Heartbreak Its Sadly Very Real

Heartbreak Its Sadly Very Real Photo Via: https://mywifemademewatch.files.wordpress.com We’ve all heard of it, whether just in the movies or in real life: people die of broken hearts. Think of classic movies like “The Notebook” or real-life, tragic stories like Doug Flutie’s.** The sad truth is, it’s more than possible to die of a broken heart. While its nice to think, somewhere in the distant future, you could die side by side with your loved one like the fictional story, The Notebook, realistically this isnt going to happen. Rather, one death results in another in a tragic, shocking way that isnt nearly as beautiful as it might play out on the big screen. The truth is, though Hollywood may replicate it on a far more dramatic scale, dying of grief is very realistic. And very sad. According to Dr. Simon Graff in the journal “Open Heart,” “The elevated risk was especially high for those who were young and those who lost a relatively healthy partner.” This risk also increases within the first few weeks of an unexpected loss, and remains this high for about a year after the death. To put numbers to the phenomena, people suffering a sudden, unexpected loss actually have about a 40 percent higher risk of atrial fibrillation (which is a heart arrhythmia that increases the risk of stroke and other, life-threatening health problems). And in the first two weeks after a death, the risk is close to double that. Using a detailed medical records system (a system that actually keeps track of all health visits), the team found that about 88,000 people were diagnosed with an atrial fibrillation (for the first time) between 1995 and 2014. Comparing this to the 880,000 healthy people in the same situation (age and other factors), they found that about 20 percent of both groups lost a spouse/partner in that time. Also, many in these groups also developed an atrial fibrillation. However, development of this atrial fibrillation was more likely to happen to those that had just lost a spouse/partner specifically if it was an unexpected loss. For instance, if a partner died of something suddenly, the surviving partner was more likely to develop a heart problem. The risk was less likely if the partner died of a long-lasting illness. According to the research team, “A long-lasting disease with great suffering and considerable care may be stressful and place high demands on the partner, and death may sometimes even be a relief.” There is also another, known medical condition, that’s triggered by shock or loss, called a takotsubo cardiomyopathy (also known as a stress cardiomyopathy) that causes the heart to go off beat. While blood-pressure lowering drugs couldn’t prevent this condition, ACE inhibitors could. In a very real story, Cyndy Bizon landed in the hospital following the news that her husband had suffered a sudden heart attack during what was supposed to be a routine surgery. According to Bizon, “I remember feeling dizzy … and trying to grab the counter. I remember a curtain of black that I couldn’t shake away coming down.” The sudden, shocking news that your loved one hasn’t made it, or in Cyndy’s case, may not make it, is oftentimes enough to send the surviving partner into a downward spiral which they have no control over. So while it’s a sad truth, it’s one to be very aware of. Loved ones will pass, that’s just how life works. While some will get lucky, others won’t be, no matter how prepared (or not prepared) they are, and there isn’t much to do in these instances. Life comes and goes, whether we’re ready or not. **For those not familiar with the story, Doug Flutie (a retired, NFL quarterback) lost both of his parents within one hour of each other. His father was hospitalized due to a heart attack, and the family had their chance to say their goodbyes and prepare for the worst. However, after the passing of her beloved husband, Doug’s mother suffered her own fatal heart attack within an hour of her husband’s passing. For Flutie, he lost two parents in the same day. For his parents, neither had to grieve the loss of the other for very long.