Knowing his words might be able to save a life, motivating Lovelace to teach CPR. He had no idea he would live on his own. But it was the training he gave his coworkers, who leapt in and administered CPR, that kept Lovelace alive when he suffered a severe heart attack that resulted in a cardiac arrest last April while at work.
More than 200,000 hospitalized patients in the US suffer a cardiac arrest every year. Only one in four of the patients actually make it. According to studies, the major factor in survival is quick and effective CPR delivery.
Lovelace, then 53, started having trouble breathing on that April day as he made his way from his office to the UAB classroom where he teaches his Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support course. He was also drenched in sweat.
Lovelace was taking medication at the time to manage atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm that raises the risk of heart attack and heart failure. He continued, "I believed I was just overweight and out of shape and sat under the air conditioning believing it would go away."
In contrast, the symptoms got worse. Lovelace walked straight to the trauma section after driving himself to the emergency room four blocks away, where he asked a coworker to perform an ECG to examine his heart.
Lovelace was rushed right away to the hospital's cardiac catheterization lab when the test revealed he was having a severe heart attack. He started hastily revealing a colleague nurse his passwords and lock combinations because he thought he was going to die. The hospital chaplain then said a prayer.
Lovelace suffered a heart attack a short while afterwards. The coworkers he had assisted in instructing in CPR jumped into action at that point.
Lovelace's heart finally began to beat normally after 18 minutes of CPR and four defibrillator shocks. His clogged right coronary artery was then opened by the medical team using two stents. A little less than an hour passed between the time he started exhibiting symptoms and the time he received his stents. Lovelace was able to resume working after two months of cardiac rehabilitation.
The medical staff that saved Lovelace included critical care nurse Ken Harris. For eight years, the two have been pals.
As Lovelace underwent the stent surgery, Harris held his hand, which, according to Lovelace, "meant a lot since he realized he wasn't alone and someone was there who cared."
According to Harris, Mike's recovery was undoubtedly aided by excellent CPR. It's vital to "develop muscle memory that you can rely on in an emergency situation" in order to perform CPR.
Lovelace, who is now 55, claimed that his heart attack and subsequent cardiac arrest inspired him to make significant life adjustments. He has lost more than 60 pounds, practices stress reduction, and follows a heart-healthy diet.
His teaching has also been inspired by his experience. He frequently uses his own cardiac arrest as a case study, only admitting that he was the patient who lived at the end of the lesson.
Patients do pass away, but I'm living proof that a successful outcome is considerably more likely if high-quality CPR is performed, said Lovelace. Every day is one that I wouldn't have had if my coworkers hadn't done what they did, so I'm grateful for every one of them.
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