45 Seconds

I got to the tennis courts at O’Fallon High School at about 6:20 last night. Adam and Ryan* had played an entire match already, and were in the middle of the second. Adam came to the fence where I was standing to tell me he’d pulled something in his arm, and that it was so painful he’d shed tears a few times, but he was not giving up.

*This name was changed to protect the privacy of the actual person involved.

When they switched sides, Ryan said “hello” to me and asked if I was Adam’s number one fan. I just laughed and said, “Yeah, I guess so”.

Adam won the next two games by outsmarting, rather than overpowering his opponent. He had no other choice; his arm was a limp noodle. He got Ryan running by sending him several lob shots – forcing him to sprint from the net to the back of the court in order to return them.

Adam was two serving five in the seventh game of the set when Ryan began to approach the net. It was odd for him to be coming toward the net when Adam was getting ready to serve. He was looking at the ground and walking slowly, and then began to walk in a complete circle, spiraling twice around a spot on the ground like he was circling a drain. I knew something was terribly wrong, and yelled out “ADAM!” right before Ryan collapsed, and plowed into the ground, hard, landing head-first.

Adam dropped his racket and tennis ball and ran to him yelling “911 911 911”. I was already running around the fence, making my way onto the court, dialing my cell phone as I ran. Other players stood where they were and just stared.

Ryan was writhing, grunting, snorting, spitting, gnashing, wheezing, gasping, eyes rolled back, moaning, kicking, drooling, convulsing, seizing. I only knew what it was because I’d seen it happen to my Mom when she was dying from brain cancer; a Grand Mal Seizure.

Helpless.

Adam knelt beside him, repeating his name, “it’s okay, I’m here Ryan…. you’re okay Ryan…I’m here…. Ryan it’s okay, I’m here, I’m right here…”. He made sure Ryan stayed on his side so that he would not choke on his own saliva.

Ryan's right arm was positioned awkwardly beneath him and the limits of his shoulder socket were being tested as he continued to writhe around. Every muscle in his body seemed to be tensing and flexing, completely betraying him. Fresh wounds oozed blood as his knees and elbows unconsciously sought and scraped the ground. Under his head a small pool of blood was being absorbed into the tennis court.

45 seconds.

45 seconds that seemed like an eternity. Then his body went completely limp and he began moaning involuntarily.

“911 What is your emergency?” I heard for the third time. Since I was calling from a cell phone, I had explained my emergency to a national, then a regional call center and had finally been transferred to someone nearby who could actually help me.

“I’M AT O’FALLON HIGHSCHOOL AT THE TENNIS COURTS. A MAN HAS HAD A SEIZURE. HE’S NOT RESPONDING. HE’S BREATHING BUT HE HIT HIS HEAD, HE’S BLEEDING. PLEASE SEND AN AMBULANCE RIGHT NOW!”

Ryan had begun to stir. His eyes were trying to focus on anything. I could tell that nothing looked familiar to him and he was scared. He looked so very confused.

“What is the man doing now?”

“He’s looking around. He’s starting to wake up and he’s confused. He does not know where he is or who we are. My husband is with him, he’s a paramedic.”

I can hear sirens.

“Okay m' am the ambulance is en route. I am going to hang up now, since your husband is a paramedic”.

“Okay”.

The sirens must have been coming from ten miles away. Ryan had begun talking to Adam. He tried and failed several times to help himself off the ground, ignoring Adam’s pleas to remain laying down. Ryan finally made it up and headed unsteadily toward the fence.

“Adam!” I urged. “Don’t let him!”

“I can’t stop him” he said. “He might become hostile and combative. All I can do is try to make sure he does not fall again. He’s confused right now, but it’s okay”.

Ryan asked who we were and what was going on. Adam explained that they had been playing tennis, and that “you had a seizure and you fell and hit your head”.

“No.” Ryan said. “No we weren’t. Not today.” He shook his head, “that was yesterday”.

Adam said, “We were, Ryan. See your stuff over there - your racket, and hat, and sunglasses? Those are yours, right?"

“Yes”

“That’s where you fell.”

“Yes. But my name is Ryan Kennedy, and I’m a Major in the United States Air Force, and I don’t play that way”.

Adam told me later that he wondered if Ryan thought they’d been fighting, and that’s how he’d ended up with a bloody laceration on his head, and bruises and scrapes all over him, and thinking to himself, “I don’t play that way”.

Ryan began walking around the court, slowly picking up his belongings. Balls, racket, hat, sunglasses, gym bag, water bottle.

By the time the ambulance arrived Ryan had gathered all of his things and said he was fine and that he was going home. The paramedics cornered him and were asking him his name, and what day it was, and where he was, and where he worked and if he knew what had happened.

He told them his name was Ryan Kennedy and it was Tuesday and he was in O’Fallon and he was a Major in the Air Force, stationed at the nearby Air Force Base.

“What he’s telling you now is all true” Adam said to the group of medics.

“What do you think happened here today, Ryan?” they asked.

“I tripped and fell, is all”.

Adam pulled one paramedic aside and talked to him in medic-speak, explaining in technical terms what had gone on. How he’d fallen and hit his head and had a seizure that lasted 45 seconds and then was comatose for two minutes and had woken up in the stupor that is typical of the Grand Mal. “It was textbook” Adam told him.

The crew managed to talk Ryan into walking over to the ambulance so they could take a closer look at the laceration on his head, and make sure he was okay.

“Have you ever had a seizure before Ryan?” one of the medics who had Ryan cornered asked.

“No, never” he said.

_____________________________________________

Today I looked and found the following description:

Generalized Tonic Clonic Seizures (also called Grand Mal)

What the Seizure Looks Like:

It starts with a sudden cry, fall, and/or body stiffness followed by jerking movements as muscles tense, then relax, tense and relax. Breathing may be shallow or stop briefly. Skin may be bluish. Possible loss of bladder or bowel control as muscles relax. Usually lasts a minute or two, after which normal breathing returns. Child may be confused or tired afterwards and fall into a deep sleep. May complain of sore muscles or bitten tongue.


What to Do:
Look for medical identification. Protect from nearby hazards. Loosen ties or shirt collars. Protect head from injury. Turn on side to keep airway clear unless injury exists. Reassure as consciousness returns. If a single seizure lasted less than 5 minutes, ask if hospital evaluation wanted. If there are multiple seizures, or if one seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, call an ambulance. If person is pregnant, injured, or diabetic, call for aid at once.

What Not to Do:
Don't put any hard implement in the mouth. Don't try to hold tongue. It can't be swallowed. Don't try to give liquids during or just after seizure. Don't use artificial respiration unless breathing is absent after muscle jerks subside, or unless water has been inhaled. Don't restrain.