Norwegians: Tougher Than Most

One of my colleagues just passed a news story to me, which I think proves that Norwegians/Norwegian Americans are the toughest people on earth.

The story is about Janice Goodger, a 64-year-old Norwegian-American from Duluth, MN who recently survived an ordeal that would have left the Danes most other people as Darwin fodder. Stop now and read the story if you haven't already.

Done reading?

Ok, now I'd like to go point by point in support of my assertion that Norwegians are the toughest, most stoic people on earth.

1. Ms. Goodger crab-walked for 50 feet through deep snow. And she has "severe rheumatoid arthritis." I don't know many people who could do that on a summer afternoon, let alone through the snow with her debilitating condition.
   
   
2. All told, her heart had stopped for nearly 3 straight hours. Yeah, the heart? Kinda important. Most doctors would recommend against doing things that cause an interruption of cardiac function.
   
   
3. First her core body temperature dropped into the 70's. Now a 70 degree day may feel warm to us, but you need to remember that a core body temperature below 86 causes organs to fail and clinical death to ensue.
   
   
4. Then her core temp bottomed out at 60 degrees.
   
   
5. She had her entire blood supply removed from her body, warmed up, then returned to her.
   
   
6. She survived
   
   
7. Her nonchalance about the whole ordeal is amazing. She is quoted as saying she survived because she's "a good old Norwegian." Then, when asked if she'll take any steps to avoid this in the future, she responded by saying "I'm going to glue sandpaper on the bottoms so I don't slip. It worked for me when I lived in North Dakota." Modest and practical--very Norwegian of her, don't you think?
   
   

I think Ms. Goodger's story is a fantastic one that proves Norwegian determination thrives even in the darkest of times. So, that's my case. If you disagree, please leave a comment.