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Don't
ignore symptoms of heart disease
Aug.
23, 2002
Heart
disease hit my family hard two years ago.
My brother-in-law, Norman Rogers, died while cutting
down a tree. My then 5-year-old niece, Rachel, was one
of the people who found him sitting slumped over on
a small hill with the chain saw still running.
He was only 54 years old.
It seemed to have come out of the blue, but in hindsight,
there were some warning signs that may have prevented
his death.
According to Norm’s death certificate, the cause of
death was cardiac arrhythmia, which means he had an
irregular heartbeat, and dilated cardiomyopathy, which
means the cavities of his heart were enlarged and the
walls had thinned.
The certificate said he died within seconds of the onset
of cardiac arrhythmia. But it also said he had dilated
cardiomyopathy for years. So he might have been able
to help himself if he had been aware of it.
Now my sister, Denese, is a big advocate for people
listening to their bodies and paying attention to warning
signs. Many may not know what to look for.
According to the Choose to Move program literature,
the heart attack warning signs are:
* Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain
in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few
minutes or goes away and comes back.
* Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back,
neck, jaw or stomach.
* Shortness of breath along with, or before, chest discomfort.
* Other signs, such as breaking out in a cold sweat,
nausea or light-headedness.
My sister still feels guilty because she thinks she
could have prevented his death if she had forced him
to go to the doctor. But we can’t make others take care
of themselves.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please
don’t ignore them.
If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for your spouse
who loves you. Or do it for your children, who may not
understand that daddy’s not just sleeping. Or just do
it for your family and friends.
One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was try
to explain death to my goddaughter.
She couldn’t understand the concept of the burial. It
broke my heart to have to answer innocent and very scary
questions from a 5-year-old, such as “What if my dad
gets dirt in his eyes?”
I did my best to answer all her questions, but maybe
I wouldn’t have had to if Norm had only paid attention
to the signs.
Colleen Passalacqua is the Observer-Dispatch features
editor. She is participating in Choose to Move — Energy
for a Better Life, sponsored by the American Heart Association,
Utica Roadrunners and the Sitrin Family of Services.
Her column appears Fridays during the program. E-mail
her at (cpassalautica.gannett.com).
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