My father, son, a friend of the family and I drove to State College Saturday afternoon for the game. Arrived about 3:30 and went for a pre-game dinner at the Allen Grille on College Avenue above the Corner Room restaurant.
Got seated, received our menus, and the next thing that happened was my father's head went back and his arms went out, almost like a crucifix. He was not responsive and began sliding down his chair. The restaurant was full and I immediately told someone to call 911 and me and another guy slid my father off the chair and got him on the floor. I put my finger by his nose and mouth and there was barely any breath. Someone yelled if there was a doctor in the restaurant. There were 2 as well as some nurses and people trained in CPR. That whole area of the restaurant was quickly cleared of all tables, customers, and chairs. CPR began to be given to my father within 1 minute or so. He had no pulse, but they managed to somehow keep him alive. Within about 5 minutes the EMT's arrived and took over. They needed to shock his heart 4 times to get his pulse back. They intubated him and got him to the Mt. Nittany Medical Center.
Without going into all the details, with a scope through his artery, they found an occlusion in one of the anterior arteries to his heart. They tried to insert a stint, but couldn't find a passage way through the occlusion. It was in a bend in the artery. A decision was made to helipcopter him on the Life Lion to Hershey Medical Center where they have a more robust cardiac unit. They also couldn't get through the occlusion, but he is alive and they have him on machines to help his heart pump. We don't know the extent of the damage to his heart at this point or what the prognosis is, but he is conscious. He didn't know how or why he was there. He said, "I was at the football game," and the nurses and we kept telling him he didn't make it to the game. I told him we won and he's happy about that.
So fellas, it's a football game. I never made it obviously and only caught some bits and pieces at the hospitals. I did get to rewatch it yesterday. As I began to say, it's a football game. Be happy we won. To quibble about how we won is beyond absurd. We're 7 - 0, beat a fine team and program, and are moving forward. Be happy with that. As I saw very well, we don't know when our last breath will be. I came within a split hair of watching my Dad die in front of me 2 minutes after I thought we were going to a football game. Nobody is more passionate about Nittany Lion football than me, but in the end, sports is just a diversion for we fans. Enjoy the wins and remember that life is precarious.
Got seated, received our menus, and the next thing that happened was my father's head went back and his arms went out, almost like a crucifix. He was not responsive and began sliding down his chair. The restaurant was full and I immediately told someone to call 911 and me and another guy slid my father off the chair and got him on the floor. I put my finger by his nose and mouth and there was barely any breath. Someone yelled if there was a doctor in the restaurant. There were 2 as well as some nurses and people trained in CPR. That whole area of the restaurant was quickly cleared of all tables, customers, and chairs. CPR began to be given to my father within 1 minute or so. He had no pulse, but they managed to somehow keep him alive. Within about 5 minutes the EMT's arrived and took over. They needed to shock his heart 4 times to get his pulse back. They intubated him and got him to the Mt. Nittany Medical Center.
Without going into all the details, with a scope through his artery, they found an occlusion in one of the anterior arteries to his heart. They tried to insert a stint, but couldn't find a passage way through the occlusion. It was in a bend in the artery. A decision was made to helipcopter him on the Life Lion to Hershey Medical Center where they have a more robust cardiac unit. They also couldn't get through the occlusion, but he is alive and they have him on machines to help his heart pump. We don't know the extent of the damage to his heart at this point or what the prognosis is, but he is conscious. He didn't know how or why he was there. He said, "I was at the football game," and the nurses and we kept telling him he didn't make it to the game. I told him we won and he's happy about that.
So fellas, it's a football game. I never made it obviously and only caught some bits and pieces at the hospitals. I did get to rewatch it yesterday. As I began to say, it's a football game. Be happy we won. To quibble about how we won is beyond absurd. We're 7 - 0, beat a fine team and program, and are moving forward. Be happy with that. As I saw very well, we don't know when our last breath will be. I came within a split hair of watching my Dad die in front of me 2 minutes after I thought we were going to a football game. Nobody is more passionate about Nittany Lion football than me, but in the end, sports is just a diversion for we fans. Enjoy the wins and remember that life is precarious.
