Mr. Ushida's experience
1. The situation before the cardiac arrest
"My heart stopped at the Aichi Expo, and I was saved an AED that was installed at the venue. Before that, I was engaged in designing the Aichi Expo. Since it was a large event, it is not too much to say that I hardly had more than a few hours sleep every day for about two years because I was so busy with work. As I was leading a reckless life, I was concerned about my health and went for a check-up, but everything was OK. I had no medical history apart from high blood pressure, so I carried on as usual.
On the day of the heart attack, my heart suddenly stopped and I fainted while I was standing and talking with a visitor in front of a pavilion."
2. How I felt when I awoke
"In the ambulance, I responded to the voice of the doctor saying, 'Mr. Ushida, your heart stopped but it's all right now. You were saved.' And the moment I heard that my heart had stopped, I wondered... What if my hands don't move? What if my feet don't move? Will there be any permanent damage? At the same time, the faces of many people, like my wife, my children and other people to whom I was grateful, rushed through my mind. And I wished someone would kill me then and there if my hands or feet were paralyzed and I would remain bedridden. My eyes filled with tears when I felt my hands and feet move in the ambulance."
3. When I felt that my life was back to normal
"After I had the heart attack, the people around me were really worried about me and kept telling me not do this and that. Even my doctor would tell me, 'Mr. Ushida, be careful when doing this, and please refrain from doing that.' I tried to overcome these things one by one, but my first concern was whether I would be able to play with my children. At that time, my children were in elementary school, so when I was able to play catch or wrestle with them again, I felt that I got my life back as a father. And by overcoming each challenge, such as going to the beach and skiing with my family, I really felt that life was getting back to normal."
4. The current situation
"Despite going through a tough experience, I am still leading a reckless life. I sleep an extra few hours compared to before, but there are days when I stay awake all night. At the same time, I give lectures in all regions of Japan in order to tell everyone about my own experience of being saved, and to spread awareness of AED and other issues relating to emergency care."
5. Messages to those in medical practice
"I was rescued at the Expo venue by an AED and the medical student who used it on me. Of course I am deeply grateful to them, but there were also many doctors, nurses and emergency paramedics working at the Expo as volunteers. I owe my life to the medical care system and the prompt treatment I received from the doctors at the hospital I was taken to. There are many people out there whom I would like to help, and who I hope can recovere as fully as I have. I am grateful for the work of doctors, nurses and emergency paramedics and all people involved in emergency medical care."
6. What the word "life" means to me
"When I was recovering, not only family and relatives but also many friends, teachers, and coworkers called me and visited me. Some even cried when they saw me. I felt that I was living my life with them. To me, life is these 'bonds'."
