After being alerted by a friend about a cardiac arrest on an episode of Eastenders (11.09.17) I was curious to see for myself how this was portrayed.
I didn’t see the episode on the day so managed to download it from IPlayer, and although the CPR scene showed Kush’s life being saved, (which if one person learns from the basic technique shown it can only be a good thing) it didn’t show the panic and fury with which a scene like this in real life happens.
I know from my own experience (so I’ve been told) that there were two ambulances that attended me as well as several police cars and passersby lending a hand, so as you can imagine….total chaos!
I did however catch some of the episode a week later (18.09.17) where upon Kush seems to have made a very speedy recovery, it’s almost as if time had moved on and a big chunk of his life erased. Seeing media coverage of the episodes over the last few days, it has really been highlighted how inaccurate the story has been covered.
If only the NHS did have the resources to treat, diagnose, test and operate on an entire family in just two weeks (let alone the recoveries from such ordeals as cardiac arrest, surgery etc) would be a sight to behold. The NHS do a marvellous job under tremendous pressure and in my opinion the programme falsely represented the reality of our brilliant service.
I am undiagnosed [idiopathic] and my recovery has gone pretty well (despite some challenging surgery complications), but 11 months on I’m still not fit enough to work, however I do lead a relatively normal and full life. Considering my recovery (and I know it’s different for every survivor) I find Kush’s story completely unrealistic and I certainly think producers of tv programmes should do their research a lot better. I understand they have to condense time and reality for dramatisation purposes, but the portrayal of Kush’s arrest just isn’t as true to life as it should have been.
Ending on a positive note though, the story has got people talking and raising awareness is key and as I said earlier if one person can learn from watching a soap on how to save a life then that can only be a good thing!
Let’s just hope they have taken notice of the media coverage and make their stories a little more accurate in the future
Sudden cardiac arrest survivor with an ICD, sharing my story of recovery and raising awareness
Couldn’t agree more! If only it was all as simple as it portrayed. No reflection of the panic/chaos/reaction to seeing your loved one collapsed and gasping for breath. Then the week in ICU in a coma (whilst I prayed he would survive) and a further week and a half on CCU before having to be moved to another hospital to have an ICD fitted.
G
Totally share your thoughts i suffered a caridac arrest a few years ago i spent a few days in a coma then 6 weeks in hospital. Had a icd fitted while i was in there. It took months for tests to diagnose my heart disease and then longer for my childrena to be done and recieve the results. However it has raised alot of converstions related to cardiac arrests and heart diseases x