As we were about to walk into the psychology seminar, my friend Rollie grabbed my right arm and fell to the floor. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
In a haze, I heard her say, my heart feels… I can’t breathe… we were both the same age, 41.
I called out – Please! We need an ambulance!
Within minutes the EMT’s arrived and lifted Rollie up into the ambulance – I heard her say…”Lisa, I need you to go with me!” What, me? okay…
I jumped in, the doors slammed shut, the siren went on and we lurched forward with the start. Up front I heard the driver calling Rollie’s husband to meet us at the hospital.
As he hung up the phone, she looked at me and said, “go…now!” I knew what she was talking about and so I began a guided imagery.
“the sun is warm and soft – you’re walking toward your chair that faces the ocean – you’re wearing a lime green bathing suit, carrying a book in one hand and a margarita in the other – you can hear the wave’s crash and the sound of seagulls…”
I opened my eyes for a second just to see where we were and I caught the EMT guy with a blank look on his face – his gloved hands were suspended in mid-air and he was holding a syringe in one hand.
It was one of those unexplainable moments as all three of watched Rollie’s heart-beat register on the monitor. Each beat slower than the one before.
When we pulled under the canopy of the Emergency Department at the Cleveland Clinic, the EMT guy was still holding the syringe up in one hand but Rollie’s heart-rate was stable.
“Um” he said, “I guess I’ll hold off on this injection – but, I… crap that worked – I would never have believed it if I hadn’t seen it.”
Full stop – the doors flew open and we flowed out and in to emergency department.
Thankfully, today, Rollie is fine. We are both still working with patients – she’s at Walter Reed and I’m in private practice.
Although I had trained to do a guided meditation, I had never done one under stress. But, that day, I was sold.
I got it – the powerful connection between our heart and mind.