Two icons in the entertainment industry have died. Farrah Fawcett, 62, succumbed to anal cancer and died Thursday morning at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. Michael Jackson, 50, died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and was believed to have suffered cardiac arrest. I remember growing up and watching Charlie’s Angels together with my dad and how Farrah’s hairstyle was a must have during that time. I also remember watching the Grammy’s with my dad and I remember a very young Michael Jackson singing ‘ I’ll Be There’ together with the Jackson 5. No MTV back then… just plain good ole music. I probably feel the loss as well because they were part of my growing years.
What is anal cancer anyway? According to Wikipedia : Anal cancer is a type of cancer which arises from the anus, the distal orifice of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a distinct entity from the more common colorectal cancer.
Symptoms of anal cancer include bloating and change in bowel habits, sporadic bright red rectal bleeding accompanied with uncontrollable itching at the opening of the anus, and low energy and fatigue. Women may experience lower back pain due to pressure the tumor exerts on the vagina, and vaginal dryness.
Anal cancer is most effectively treated with surgery, and in early stage disease (i.e., localised cancer of the anus without metastasis to the inguinal lymph nodes), surgery is often curative.
What is cardiac arrest? According to the American Heart Association : Cardiac arrest is the sudden, abrupt loss of heart function. The victim may or may not have diagnosed heart disease. It’s also called sudden cardiac arrest or unexpected cardiac arrest. Sudden death (also called sudden cardiac death) occurs within minutes after symptoms appear.
The most common underlying reason for patients to die suddenly from cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease. Most cardiac arrests that lead to sudden death occur when the electrical impulses in the diseased heart become rapid (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation) or both. This irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) causes the heart to suddenly stop beating. Some cardiac arrests are due to extreme slowing of the heart. This is called bradycardia.
Other factors besides heart disease and heart attack can cause cardiac arrest. They include respiratory arrest, electrocution, drowning, choking and trauma. Cardiac arrest can also occur without any known cause.
Brain death and permanent death start to occur in just 4 to 6 minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest can be reversed if it’s treated within a few minutes with an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. This process is called defibrillation. A victim’s chances of survival are reduced by 7 to 10 percent with every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation. Few attempts at resuscitation succeed after 10 minutes.
My father suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away in 2007. It is not an easy thing to lose someone you love dearly. I have moved on since then but I cannot say that the pain has left. It is as potent today as it was back then. Nevertheless, we all have one life to live. Live deep. Live deliberately. Live life. Live.
