Comments on: Hearts Really Can Break

By: Tricia

Tricia — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:00:33 +0000

Ohl, my–I wonder why more women don’t know about this. Very scary and PM has a number of stresses going for it–worrying about adult children, has enough money been saved for retirement, friends begin to pass, the family dog dies, fading culturally-defined beauty, and on and on.

By: susan

susan — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:48:00 +0000

Another cardiac condition that needs more research is Cardiac Syndrome X. It occurs primarily in post-menopausal women with high stress levels. The stress and other factors causes the microvessels, rather than the larger coronary arteries, to go into spasm and cut off oxygen supply to the heart. If you are told you may have this condition, please do not minimize it, as so many doctors do. I lost my beautiful 56 yr old sister the day after Xmas, and now I think I have “broken heart syndrome”.

By: Pat Racimora

Pat Racimora — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:34:08 +0000

Good article–Thanks oowawa for this.

By: Pat Racimora

Pat Racimora — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:30:37 +0000

NorthewestIndependt–Thanks for sharing your story. I know a lot of poeple don’t understand losses as we all take them differently. Keep looking though–you WILL find!

By: NorthwestIndependent

NorthwestIndependent — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:42:25 +0000

I emailed this to several people I know, in hopes of trying to explain that it’s not always all that possible to just walk away from the end of a relationship as if it’s nothing and as if the whole world is yours again as a big opportunity, and that there are physical consequences sometimes.

I do know what it’s like to lose people close to me. I have one ancestor, an aged aunt, left in the world. All the others are gone and I personally signed the death certificates for 3 of them as the person who was in the room at the time of their passing. And definitely, two of them were quite a loss to me.

Nothing compared, though, to the love of my life walking out on me one day, saying that he just wasn’t into it any more and had found someone new. In shock from the sudden news, I fell to the ground, seeing stars and becoming briefly unconscious. You’d think 15 years later I’d be over it, but nope. I survive OK, and I still laugh a lot, but not a day goes by that I am not aware of what I once had, that I haven’t had since then and that the odds aren’t in favor of my having ever again. I could easily see how someone would decide, “This totally isn’t worth it any more,” and lose their will to live. I only didn’t myself because I figure I’ve still got a couple decades to find another one of those “One”s again and it was so wonderful the first time that I want to try for it again; had I been 85, the outcome could well have been different.

By: Scranton4Hillary

Scranton4Hillary — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:38:17 +0000

When I was a little girl we lived in a neighborhood near a very elderly Lebanese couple. They woud walk around their yard holding hands inspecting their fruit trees. They did not speak English and were in their late 80s when I first met them. Neither one was very friendly but I enjoyed playing with their great-granddaughter. They both lived into their 90s. The husband died unexpectedly one day. For a few days after he was buried I would see her walking in their yard looking at the trees all by herslef. She died 12 days later. I know she died of a broken heart–too lonely to live anymore.

By: Pat Racimora

Pat Racimora — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:52:36 +0000

Yes, Cathy in Ks, I was thinking about that couple. Yes, Dana was not a smoker. And the boy is especialy sad, of course. but I know they had many good friends and I am sure he has been lovingly cared for.

By: AbigailAdams

AbigailAdams — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:25:10 +0000

I read about this a long time ago. I think I suffered a broken heart when someone close to me suddenly died. It’s hard to describe the sensation, especially if you have no other reason to be seriously ill.

By: Sassy

Sassy — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:30:31 +0000

Pat,
Many physicians prescribe anti-depressants for spouses of failing patients when death is imminent.
That may account for the low incidence of this syndrome.
Emotions are powerful, both the good and the bad.

By: karen for Clinton

karen for Clinton — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:54:38 +0000

There are also heart stings, so when we say something or someone tugs on our heart strings we are correct. A little pull feeling when our emotions are piqued.
They are called chordae tendineae.

By: tango

tango — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:22:25 +0000

Yes, just like Alexander McQueen who was suffering over the death of his mother. How sad.

By: Cathy in Ks.

Cathy in Ks. — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:54:15 +0000

This wouldn’t exactly fit in the “broken heart category” but Christopher Reeves and his wife Dana come to mind. He died first after being severely disabled for years and I believe his wife Dana was his primary caretaker. Later Dana developed lung cancer (if my memory serves me correctly. I also believe she was not a smoker) It seems that she passed away quickly after it was announced she had cancer of the lung. I guess on one hand you could say this was “romantic” but the sad thing is that they left behind a son who is now without parents to raise him.

By: stodghie

stodghie — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:21:27 +0000

as usualy pat you art is great! recently my aunt died. my uncle who had looked after her as her health declined died a month later. broken heart? probably! i also thought he felt his job here was done.

By: Solara 9

Solara 9 — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:25:29 +0000

The graphic is good–really looks like a very disrupted heart!

By: Sassy

Sassy — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:11:27 +0000

tango, you are right.
A couple that we had known for years died within three weeks of each other.
Both were children of pastors, so I guess they were ready to reunite for eternity.