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Oh for want of the device inside most of the readers of this forum, Tim Russert might still be alive - looking forward to an historic election that will hopefully change the course of our beloved country for the better. Medics got to the NBC Washington DC bureau, on Nebraska Avenue NW quickly, and used an external defibrillator... but it was too late to save the life of this incredible news man.

Because like many of you, I survived my first encounter with a potentially lethal heart beat - giving doctors a chance to diagnose my problem and install one of the early Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators. Since that implant two days after Christmas, 1994... my ICD has saved me 10-times. Most readers of this forum have had their life saved many more times than that, such as Stacie in Indianapolis who has been rescued 22-hundred times!

Friday night we learned: Russert KNEW he had cardiovascular health problems but without a prior heart attack, he was not a candidate for a life saving ICD implant. So tonight, we mourn his passing as there was no shock of life - in time - to interrupt his fatal heart beat before it stopped his heart forever.

Many of your friends and family members face the same predicament, and can expect the same outcome without speedy access to defibrillation. Barring an implant like the one for which we qualified, their only hope is access to one of those fairly inexpensive automatic external defibrillation units - an AED. Many years ago, we tried to launch a campaign to make the external units more available to the public. We had a few successes, among a handful of school systems and public arenas. Most airports now have them available as do most passenger planes.

Maybe it's time we revive that effort, to urge more employers and retailers to install these AED units to protect workers and the public.. so the rest of the people in our country can have the same kind of protection afforded you and me.

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Last month, postings on the ZapList and ZapperBBS delivered the sad news of another loss, confirmation of something many of us had expected: Our young friend Stacie had lost her long time help mate, Sean the Wonder Puppy. Recently retired from his career as a service Dog because of health problems, he passed away from the SAME problem that we face: Cardiac Arrythmia! Enroute to the veternarian, his brave heart fluttered out of control... and stopped, a moment after he looked into Stacie's eyes to bid the love of his life farewell. Stacie tells me she is sure she also now has a guardian angel watching over her.

But Stacie really needs a new companion, here on the Earth. Our equally brave "little sister" discovered how to be an independent human being, living a nearly normal life, with Sean by her side. But now, without a service pup, she is limited when it comes to how far she can get from home. And lest we forget, the frequent times 911 was called and medics rushed to help Stacie.. by the specially trained Sean, who had his own telephone to use during emergencies.

The animal training and pairing between help mate and helper is not cheap. The program working with Stacie costs $9,500. At last report, the fund raising effort to make Stacie's dream a reality is still a bit more than $2,000 short. If you have not yet made a donation, or if have already given and can afford to help a little more... please click this link to help Stacie realize her dream tp return to an independent life: www.FirstGiving.com/Service-dog-for-Stacie

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Unbelievably, victims of the Guidant faulty ICD fiasco are still NOT getting justice. Boston Scientific, the company that bought out the ICD maker responsible for the deaths of at least two people, the maiming of scores if not hundreds more, and putting many thousands more in jeopardy and paralyzing terror by their corporate malfeasance and corrupt ethics for the sake of profit, now wants to delay meeting their responsibility to those harmed by Guidant. I could be wrong, but it also appears the legal teams for the plaintiffs are as eager as the defense attorneys to stall any pay-outs... as if hoping to get a bigger share of the pie.

THIS is criminal behavior to keep these people waiting for resolution and finality! Many posters of a new forum we established are probably correct in their belief: There's a strategic, intentional effort to drag this out until ALL the complainants are dead and buried. With absolutely NO chance any of those involved in this travesty will ever face the criminal prosecution they deserve, I sure pray we all get to be on the jury who will decide their fate in the after life! First up: Guidant's old Medical misDirector Frederick McCoy, followed by his PR staff and other execs who sold their stock before it nose dived and still walked away with a billion dollars worth of Golden Parachutes! Then we'll take on the attorneys whose tricks down here will not work as they try to get past the Pearly Gates!

If you are among those still getting screwed over by the legal system in this case or others involving your ICD implant... consider joining ZapList3. It may or may not give you ideas how to better take on these crooks. It will certainly give you a place to raise your voice in protest. Just sharing your angst with others can be theraputic.

Learn and share more at: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ZapList3/

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Our annual reminder, headed into summer: As tempearatures continue heating up around the northern hemisphere, be sure to watch your fluids - replacing water lost by sweat (and because of our wonderful diuretics) and don't let your electrolytes get out of whack. That is one of the BIG reasons we suffer bouts of arrhythmia and end up getting a dose of Zapworthy therapy. Use common sense when it gets hot. I mention this in the wake of getting my own life saving Zap#8 a couple weeks ago.

Until next time.. stay well and Zap Free!!

Jon Scott Duffey
Publisher

Old reminders for new readers:

 

 

We now have five weekly Zap•Chats:
Monday, 10PM EST
Tuesday, 9AM EST
Wednesday, 7PM EST (session for kids)
Thursday, 8PM EST
Saturday, 1PM EST  

Many people pop in for the regular times... and many others start impromptu ZAP• CHATs just by checking to see if anyone else is there - or via AOL IM contact. Some ZAP•Folks are even using the site for family reunions - which we whole HEARTEDLY encourage!

 

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