Love Your Hearts

Imagine dying every night? Plunging, soaring or fading into the bright darkness and then you are woken by a click! Each night; click!



Simultaneously alive and dead like a Schrödinger's cat or absurdist juxtaposition. Thought-provoking in the abstract and yet perpetually unsatisfying for anyone whose existence dwells on the threshold betwixt life and the hereafter; it’s literally neither here nor there.

That click must come to have the significance of the comedy and tragedy masks.

A woman in the UK had to live like this and was eventually granted the permission to have her pacemaker switched off. Living on the terminator line of death became frustrating and tiring for her.

Adamowicz, then 71, described how she would lose consciousness, often at night, and would hear the click of her pacemaker snapping into action when she came to. She said she was "lucky", and "forever grateful" for her life, but that she was also prepared to die.
"I feel that [there is] life, and death is other side of the same coin," she said.
"I'd like to know what is there.
"It's not about 'I want to die', I'm dying."

The Woman Who Wanted Her Pacemaker Turned Off and her audio coments.

Mrs Adamowicz was given permission to die and moved on to whatever occurs after death...and peace, of course. The story raises the well-worn arguments about euthanasia and the right to end our own lives. However, that’s not my takeaway and not the reason for posting this story.

No. What caught my imagination is the fragility of our existence and how we feel powerful, healthy and ‘distant’ from death. My mind made an association between her consciousness and a Cassini image of one of the moonlets of Saturn. It shows a small body moving close by the discs of Saturn and pulling up debris in its wake. For whatever absurd or abstract association, I imagined the moonlet being her consciousness and the rings representing her death. Mrs Adamowicz became so accustomed to death she lost her fear and was drawn away from life by curiosity and fatigue.



This week a friend of mine had his heart reset so the subject of life, death and heartbeats is on my mind and the article leapt out. He’s a healthy bugger who’s been a decent sportsman all his life. He’s just been unfortunate enough to have a ticker that sometimes misses the beats or starts drumming to Metallica when it should be pounding at a slow tempo. Resets are his future after having heart surgery twice before turning 40.

Our hearts are truly awesome and yet we take them for granted and barely notice until they stop playing percussion to our favourite song – life. All the best to Mrs Adamowicz and hallelujah for the wonders of science that keeps people like my mate alive. And a final thanks to the beating in our chests

a reply to: Kandinsky

S&F

I had an abnormal ECG last week and am being referred to a Heart Specialist in the meantime.


Glad your friend is ok.
S&F.

a reply to: Kandinsky

I have mild heart disease but the damage done to the artery going down to my legs is the real problem . Apparently my left leg gets most of its blood from my stomach . Bloody good idea to take up smoking all those years ago .

Great title and thread.
The heart is sacred to so many cultures throughout history for a reason!

Glad your friend is OK.

have family history and strange episodes, so they keep testing me, but my heart always 'seems fine' so its just kind of there

a reply to: stormagheddon

I have SVT, have had it since I was a kid, means I have a jumpy nerve that sets off insane heart rate, usually triggered by Sammy's Chinese kitchen honey chicken with "no msg added".

It took me being hooked up to a machine during an episode after years and years of them not being able to find anything to work out what it was. My siblings have it too.

My dad has/had an arrhythmia that prompted him to undergo some procedures where they tried to burn out the nerve clusters that had caused the arrhythmia to put his heart back in rhythm. Those didn't work. Without further intervention, he was looking at enlarged heart, increased risk of stroke and eventual heart failure. He had to have a pacemaker put in not so long ago.

I think it frustrates him that age in catching up with him.

a reply to: Kandinsky

I am happy your friend is ok. The heart is scary. If I eat a certain spice I get tachycardia. I have to hold my breath to get my heart rate back to normal.

Great thread!

a reply to: zazzafrazz

well, that bites . . . at least they figured it out though, mwaybe a new chinese place is in order?

Nice thread. Thanks for sharing! I find it interesting how many, if not most older people do not seem to fear death.

a reply to: stormagheddon

lol, yeah, I just don't gobble up Chinese anymore.

