MINNEAPOLIS — It's an odd feeling for Roy Hunn as he walked into M Health Fairview's University of Minnesota Medical Center Tuesday morning. Odd, because he'd been here before, but couldn't remember much of the time he spent in the building.
"When I had leukemia, I was in complete control of everything," Hunn said. "And the heart attack, you're complete no control."
Hunn's time at the hospital came after heart failure, which happened after a concert at the Xcel Energy Center back in January. Hunn has already met the Saint Paul Police Commander, who was the first to respond at the concert – now, he got to meet the doctor who treated him at the hospital.
"You're a miracle worker, your intelligence," Hunn said, trailing off while speaking to Dr. Ganesh Raveendran. "You saved my life."
Dr. Raveendran remembers Hunn well – even if Hunn doesn't remember it.
"You came to the lab at 12:03," Dr. Raveendran said. "You were on this machine by 12:06."
That machine is an ECMO, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, machine. It works as life support when the heart isn't working like it should.
"So what happens is the damage that might happen or that could happen, is prevented at that time because the brain is getting blood flow and the kidney is getting blood flow," Dr. Raveendran said.
Thanks to that machine and the staff that helped, Hunn was able to get back to living life as he did before this happened.
"I'm living even harder than before, and I got out of the hospital in record time," Hunn said.
Despite Hunn's thanks, Dr. Raveendran won't take all the credit.
"It's not just me, it's the chain, and that is important," Dr. Raveendran said. "The ICU, the nursing staff."
Roy is now just grateful to be alive, and grateful for the chance to say thank you.
"To do good things, for other people, sometimes comes back to you," Hunn said, choking back tears. "And I really needed it that night."