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A big thank you to Sonoma paramedic Jason Campbell

Valley forum

Sunday, Oct. 16, is a day I will always remember, even though most of it I have no memory of. It was a beautiful day and I decided to go for a short run at the Sonoma High School track, as I do many mornings. While there were soccer games going on, I recall nobody else on the track as I made my first lap, which was unusual. This was my last memory of that beautiful morning.

  My next memory is waking up on Wednesday evening, lying in a hospital bed in the ICU at the Sutter Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. There were no less than seven doctors and nurses attending to me and I was hooked up to a vast array of monitors. They began asking me a barrage of questions to determine my mental awareness and condition. I was totally confused and had no idea where I was, what had happened or even what my name was.

  As it turns out, I had suffered a major seizure on Sunday morning as I began my jog at the track. As I was losing consciousness I apparently walked to the fence surrounding the track and went down to the ground.

  My odd behavior went unnoticed by everyone except one fellow named Jason Campbell. Jason just happens to be a local paramedic who was off duty Sunday morning. He thought my actions seemed a little odd and he came over to check in with me.

  Jason immediately noticed something was not right and called the Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue Authority, and an ambulance was dispatched to the scene. I was transported to the Sonoma Valley Hospital where they suspected I had suffered a stroke. They quickly decided I should be transferred to the stroke center in San Francisco. Jason Campbell was just coming on his shift and actually drove the ambulance to San Francisco.

  Too often we take for granted the public servants in our community who protect us and look out for our well being. Our police officers, firefighters and paramedics do an outstanding job with little recognition. I would like to publicly thank Jason for his quick, decisive actions on Sunday, Oct. 16, which may well have saved my life

  To my wife, Gigi, and 10-year-old son Ryan, Jason Campbell will always be a hero who went above the call of duty. Had Jason not noticed my unusual behavior and taken the time to investigate, this story would have a much different ending.

As a side note, the doctors at Sutter feel my seizure was caused by a reaction to a prescribed medication I had been taking. While still a little weak, I am happy to report I have fully recovered. The next time your doctor prescribes a medication, I strongly recommend reviewing the long list of potential side affects, especially when taken with other medications or herbs. These side affects can, and do, happen. I learned this lesson the hard way.