To the editor:
On Monday, July 8, the day before my 84th birthday, I went to the Marblehead Y for my usual water aerobics class. I had been ignoring experiences that should have alerted me that my body needed attention: I woke up on my kitchen floor in a pool of my blood, with no idea what caused the long cut on my scalp.
My wife was away, so I called some friends with nursing skills who got the bleeding to stop then ignored their advice to go to an ER to get stitches. I wasn’t bleeding, and hours in an ER had little appeal. I did notice that I was getting dizzy spells, but I had a doctor’s visit scheduled for the end of the month.
Heather, the teacher of the aerobics class, noticed I was not functioning as usual and came over to check me out. I assured her I would be fine. She ordered me out of the pool, got staff to help me get dressed and called an ambulance.
In the lobby of the Y, I was met by a Marblehead police officer who told me an ambulance was on the way. I told him that I had no intention of using the ambulance and was going to drive home. The officer, realizing that he was dealing with an idiot, amiably stalled me until the ambulance arrived.
The paramedics told me that they were required by law to check my vitals. When they did, they found my heart rate was 17 beats a minute, and my blood pressure was undetectable. They told me that unless I had an emergency pacemaker installed, I was unlikely to survive the hour. This finally got my attention.
They sped me to Salem Hospital, needing to shock me to keep my heart beating. Dr. Nathan Van Houzen deftly installed a pacemaker, and I lived to see 84.
I am writing to express my appreciation to the many people: Heather and the staff of the Y, the Marblehead police officer who absorbed my idiocy with patience and skill, the EMTs and warm skillful staff at Salem Hospital, who acted to save my life in spite of my efforts.
Thank you. I got better than I deserved.
Michael Elkin
Prospect Street
