Heart, We Have a Problem
Let’s put a heart attack into a fantasy world. Of course, this may not be as much of a fantasy as you think.
BRAIN TO HEART: “Heart, we have a problem. You are not pumping enough blood. Other organs are complaining that they are not getting enough oxygen. Push up those electrolytes.”
HEART TO BRAIN: “Captain, I’m giving you all I’ve got. If I push any more the whole thing will blow. I need some help down here.
KIDNEY TO BRAIN: “Please get the heart to push it a little. I am not getting the amount of blood flow and I am trying to dump the waste as fast as I can but I am receiving messages from the intestinal track that needs more oxygen. The fluids are building up fast, before long the whole body will be bloated.”
BRAIN TO BODY: “Everybody try to remain calm. I am having some trouble up here, too. The blood flow is low and I am trying to work this out but I am starting to feel confused. Each of you please, work as hard as you can to keep your services rendered. We must overcome this. Liver, try to do something about the red blood cell count.”
LIVER TO BRAIN: I am working as hard as I can but with low blood flow coming in I do not have much to work with. Oxygen is at a low. What can I do?”
HEART TO BRAIN: “I have found the problem here. It does not look good. Blood is clotting and mixing with cholesterol. It is closing off part of my system. I will try to speed up the blood flow through the part that is not damaged but that will put stress on it.”
BRAIN TO BODY: “Brace for impact. The blood pressure reading here is super high. I believe it is because the heart is working feverishly to overcome the circulation problem. This may cause other problems.
STOMACH TO BRAIN: “I cannot move the undigested food. I am filling with fluid and blowing up like a toad. How long can we hold on?”
Meanwhile an ambulance has been called. The ambulance attendants gave oxygen and nitroglycerine.
HEART TO BRAIN: “I’m getting some relief. The lungs are sending pure oxygen and I feel the flood vessels relaxing. This is making it easier for me to pump blood to the rest of the body. I don’t know how long this will last.
BRAIN TO BODY: “We have help. An ambulance has arrived and the body is being cared for while we try to pull ourselves together. Hold on everybody. I think there is hope.”
KIDNEY TO BRAIN: “I hope so, but I am still getting low blood flow. Fluids are building up everywhere and I cannot move it out.”
Then the patient is admitted to the hospital and given Lasex. This is a fluid pill. It takes some of the stress off the overloaded kidneys and begins to move fluid out of the body. Meanwhile a drip is started feeding nitroglycerine intravenously. The patient will live but every organ in the body is now in danger because of a low oxygen count.
This is why we need doctors.
