Uno Del Corozón
“Uno Del Corozón” 9” x12”, oil on canvas, © 2021 by Chas Wyatt
As I enter the trailer park, I pass a Scion hatchback with “Black Lives Matter” taped to the back window with duct tape. I think of how precious and fragile life itself is. How in a split-second it can be extinguished like the wick on a candle. Laying in bed, the mariachi band plays a few trailers down. This is my neighborhood.
On my bio I say that I am an artist and writer, but, I have a day job to pay the bills. True, I have an art degree, but, the school I obtained it from closed their doors and all that I have published has been on the internet. It is said that Van Gogh only sold two paintings in his lifetime. I have him beat by one.
On Saturday May 22nd, 2021, during the last half hour of my shift at a major shoe manufacturer, I collapsed and passed out. I felt a strain in my upper arms and between my shoulder blades, as well as feeling lightheaded. I told my immediate supervisor that I wasn’t feeling well and needed to go to a drink station. They are set-up throughout the building and no fans are allowed due to the Covid virus. We also have to wear masks. It is a very hot environment and I thought I was dehydrated. Before I made it to the drink station I knew I was going to pass-out and told a lady there. She told me to sit down on some boxes. It was then that I passed out. When I came to, I was on the floor and someone had their hands on my left shoulder and asked me if I knew my name and where I was, which I did. They ripped my shirt off and I remember them lifting me up onto a gurney and rolling me out through the doors into an ambulance. I was having a heart attack.
I do not remember the ambulance ride, but, I was semi-conscious as the doctor at first attempted to run a stint through my groin, but, apparently I was squirming from the pain, as I remember the doctor saying, “I am trying to save your life!” They then ran the stint through my arm to my heart where there was a blood clot and a clogged artery. They successfully removed the clot and restored blood flow to my artery. Forty percent of my heart wasn’t receiving blood, but, there was no damage to the muscle tissue. I am lucky to be alive. I am lucky that I didn’t have a stroke. I can walk and talk. I never experienced any chest pains throughout the whole ordeal. It all nearly ended abruptly.
As I adjust to my life-changing circumstances of course I am going through a wide range of emotions, from denial to depression, to heavy reflection and introspection on my life and the various choices I have made throughout it.
The Metaphysical Heart
Most people view the heart as an organ that pumps blood throughout the body to other organs and tissue, and while it is that, I believe it is much more than that. The heart also produces a powerful electromagnetic field which can be measured several feet away from an individual’s body. When the electromagnetic field was measured on an electrocardiogram, it was found to be about 60 times greater in amplitude than that of brain waves. I believe the heart to be the portal for which the soul enters into the physical body. In various religions the symbol of the heart has numerous meanings including charity, hope, compassion, forgiveness, love and bliss. The corresponding color to the heart chakra is the color green, not unlike the verdant emerald that signals life in the natural world. When two people fall in love, their hearts align in synch, beating at the same rhythm.
The Formation of the Human Heart
“Formation of the Human Heart”, illustration by Chas Wyatt, 8 1/2” x 11”, colored pencil on paper, © 2021
The embryonic heart starts beating approximately 21 days after conception. It is the first organ to form in the body. At first, its tubular shape most closely resembles a fish heart. In the second stage of development, called heart looping, it contours into an S shape. In the third stage, two chambers form; (one atrium, one ventricle), resembling the heart of a frog. At the fourth stage of development a three-chambered heart develops when the atrium divides into two atria resembling the heart of a turtle. At the end of the tenth week of pregnancy, the four-chambered heart forms consisting of two atria, two ventricles, and two great blood vessels.
The Role of Cholesterol
Our bodies can produce all the cholesterol we need and it serves for metabolic functions including producing hormones and bile, absorbing fat-soluble vitamins including A, D, E, and K. It also converts sunshine into vitamin D. Another function that it serves is to insulate the nerves, protecting and maintaining the outer layer of cell membranes. Additional cholesterol can be used, or stored in the body for energy.
The issue that can become a problem is excessive caloric intake and inactivity, which can cause overproduction of bad LDL cholesterol. Over time this can build up in the arteries forming plaque. When the artery becomes clogged, it is prevented from pumping blood and oxygen to the heart. This is what happened to me.
Conclusion
I have had a lot of introspection on my approach to life and the choices that I make. I am looking at the work of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and the role that my dietary choices play in the health of my heart. This has also caused me to embark upon a spiritual transformation and to be grateful for the second chance at life that I have been given. There have been a lot of TedTalks videos that I have watched from people who have faced far greater adversities than I have, that have helped me in my state of mind and period of recovery. Sometimes I think about Tom Petty and how he wasn’t so lucky, but, I also like to think that Tom Petty is learning to fly somewhere in the clouds … without wings.
Sources and Resources ~
“Your Vibrant Heart” by Cynthia Thaik, M.D., Harvard-Trained Cardioligist and practcing Buddhist. https://drcynthia.com
“Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD www.dresselstyn.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqKNfyUPzoU
“The Human Body, The Heart: The Living Pump”, Goode P. Davis, Edwards Park.