Also can be if
I'm over-tired.
Hungover.
Too much caffeine
Stressed.

I know how to treat it with breathing, chest puffing out.

originally posted by: Hazardous1408
I had an abnormal ECG last week and am being referred to a Heart Specialist in the meantime.

Stay away from politics!

I hope it works out well and there's never been a better time in history for medical treatment of heart problems and niggles.

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: Kandinsky

I have mild heart disease but the damage done to the artery going down to my legs is the real problem . Apparently my left leg gets most of its blood from my stomach . Bloody good idea to take up smoking all those years ago .

Hiya mate, I don't even know how that would work. It sounds like trouble though! I've quit smoking for 4 weeks now and honestly can't feel any difference. Do you exercise much? It might help out and make your heart stronger to compensate for the problems. Hearts are incredibly resilient and develop quickly with good cardio workouts.

originally posted by: stormagheddon
have family history and strange episodes, so they keep testing me, but my heart always 'seems fine' so its just kind of there

Count your blessings

Hey...bow ties are only cool on timelords and Sean Connery

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
a reply to: stormagheddon

I have SVT, have had it since I was a kid, means I have a jumpy nerve that sets off insane heart rate, usually triggered by Sammy's Chinese kitchen honey chicken with "no msg added".

It took me being hooked up to a machine during an episode after years and years of them not being able to find anything to work out what it was. My siblings have it too.

Hiya Zazz, I had to google it. It sounds like my mate's in arhythmia (sp?) sense. He had heart op a couple of years back to fix a valve and make it more regular. It started speeding again which is why it was reset...sedatives and fibrillation.

originally posted by: ketsuko
My dad has/had an arrhythmia that prompted him to undergo some procedures where they tried to burn out the nerve clusters that had caused the arrhythmia to put his heart back in rhythm. Those didn't work. Without further intervention, he was looking at enlarged heart, increased risk of stroke and eventual heart failure. He had to have a pacemaker put in not so long ago.

I think it frustrates him that age in catching up with him.

Medical science isn't so popular on ATS, but where would we all be without it? Our parents get to live longer and, even when it doesn't quite work, it makes an effort and might prolong life. I hope your dad's pacemaker brings some quality of life and that he gets used to life at a slower pace.

My own dad is late 60s now and has started to slow down this year. He's still climbing ladders and very active. Nevertheless he's had some personal epiphany (who knows?) and has really begun to enjoy leisure time after working 6-7 days a week forever.

originally posted by: Quantum12
a reply to: Kandinsky

I am happy your friend is ok. The heart is scary. If I eat a certain spice I get tachycardia. I have to hold my breath to get my heart rate back to normal.

Great thread!

He's even better after Liverpool's storming result today

I'm lucky to have a strong heart and I work hard to make it even stronger. Maybe it's age talking here? Between family, friends and people in this thread it's increasingly obvious we all need to value and cherish our tickers.

originally posted by: iTruthSeeker
Nice thread. Thanks for sharing! I find it interesting how many, if not most older people do not seem to fear death.

Spoken for truth! I've had encounters with older people this year that have given me goosebumps with their wisdom, childlike curiosity and bravery.

When we're in our teens and 20s, we can't help seeing older people as *old* and that kinda defines them. As we creep into our 30s and 40s ideas of age become more fluid. Sure, some older people are stunning bores and think their word is infallible. The rest are like everyone else and are as young at heart as they were in their 20s.

I have an enlarged heart and various physical problems. In our youth we think we are invincible. Age has a way of sneaking up on us and one day we wake up thinking how the hell did that happen, I'm 58??????
People can have health problems at any age though. Live your lives with gratitude and love. Never take anyone or anything for granted. Life is a journey and we can travel part of it together here and now. Whatever anyone goes through, you have your ATS family here by your side.

a reply to: ketsuko

My Father had heart problems and a pacemaker for many years but lived into his 80's. My Mom had heart problems and lived to see 90. It's scary, but there is so much they can do these days.

The medicine is not standing still and evolve, so we have a lot of opportunities and we should use them all in full