Methodist Health System | Methodist Mansfield Medical Center | Shine | Fall 2015

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We’ve got
a challenge
for you!
When it comes to heart
health, walking is a step
in the right direction. To
encourage this excellent form
of achieving physical fitness —
and celebrate the city of
Mansfield’s 125th birthday —
Methodist Mansfield Medical
Center has partnered with
city parks to launch Mansfield
Move 125.
The goal: Walk 125 miles
by Nov. 20, 2015, in
recognition of the city’s
birthday. You can register
and download a logbook at
who meet the 125-mile
goal will be recognized at
Hometown Holidays.
START HERE
This summer, Methodist Mansfield opened
the Health Is in Our Nature trail at Elmer
W. Oliver Nature Park. The almost-1-mile
trail is a great place to rack up your miles
for Mansfield Move 125 and do something
good for your heart health. For park
details, visit .
Methodist Mansfield Medical Center • ❁ Fall 2015 9
HOW AN OUT-OF-CONTROL HEART
WAS SET ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW
When most people say that church
saved them, they’re talking in spiritual
terms. But when Rachel Nieting says it,
she’s speaking quite literally.
Last December, the 41-year-old mother
of two decided to go to Sunday services
at St. John’s Lutheran Church, despite
feeling ill.
“I couldn’t put my finger on it, except
to say that I was jelly-legged and feeling
feverish and extremely tired,” Rachel recalls.
As Rachel and her husband, Craig
Nieting, were about to enjoy a coffee
break with fellow church members, Rachel
was suddenly overcome by dizziness
and collapsed.
“My husband turned to me and asked
me if I wanted a doughnut,” she says.
“The next thing I remember is waking
up in an ambulance headed to Methodist
Mansfield Medical Center.”
Lifesavers
Craig caught Rachel mid-fall and eased her
to the floor. Two nearby church members,
Steve Bean and Dale McCaskill, rushed
to help.
Fortunately for Rachel, Steve and
Dale are veteran paramedics of the
Arlington and Midlothian fire departments,
respectively. Even more fortunately,
Rachel’s church was equipped with an
automated external defibrillator (AED), a
device that sends a shock to the heart to
correct abnormal, life-threatening rhythms.
“Our pastor was there praying, and the
paramedics gave Rachel CPR,” Craig says.
“I then watched as they placed the AED on
my wife’s chest to administer a shock. Steve,
Dale, and the AED saved Rachel’s life.”
That’s an assessment echoed by Alan
Taylor, MD, cardiologist on staff with
Methodist Mansfield.
“After multiple tests, we determined
that Rachel had experienced a ventricular
fibrillation [v-fib] cardiac arrest,” Dr. Taylor
says. “This happens when the heart goes
from a normal rate of 60 to 100 beats per
minute to something like a thousand beats
per minute, which the body can’t sustain.
“If not for the church’s AED and the
paramedics, her story would have a very
different ending,” he says.
Nothing short of a miracle
A number of factors, including reactions
to medications and electrical heart
abnormalities, can cause v-fib. But, as
in Rachel’s case, sometimes the cause
is unclear.
“What we can do in a situation like
this is make sure that the patient has
an excellent chance of survival should
it happen again, hence the decision to
fit her with an implantable cardioverter
defibrillator, or ICD,” Dr. Taylor says.
An ICD is like a mini AED that’s
placed under the skin with a wire threaded
to the heart. It administers a lifesaving
shock if the heartbeat accelerates to a
dangerous rhythm.
Rachel, who describes the device as
her “safety net,” says her care team at
Methodist Mansfield helped her adjust to
living with the ICD.
“Anytime I needed anything, including
answers, the staff was right there,” she
says. “Their care and compassion really
made a difference. When it was time for
my implant procedure, I felt informed
and confident.
“I feel that God had the paramedics and
the AED in place for me when I needed
them, as well as the hospital staff,” she
adds, smiling. “The nurses called me their
‘miracle on the third floor.’ I liked that.”