When this Wisconsin couple headed to the gym for the day, there was no way they could have known that they would both be in an ambulance for a reason nobody expected…
Fit Family
Daphne Buxman-Carley was in good spirits on her way to the gym. Her husband, Kevin, was dropping off one of their daughters at school before meeting her at the local Y. They were supposed to be home in two hours, but no one could have known what was about to happen to the father of two.
His Last Workout
When Kevin arrived at the gym, Daphne was already at her workout class. He popped inside, gave her a kiss, and said, “I would have loved to stay home, but I’m here, and I’m going for a run.” Daphne told her husband she would see him as soon as her class was over. However, it would be days before Kevin saw his family again.
Pandemonium Down the Hall
In the middle of her class, Daphne stepped out to fill up her water bottle when she noticed a commotion down the hall near the cardio station. Only thirty minutes earlier, her husband said he would be on the treadmill.
Worst Nightmare
Daphne ran toward the scene. Her husband was on the ground, convulsing, surrounded on all sides by fifty onlookers. Paramedics were preparing to use an AED to restart his heart…
Resurrected
Daphne watched in horror as her husband was shocked back to life. An EMT administered CPR before adhering an oxygen mask to Kevin’s face. His limbs were flailing in every direction.
Healthy Man
As they strapped Kevin to a gurney and loaded him into the ambulance, Daphne learned that her husband had gone into cardiac arrest. She didn’t understand how this could have happened. Kevin was a healthy 41-year-old who worked out all the time.
On the Way to the Hospital
Luckily, Kevin was only deprived of oxygen for 3 to 5 minutes, thanks to the first responders who arrived at the scene immediately. Daphne rode with them in the ambulance to the emergency room…
Getting Violent
In the ambulance, Kevin was awake but extremely combative. He was wrestling against the restraints on the gurney and didn’t appear to be aware of what was going on. By the time they arrived at the hospital, Daphne was confused and afraid.
Waiting for News
A nurse in the E.R. asked Daphne to wait in the family room, where she would be retrieved by a doctor shortly. It felt like she was waiting for hours before a doctor finally came to consult her.
Disconnected
The doctor explained to Daphne that he had absolutely no idea what had happened to trigger Kevin’s cardiac arrest. Because he had been without oxygen for so long, his brain would not connect with his body. Daphne fought back tears, fearing the worst.
20 Questions
She was asked all sorts of questions. Was he diabetic? Epileptic? Did he use drugs? The answer to everything was a resounding “no.” The doctor said Kevin had to be sedated because he had become violent…
The Options
They were going to do more tests, but Daphne was allowed to go see him. She felt completely helpless. When she walked in and saw Kevin in the hospital bed, she was overwhelmed with grief. Kevin’s limbs were still thrashing and his eyes were rolling back into his head. He had a trach down his throat. At this point, the other doctors came in to discuss their options…
What Happened
Kevin was hooked up to an endless labyrinth of tubes and wires and machines. The doctors told Daphne that at this point, the only thing they could do was put him in a medically-induced coma until they figured out what had caused Kevin to collapse.
Comatose
Kevin would be in a coma for at least 2 days; 24 hours in hypothermia and 24 hours to warm back up. That way, he might regain his full mental capacity after losing so much oxygen. Daphne was warned that it might take even longer, depending on Kevin’s body. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Why did her healthy, young husband have a heart attack?
Needing Answers
Kevin was moved from the E.R. to the ICU, where he would remain until he woke from the coma. Meanwhile, a pulmonologist came into the family room to ask Daphne some questions that would eventually give rise to the shocking truth…
Weird Question
The first thing the pulmonologist asked was what Kevin had eaten that day, or what could possibly be in his stomach. Daphne didn’t quite understand why this was important, but she told her she didn’t know. Then, the pulmonologist revealed the most bizarre part of Kevin’s symptoms.
Terrifying News
“When Kevin was intubated, a bright lime green slime came shooting out of his mouth,” the pulmonologist said. Daphne was in shock. Her mind went blank. She hadn’t been with him in the morning, so she couldn’t think of anything he had consumed that would result in such a disturbing event…
Investigating
Then, Daphne remembered that Kevin would sometimes drink a pre-workout supplement before the gym. She wasn’t sure what this could possibly have to do with the situation, but she told the pulmonologist regardless. Daphne was then ordered to find out exactly what was in the pre-workout drink.
What Was the Culprit?
Daphne texted a neighbor to go to their house and take a photo of packaging and label on the cannister. She showed the doctors the picture, who left to do some more tests.
Waking Up
After a while, the doctors returned, saying it didn’t appear as though the ingredients didn’t appear to be the reason for the green slime, but they still wanted to run tests on all his organs. Two days later, Kevin woke up from the coma. Daphne didn’t know if her husband would ever be the same…
He’s Awake
At first, Kevin was still extremely combative. They kept sedating him, slowly trying to wake him up. After several hours, Kevin was alert and awake, able to nod his head yes or no if they asked him questions.
What Did He Remember?
When the tube was finally removed from his throat, Kevin told the doctors the last thing he remembered…
Finding Answers
Kevin said the last thing he remembered was being on the treadmill at the Y, and then nothing. Daphne was beyond thankful that Kevin appeared to be totally himself and was not in any serious pain. However, the doctors were still trying to figure out what had caused this mess in the first place…
Permanent AED
Kevin stayed in the hospital for a week. Cardiologists agreed that Kevin should have a permanent AED inserted. After conferring with an entire team of doctors, they finally determined what was responsible for Kevin’s sudden heart attack.
It Was the Pre-Workout
After running an endless number of tests, the doctors told Kevin that his pre-workout drink had caused his heart attack. His heart was overworked and couldn’t handle the tremendous amount of stimulants and caffeine in the pre-workout drink…
He Could Have Died
Kevin was dehydrated and had no electrolytes and no sodium in his system on the day of the heart attack. The pre-workout drink put his otherwise healthy heart into overdrive, which sent him into cardiac arrest.
No More Energy Drinks
Eight months later, Kevin hasn’t had another incident with his heart, which is monitored at all times thanks to his AED. Kevin’s doctors told him he’s never allowed to have any energy or pre-workout drinks again.
Doing Some Research
Kevin knows he’s lucky to be alive. “While I was in recovery, friends that came to visit mentioned other stories they had recently heard about energy drinks,” he said. Once he returned back home, Kevin started doing some research, where he found out he wasn’t alone…
One of the Lucky Ones
Other people, ones even healthier than Kevin, weren’t as lucky as him. “As a father of two beautiful daughters and husband to an amazing wife, I am truly blessed to be here writing this and I want people to be aware of the dangers of these drinks,” he said.
Invincible
Kevin and his family know it’s easy to think you’re invincible… until you’re clinically dead and come back to life. Now that he’s sworn off energy and pre-workout drinks for life, Kevin plans to live a long, happy life with his wife and daughters.