March 2, 2007

• Quite a few of y'all received an email from me yesterday.

  I'd forwarded a slide show attachment I'd received from a friend that claimed in the event of having a heart attack while alone, the thing to do whilst waiting for help to arrive is concentrate on deep breathing plus hard coughing.

  The theory was that the coughing somehow constricts the heart in a manner similar to CPR, and breathing is always a good thing. 

  Another friend alerted me....and the gazillion people to whom I'd sent the email....that it wasn't true. 

  Bummer.  Bummer both that I sent out inaccurate info, and that the info IS inaccurate. 

  That said, however, I'm not sure it's completely without value.  If one is suffering a heart attack while all alone, and assuming one's managed to dial 911 so now it's a matter of waiting to see who arrives first....the ambulance or the Grim Reaper....wouldn't concentrating upon taking deep breaths and then coughing perhaps keep a person from panicking?  ISTM it'd beat the heck out of rolling around on the floor, moaning "I'm gonna die...I'm gonna die..." 

  • 9:57 am
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