I received this awesome text from a friend this morning:
So – my friend and I were walking (with some small jogs) the Half Marathon today. She had been on blood pressure medication, so we were going slow. She tells me her shoulder is sore/stiff. Starts feeling exhausted suddenly (just past mile 7). I think to ask if she is feeling pressure in her chest. We stop to see if there is a first aid station around. She gets dizzy and a raging headache and I tell the officer to call the ambulance. The came and brought her to the hospital with very elevated blood pressure. But, I thought of you and made her stop and got them to call the ambulance before she had a heart attack. Coastal CPR training saves the day!
I edited this slightly to remove which half marathon and which hospital. But I’m so thrilled she recognized that her friend was having a medical emergency and was able to get her help quickly. One thing I emphasize in my classes is that if you’re not sure if you have an emergency or not – call for help. It is best to have the EMT’s or Paramedics check someone out and let you know that they are okay rather than not call and have it be a life-threatening emergency.
Last I heard her friend is doing okay!