A pic or two, thought I would share.....

**FireballHeadwall** · 09-28-2011, 09:25 PM

sick pictures. they never get old

**satori** · 10-01-2011, 07:59 AM

LBL, your pics are outstanding!!! Thank you!

**Little Big Lost** · 01-30-2012, 09:44 AM

Cardiac arrest on the afternoon of January 15. Just returned from a little split-boarding in the BC with a good buddy. I walked in the front door, stood in the kitchen and then collapsed. My heart stopped. Breathing stopped. Dead on the floor. Gone in a split second. Wife was home thankfully. Dialed 911. EMT's at the door in 3 minutes. CPR and in between they took the paddles to me - 7 times in total. 4 times on the kitchen floor and 3 in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Woke the next day, after surgery. 5 Stents.

8 days later I am home. Even returned to work, part time, the day after I left hospital. Now? Diet. Exercise also, but I was already quite active. I asked the doctor how long would it be before I can return to snowboarding.... he said "give it a week." Actually waiting for my chest / sternum / ribs to heal. Kinda sore in that area.

Many thanks to all that helped save my sorry ass. My wife, the EMTs, the doctors and nurses. Thanks to all who expressed concern, I didn't know that many people cared. Quite humbling.

The day - My buddy Dave Bramwell

**Meathelmet** · 01-30-2012, 10:19 AM

Holy shit! Intense... Glad that your number was not up yet!

**noparking** · 01-30-2012, 12:40 PM

holy shit, not many people have had the same opportunity you've just been given. that being said i'm always excited when this thread pops back up. good luck with the recovery.

**montanaskier** · 01-30-2012, 02:02 PM

'Tussin??

glad you're ok

**Sol Skier** · 01-30-2012, 02:19 PM

Welcome back LBL.

**gaijin** · 01-30-2012, 05:47 PM

Were the stents made my Medtronic?

**Little Big Lost** · 01-30-2012, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by gaijin

Were the stents made my Medtronic?

Nope.... Abbott Cobalt Chromium...

**gaijin** · 01-30-2012, 11:35 PM

Ok. I have a lot of history with Medtronic's stents. Nonetheless, glad things are well for you! Keep on living...

**Little Big Lost** · 01-31-2012, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by gaijin

Ok. I have a lot of history with Medtronic's stents. Nonetheless, glad things are well for you! Keep on living...

Yep, thanks! I do have a bunch of questions for the doc on Thursday. Wasn't thinking all that clearly while hospitalized, and now... been thinking too much. All the what if's. If my wife had not been home. If I had been on the mountain.

I don't really know much about the stents, other than all the warnings I have read on the internet. And there are lots of those. Kinda like the commercials for medications you see on TV....makes you wonder why anyone would ever take any.

But..it beats the alternative as far as I can tell.

Anyway...planning on a run or two at the hill in the next few days.... looking forward to it!

**OverTurn** · 01-31-2012, 12:48 AM

Holy shit, dude. Glad everything worked out for you as best it could in this situation.

**AKPogue** · 01-31-2012, 02:09 AM

WOW!!! You should buy a lottery ticket!! You have lived through something that most people don't come back from!

**klar** · 01-31-2012, 02:50 AM

whoah, not what I expected clicking on this thread. glad you're ok!

**moonlightdbag** · 01-31-2012, 09:43 AM

Glad you are still with us LBL! good luck with your recovery. your pics and stories have been inspirational to this kid, that's for sure.

**Little Big Lost** · 01-31-2012, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by AKPogue

WOW!!! You should buy a lottery ticket!! You have lived through something that most people don't come back from!

I know, right? One of the EMTs talked to my wife a few days after this happened. She said that in 17 years that they have never saved anyone (here in Ririe) who was in full cardiac arrest. Zero. She said that most of the time that the person was found too late, or that the arrest was too severe. I was stunned to hear that. Really? No one, ever? I will have to ask for myself to confirm this statement, but damn. Makes one really think about one's own mortality.

Will this change my life? I doubt it, I was already having a pretty good one. I will continue to live life to the fullest, bring it on!

**AKPogue** · 01-31-2012, 03:38 PM

That EMT is probably correct. It is extremely rare for someone to come back after a full arrest. I am a Paramedic and I think you are the first person I know of to have come back.

**powtario** · 01-31-2012, 04:06 PM

Wow, uuuuummmm, intense?

5 stents is pretty amazing, must have DAMN good cardiac surgeons/interventional radiologists where you live! Massive props to your paramedics too.

New drug eluting stents that slowly release anti-clotting drugs over time have lower longterm complication rates than the old bare metal ones and also change you drug course. Ask you doc about the details. If you haven't, ask to see the video of the surgery being done, as you are a maggot I imagine you would find it pretty cool to see the coronary arteries open up.

If you want to read about them, either ask your doc for a textbook to read or ask him to print off some academic papers, or find a university kid who has a proxy library log-in for you to use and do it yourself. Most shit on the open internet is almost always bound to degenerate to the worst case scenario.

Glad you're still with us!

**Ted Striker** · 01-31-2012, 04:19 PM

Wow, not what I expected when I saw this thread bumped. Really glad you're ok LBL. I've always really liked your pictures, and it looks like you have a great life. Luckily, you get to keep on living it.

**toast2266** · 01-31-2012, 05:24 PM

Huh. Wow. Like others said - not what I was expecting when I popped in here.

Glad you're (more or less) alright. Glad you can get back after it soon. Sorry you'll probably be eating tofurkey or some such miserable crap for a while.

**link1** · 01-31-2012, 05:54 PM

Hey LBL. I am sure glad you didn't go and ruin my birthday by checking out on the 15th. Love your pics and hope to see many more. Take good care of yourself!

**MTT** · 01-31-2012, 06:22 PM

Glad your here.

Yea when I saw your thread up front I was looking forward to more cool pictures, you have been away for awhile.

How does someone as active as yourself get into that kinda heart failure?

Again glad your here to post and keepin it real

**Little Big Lost** · 01-31-2012, 07:07 PM

First of all, thanks to everyone for all the kind words. Really, much appreciated!

Originally Posted by MTT

Glad your here.

Yea when I saw your thread up front I was looking forward to more cool pictures, you have been away for awhile.

How does someone as active as yourself get into that kinda heart failure?

Again glad your here to post and keepin it real

Fair question! Answer - poor eating habits for a good portion of my life. You know... the shit that tastes so good, but is also terrible for us. Though I have been eating healthier for the last few years, it caught up to me. Also, I was a bit overweight, though you wouldn't look at me and say "Look at that fat guy". Still it was this combination that did it. Doctor said it was because I was a non smoker, and was as active as I was that helped save me.

**Edgnar** · 02-02-2012, 11:05 PM

Damn, that is scary, glad that you are ok, hope you are on the mountain in some nice pow real soon!

**Little Big Lost** · 02-03-2012, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Edgnar

Damn, that is scary, glad that you are ok, hope you are on the mountain in some nice pow real soon!

Thanks! Looking forward to getting back on the board soon, next week hopefully! Not much pow this season, been pretty boney at the local hill, but things could change, you never know.

My first doctor's visit since being hospitalized yesterday. Good news! Was told that I should be able to resume my outdoor lifestyle, I must just work my way back into it slowly!

I hope to post some photos of me on my board next week!