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The "Is it happening again?" plan

From the outside my life looks normal again, but I still think about it every day, and almost every day I still feel something that makes me ask, "Is it happening again?"
Leo, who built Heart Restarted, a cardiac arrest and ECMO survivor

If you have felt that, you are not alone. Here is one calm way through the next few minutes. Read it once now, while you are calm, so it is easy to follow later.

  1. Stop and sit or lie down

    Let your body be still. Keep your phone in your hand.

  2. Check yourself against the list

    Look at the "Call 911 now" list on the When to call card. Chest pressure or pain that lasts more than a few minutes or comes back, pain in your arm, jaw, neck or back, trouble breathing, a cold sweat, fainting, a drooping face, arm weakness or trouble speaking, several shocks from your ICD or feeling unwell after one, or anything that feels like it did before.

    These are heart attack and stroke warning signs and signs of an ICD emergency.Source:American Heart AssociationAmerican Stroke AssociationNIH (NHLBI)Open the When to call card

  3. If anything on the list is true, call 911 now

    Do not drive yourself. Unlock your door and tell the 911 operator you are a cardiac arrest survivor. If you are not sure, call anyway. If your care team gave you a plan, such as a shock plan, follow it.

    Calling 911 is almost always the fastest way to get treatment, and if you are not sure, get checked out.Source:American Heart Association

  4. If nothing on the list is true, breathe slowly

    Breathe in gently through your nose and out through your mouth. If it helps, count steadily from 1 to 5 on each breath. You may not reach 5 at first, and that is fine. Keep going for a few minutes. If anything on the list starts, or you feel worse, stop and call 911.

    A slow breathing exercise can help with stress, anxiety and panic.Source:NHS (UK)

  5. When it eases

    Tell someone you trust how you feel. Tell your care team at your next chance. If it comes back, or you are unsure, call your care team, and call 911 if in doubt. Fear of another cardiac arrest is common after one. You are not being silly.

    Fear of another cardiac arrest is common after a cardiac arrest.Source:American Heart Association

Your own steps

Add what helps you, like a person to text or a song to play. They are saved on this device only, and are not sent anywhere.

Guided breathing (in the app)

Where this comes from

General information, not medical advice. Talk to your care team.