I think we have all done some home health care at times. From patching up the occasional scrape to self-care when we get a cold or the flu to maybe even using some superglue on a nasty cut that maybe could have used a stitch or two, most of us are willing to assume personal responsibility for treating some level of illness or injury.
But how about do-it-yourself cardiac bypass surgery? Does that conjure up an image of laying on a table with a big mirror overhead and trying to perform a sterile operation on a part of yourself you’ve never seen before? Is this a scene out of a crazy spy thriller where the patient cannot go to the authorities? Or maybe it’s a Wolverine type superhero who can manage to retain some level of awareness even while on death’s doorstep?
As it turns out, neither of those two scenarios apply. And at least two people I know of personally have successfully performed this procedure.
The do-it-yourself cardiac bypass procedure is advocate by a reputable group, Harvard Medical School.
Let me explain.
Our bodies are amazing. And the more we learn, the more we continue to be amazed.
We have the ability to develop what is known as collateral circulation. This is where our body re-routes blood around blockages by developing additional circulation. The doctors at Harvard are trying to find ways to make that happen, but for now the only way to make it happen is through exercise. By doing strenuous cardio your body will develop this collateral circulation.
I personally know of two people who have been told that they had heart blockage, but due to their cardio workouts their bodies have developed this amazing solution to the blockage.
This amazing fact may be enough to get me to increase my cardio. I want all the insurance I can get to live longer and healthier. Just as long as it doesn’t involved me using a scalpel on myself.
By the way, this type of miracle can affect other areas of the body, such as the brain or the liver, but this post deals with just the heart.