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Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom  Ya know...I almost didn't even post about this episode because I thought "why post about something so awful, it will just depress everyone?"....but now, I'm *really* glad I did because I see that some people didn't know that the Red Cross offered Pet First Aid/CPR courses, and some people didn't know how to do the Heimlich or rescue breathing....so really...this terrifying experience has had some good come of it. And thank you so much for all of the kind words and support, it has really helped take some of the panic and guilt away.
We now call him our "Miracle Marcel", I'm so proud of what a strong little fighter he is, we are very lucky  . |
I'm so more than glad you were able to revive Marcel and restore his breathing, and save his life.
I want to address your panic and guilt. I'm assuming your guilt is from what you perceive as your inadequacies in this situation, when you kept trying to do what your brain was remembering from articles and classes, but nothing you did was working? And your heart kicks in with the panic of losing something you love so dearly, and you feel yourself losing it at any and every moment?
I really want you to know that everything you felt is normal. The panic and urgency kicks your adrenalin into your body and brain, and your brain starts firing ideas to get Marcel breathing again, to clear the blockage. Also aids in your stamina, to keep you going and trying different things to reach your goal.
The guilt from trying things that didn't work right away... that is wrong. The only way to tell exactly what will work best, first, would have been to have an xray and there was no time for that. Stuck objects will go up or down, depending on how and where they are stuck. There was no way for you to have that information, which would have made your decision- making easier.
The only thing that is really important to remember is that what you did worked. You pushed your feelings aside every few seconds to determine what steps to take next, and you kept functioning. You did an excellent job.
And very glad you posted this thread. It is so important for people to realize that some procedures don't work right away, and they may need to try something else. And that freaking out is normal, and to expect it. And to know that sometimes a dog may lose consciousness, especially if he/she is fighting against you, you still have some time to get them breathing again once they pass out.
The one thing I could recommend to people would be to actually practice these procedures on a stuffed animal. I am a firm believer in muscle memory, and going through the motions trains your body what to do, and makes it become more automatic, so less thought will be needed to get through a situation.
I am so glad Marcel is okay. I only saw this thread tonight for the first time, I was horrified, couldn't believe it all happened. I hope you're feeling better. You couldn't have done better.
