Spiral Bound Journal

First Aid Priorities

Script for video excerpt from Examinations by Dr. V episode #47:Dana Villavasso

Dr. V: I was lucky enough to do something very few people in the media have been able to do: sit down and have a medical chat with Dana Villavasso. While she is known around the world for being an Olympic photographer and the first American woman to win the Pierre de Coubertin medal, it turns out Dana has a lot of unique medical insight. I was especially interested in her take on performing CPR on Moon Ha-Eun. We talk about that and more in this excerpt.

[fast cut to Dr. V and Dana sitting in chairs behind microphones]

Dr. V: Now as a medical professional I have administered chest compressions on several occasions, so I have a good idea of what the process entails. I'm curious what the experience was like for you.

Dana: Well, before I get into that, I would like to clarify something for some of the translators out there. Somehow, when I was quoted about my giving chest compressions, this got changed to the language's equivalent of chest press. Setting aside the fact that chest press is an exercise, I'd say that the phrase chest press really undersells it. It's not technically wrong, but it sounds so much gentler than chest compressions actually are.

Dr. V: [chuckles] You're right about that.

Dana: And I think that's the first thing that stands out in my mind about this whole experience. It is a lot of work to do chest compressions, and I work out three-four times a week. I felt it in my back a bit the next morning.

Dr. V: You definitely did it right if you felt it in your back. Good job.

Dana: Aw, thanks.

Dr. V: What else stands out in your mind about giving chest compressions?

Dana: The whole experience was just so much activity. I was so hyperfocused on getting all the right resources and moving Ha-Eun to a safer spot that I wasn't registering some of the weirder details right away. It didn't occur to me until several hours later that I actually felt her ribs crack under my hands. It's very odd to even think that I exerted enough force to break bone. That's not a capability most people are trained to have and deliberately use.

Dr. V: That's a fair point. I think that for those of us in medicine it's a part of the job, and breaking bone isn't taboo
like it is for people that don't work in the field.

Dana: Thing is, I grew up surrounded by nurses, some of whom worked in trauma units, so not squeamish types at all. I heard some of the stories growing up. Trauma care is no joke.

Dr. V: Oh, for real. Do you think that early exposure to medicine helped you to be able to spring into action in Paris?

Dana: It might have, but it's certainly not the only factor. Working in med tech has given me access to a fair amount of health education and training that also helped me to be ready and competent in an emergency.

Dr. V: What else stands out in your memory from that day?

Dana: Well, in hindsight...did you see the medical alert bracelet I'm wearing?

Dr. V: Yeah, I did see that.

Dana: Unfortunately I didn't think to get a good translation for it since the Olympics has English as one of their official languages. It might have helped in case the stress of administering chest compressions ended up depleting my hydrocortisone dose. As it was, I felt rather out of it for a while after Ha-Eun was on the stretcher and taken to the hospital. At one point after I'd come off the track and somehow managed to grab my gear I went to the room where the photographers all met earlier in the day and just sat with my back against the wall for an hour or so.

Dr. V: That I can believe. You're out there essentially dealing with a dead body in an already stressful situation. I completely understand zoning out in that case.

Dana: Well, at some point, my alarm went off, and I managed to swallow my afternoon hydrocortisone dose. The problem was I was so exhausted that I didn't think to take extra medication to compensate for the stress. I just took my regular dose.

Dr. V: Oh, no.

Dana: Yeah, in hindsight that ended up setting me up for failure, quite literally as it would turn out. So a word to everyone out there with a chronic illness. Talk with your doctor about how something like CPR or other lifesaving work impacts your body and work together to make a plan for you to take care of yourself after the fact. You may not be able to enact the whole plan, but having a framework can make your physical and mental recovery a much smoother process.

[cut to Dr. V on the main set]

Dr. V: Couldn't have said it better myself. If you want to check out the full interview-which I highly recommend-you can click up here or use the link in the description. This ended up being an almost two hour interview, as we really got into discussions about a lot of different medical issues, including her Addison's disease. In fact, we might be teaming up again to do another video devoted to Addison's disease in the future, so be on the lookout for that. In the meantime, I hope you're staying safe, healthy, and happy out there.

[Cut to screen with subscription button and title cards for previous/recommended videos]