lystn

Today on the podcast is our real life lifesaver.  

Karina, the ICU nurse that did life saving CPR on my husband when he went into cardiac arrest 10 months ago at Hoag Hospital.  

If it wasn’t for Karina showing up and giving everything that she had that day and being so great at what she does… the outcome could have been different.  It’s crazy because Craig had the most severe type of cardiac arrest- called VFIB and had no pulse pretty much immediately so he was in the absolute best place he could have been for this to happen. 

And it all happened SO FAST.  In this episode, Karina and I talk about that day and what it was like from her perspective.  How she remembers seeing me in the hallway screaming for help and how she was surprised that Craig was so blue in color, so quickly.  I ask her all the questions about what it is like to have such a heavy job and how you can work through the trama that you experience and still go out in the world and be happy. 

There were so many incredible doctors and nurses that helped us over this 2 week period through operations and set-backs and organs failing and all the things that come with it.  You just can’t express your gratitude in words. But man, I try! 

There are so many cool lessons and takeaways from this conversation.  And I’m just honestly so grateful for the opportunity to get to know Karina and spotlight her as the true hero that she is.

Key points: 
-If someone you love needs your help medically, whether it is an emergency or something urgent or more long term, you have to be tough and think of yourself as their quarterback.  
-If there weren’t brave people like her - willing to put themselves in this extreme situation to see the most traumatizing things that can happen to humans, over and over, and still show up and go to therapy and work through it so they can keep helping people is amazing.

Here are some of the questions that Lindsay asks her… 

-First up, I’d love to understand how it works with you and your team. The day you changed our lives, I was holding my husbands hand in the ICU when he went into cardiac arrest.  The nurse that was in the room and I yelled for help before the monitors were going off.  Then I heard CODE BLUE through the hospital speaker. I was like oh my god that’s for us.  How do you guys get notified to respond and are you stationed in the ICU?

-How do you decide who does what in your team?

-Do you have an idea of the medical condition of most patients or are you sort of walking into the crisis and have to be briefed real quick?

-What do you remember from the day with Craig?  I know you have such busy days and crazy stories all the time I’m sure.  Just curious as to what his situation was like from your perspective. 

-I can’t imagine the weight that comes from your job. 
You seem to have a happy and full life with family and friends… traveling and doing lots of fun things.
Is it hard to get that mental headspace sometimes with the weight of your job? 

-How has it changed you?  Does it make you afraid to do things for example because you see accidents or does it make you more emotional or more tough than most people? 

-Do you see yourself being in this role or a similar role for a long time? 
If not, what else would you like to do?

-How often do you get to hear how the good stories turn out? The people that go on and live and thrive because of the work that you do? Do you hear about enough of that to balance out the sadness of what you also must experience? 

Ping Lindsay on IG with any questions you have after listening to this episode.  @LindsaysCloud

CHEERS TO OUR REAL LIFE LIFESAVER!