Mike’s Story

Site created on December 28, 2021


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At around midnight PST on December 26 (the day we acknowledged and celebrated Christmas at my Dad’s house in Missoula) we went to sleep after a night of carousing and game playing.
Mike had sudden cardiac arrest about ten minutes after I got in bed. I witnessed it in that I heard him make weird sounds that I believed was a bad dream but it was him stopping breathing..and stopping having a heartbeat. This is what happens in sudden cardiac arrest.
I tried to give CPR while screaming for help. My brother woke up Alex and he ran in and took over. We can each give a different version of what happened but Alex gave effective CPR for 10 minutes as he is trained to do. Bella was right next to him saying encouraging things to her dad and helping Alex with breaths. She walked around demanding we all stay positive in spite of Mike not coming back to life in the way we begged God or whoever was listening.
Missoula police came first with an AED which got a sporadic rhythm…the minutia of this is already getting cumbersome to explain.
Suffice to say Alex saved Mike’s life and my husband will NOT complain about the six fractures in his ribs that result from what the whole cardiological and intensive care staff called “Good CPR”
Mike will be a heart patient for the rest of his what I hope is a long life. He has been, his incredible cardiologists believe, in “ a fib” for the past year. His heart is so weak and was pumping at 15-20 percent capacity and his heartbeat was high. He has been diagnosed with both LBBB Left Bundle Branch Block. And Ejection Fraction. Google to your hearts’ content we still don’t know what *caused* the Sudden Cardiac Arrest. He also has cardiomyopathy.
My sweet strong magnificent husband has been incredibly gracious and charming and hasn’t slept a full night in 4 days. His new pacemaker/internal defibrillator will protect him from further cardiac episodes and a change in diet and medication will work to strengthen and heal his electrically inefficient heart.
The care at St. Patrick’s Hospital has been great and the support from the Spokane Fire Department brothers as well as Missoula police and fire departments has been so sweet.
We are still pretty shocked and I only feel
Okay watching him sleep while I’m awake. He shaved today and he can’t get the device wet so I helped give him an improvised clean and I’m just so happy to have him still..it’s a long story of detail and horror and beauty.

Newest Update

First Anniversary

Journal entry by Lisa Fairbanks-Rossi —

Mike and I have just turned out the lights. He is sleeping and I am on my phone. Almost exactly a year ago..within and hour from now, is when his heart stopped and all the tumult followed. He has promised to “not breathe weird” and assured me this is like any other night of sleeping since he became Mike 2.0. 
To celebrate his impressive recovery and as a thank you, we had lunch today with two Missoula firefighters who worked on resuscitation and regaining a heart beat last year. It was great to talk about the event and hear details we hadn’t heard yet-from their perspective-and to experience reliving it from the safe distance  of the other side.
I remain ever grateful and am surprised and pleased to say that being at the home was not anxiety-inducing AT ALL! Of course, we slept in a different room which helped. 
Mike’s Pro BMP, kidney and heart pumping capacity-which were frighteningly poor last year—are reaching normal range thanks to his careful management of a myriad of medicines. Thanks to those of you who checked in on us as the anniversary came closer. ❤️

Read More of the journal titled "First Anniversary"
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