Apparently one in a thousand people have it, so there's a lot of people out there with this that don't know about it."
Bevis usually lives at home caring for her husband Jamie, 32, who has long-term medical problems, and their two children, Alvi, eight, and Jasper, seven.
But since being released from hospital she has stayed with her parents-in-law as she still feels lethargic a lot of the time.
Bevis, a fully qualified expedition medic has now urged others to take up first aid training. She said: "A good course costs about £30, but it gives you the knowledge to save someone's life.
"I took a big cake into the vets the other day and gave Matthew a massive hug. He just looked at me and said 'Don't go doing that again'."
Bevis' sister Christine, 22, said: "It was absolutely horrible - I remember mum and I looked at each other and thought 'We've lost both Lizzie and Daisy'.
"We thought it was just the stress and emotion from Daisy being put down that made her want to sit down. Then she started breathing really heavily and collapsed against the operating table on the floor.
"I thought she was just trying not to faint, then I saw she had gone completely pale and blue all over.
"She didn't respond to me or the vet. They had to shock her twice to bring her back round though.
"Now that she's OK, I guess the silver lining is it took our minds off Daisy."
Heart Attack Signs
It's Signs, Not Symptoms (01 of13)
Open Image Modal
The Heart and Stroke Foundation makes the distinction of referring to the signs of a heart attack, as opposed to symptoms, because of the difference in the implied urgency between the two words, says Matthew Mayer, senior mission specialist with the organization. The word “symptoms” gives the impression that it’s something ongoing, maybe not as serious, Mayer says — like the symptoms of a condition versus the signs of an active health event. “Signs are more that this is happening... and something needs to be done.” (credit:Michaela Begsteiger via Getty Images)
Know The 6 Signs (02 of13)
Open Image Modal
There are six signs that consistently show up during heart attacks, Mayer says, for both males and females. They are chest discomfort or pain, discomfort in other parts of the upper body, sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, and lightheadedness. Read on for more information about each sign. (credit:Rob Lewine via Getty Images)
Chest Discomfort (03 of13)
Open Image Modal
Most of us know that chest pain is a clear sign that something is wrong, but the feeling in your chest that you have during a heart attack is not necessarily the kind of sharp pain you see depicted on television and in movies. For some people, it can feel like an uncomfortable pressure or squeezing, fullness, burning or a heavy feeling is also possible. But some people experience no chest pain or only mild discomfort during a heart attack — this is the most common sign, Mayer says. (credit:Nicholas Eveleigh via Getty Images)
Upper-Body Discomfort (04 of13)
Open Image Modal
By the same token, you've probably heard that numbness or pain in your left arm is a sign of a heart attack, but that’s just part of the story. People having a heart attack might feel discomfort in their neck, jaw, shoulders, or upper back, Mayer adds. And as with the chest, for some it could be painful, and for others it could feel differently. (credit:laflor via Getty Images)
Other Signs (05 of13)
Open Image Modal
Signs like nausea and lightheadedness can occur for a variety of reasons, of course, but many people who have a heart attack simply feel “weird” in some way. It’s better to be seen by a medical professional if you have one of or several of these signs, than to wait it out and risk heart damage. (credit:Colin Hawkins via Getty Images)
Hollywood Isn't Always Right(06 of13)
Open Image Modal
Many of us have a mental image of what a heart attack looks like based on what we see on television or in movies: sudden onset, crushing pain, a hand clutching the chest. As the six main signs point out, that’s not everyone’s experience. (credit:Wavebreakmedia Ltd via Getty Images)
Discomfort vs. Pain (07 of13)
Open Image Modal
A heart attack is not necessarily extremely painful. Discomfort can encompass a lot of different sensations, Mayer says, including sharp pain, soreness, numbness, pressure, squeezing, burning, or tingling. “What is one person’s pain is another person’s discomfort,” he says. The main takeaway is that the feeling, however you experience it, is unusual. (credit:Monica Rodriguez via Getty Images)
Men vs. Women(08 of13)
Open Image Modal
More women than men die of heart attacks and stroke in Canada, Mayer says, and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in this country. “Women are more likely to have the atypical signs,” he said of their experience with heart attacks. He says they are also more likely to describe feelings in their chest as discomfort and not pain. There is also research showing that women are slower to seek help when they do have a heart attack, he says, because they might be more focused on the health of their families and than their own. (credit:Blend Images - JGI/Tom Grill via Getty Images)
It's Not Always Sudden(09 of13)
Open Image Modal
Always look into changes in your body that are outside your norm. That said, signs won’t necessarily appear suddenly or be very obvious. Lingering discomfort is a sign of a problem just as sudden pain is, and both should be investigated. “People need to be aware of how their body feels,” Mayer says. (credit:Jonathan Storey via Getty Images)
You Can Get Warnings Ahead of Time(10 of13)
Open Image Modal
Sometimes people experience signs similar to those of a heart attack ahead of time, giving them a warning of trouble to come. For example, Mayer says, if you regularly experience tightness in your chest or shortness of breath during physical activity, that’s something you should discuss with your doctor. It could be a sign of blockages or artery narrowing, and getting it checked now might save you a heart attack in the future. (credit:Tim Robberts via Getty Images)
Know Your Risk Factors (11 of13)
Open Image Modal
“People don’t take seriously how much their lifestyle comes into play with helping to deter a heart attack,” Mayer says. There are several lifestyle factors that increase your risk of heart attack, including smoking, high blood pressure, ethnic background (they are more common among younger people of South Asian, black, and Aboriginal backgrounds), a personal history of heart problems, family history of heart attacks before age 55, and age in general. Discuss your personal risk with your doctor, and know what to watch for when it comes to your heart health. The upside? Changing your lifestyle, for example, quitting smoking or reducing blood pressure, really can lower your risk of having a heart attack. (credit:Adam Gault via Getty Images)
Know That Time Buys Survival (12 of13)
Open Image Modal
If you get to a hospital in time, the odds of surviving a heart attack are good, Mayer says. But time is of the essence, which is why it’s important to get checked out if you’re experiencing any of those six most-common signs. When you’re having a heart attack, he adds, the supply of blood (and therefore oxygen) to the heart is cut off. The result is muscle death, and the more muscle that dies, the higher the risk of complications if you do survive. “You heart cells don’t regrow,” Mayer says. “Once they’re damaged, they are damaged. If you delay and you begin to lose your heart tissue, there’s no getting that back.” And if you go into cardiac arrest, meaning that your heart stops beating, your brain is now being deprived of oxygen, and the question of surviving versus not surviving comes down to a matter of minutes. (credit:Oleg Moiseyenko via Getty Images)
Call 911(13 of13)
Open Image Modal
At the end of the day, if you’re experiencing one or more than one of the six main signs of a heart attack, call 911 or your local emergency number and follow their instructions, Mayer says. Chest pain or discomfort is always a reason to call immediately, but the other signs should be taken seriously as well. It’s better to be a bit embarrassed for getting emergency help and finding out it’s nothing, than it is to wait. (credit:Blend Images/ERproductions Ltd via Getty Images)