Catherine E. McLean’s short stories have appeared in
hardcopy and online anthologies and magazines. Her latest novel is Hearts Akilter,
a lighthearted fantasy/sci-fi romance. Catherine also gives writing workshops,
both online and in-person. Learn more about Catherine and her books at her
website.
Catherine will be giving away a $50 gift card at her release party August 5th. Visit her website for more information.
Catherine will be giving away a $50 gift card at her release party August 5th. Visit her website for more information.
Heart Attack Symptoms: Believability in Fiction
Robots can have heart
attacks, too. At least, that is what I had to deal with when Henry, the robot
in my forthcoming release, popped into my head saying he was suffering from
one.
Because believability is a
primary factor in writing fiction, I wanted to make certain what the medical
robot (Henry) would tell Marlee (who repairs robots) when he described the
unusual "pain" he felt. But because Henry is a robot, his
"pain" was current that went from his upper left chest and down his
left arm. Henry was experiencing a short circuit, which was caused by a bomb
that had been placed inside him. But in real life, heart attack symptoms can be
similar.
Here are the common symptoms
of a heart attack:
Chest pain: While this seems
like a vague term, it is used to cover a variety of feelings of discomfort in
the chest area. Sometimes called tightness or heaviness, such symptoms may last
for a few minutes and then go away.
Other areas of pain: Pain is
often reported in the neck, jaw, left shoulder, arms, and even the stomach.
Difficulty breathing:
Shortness of breath is common when having a heart attack.
Sweating: Often referred to
as a “cold sweat,” perspiration is a common symptom of a heart attack.
Nausea: It is not uncommon
to vomit when experiencing a heart attack.
Rapid or irregular heart
beats and lightheadedness: Due to the stress the heart undergoes when
experiencing a heart attack, the heart will jerk into a rapid or irregular
heart beat, and the body experiences an overall wave of weakness, which is
often described as lightheadedness.
Two things to keep in mind:
Indigestion or heartburn is
often confused with a heart attack. Every day, people are rushed to the
hospital because they assume or believe they are experiencing a heart attack,
and it turns out it’s just abdominal distress.
Heart attack symptoms in
women may differ. In medical studies, women reported having much more vague
feelings when it came to cardiac distress, often including a feeling of fatigue
for several days.
And like with
Henry-the-robot who is dealing with a ticking bomb, the best advice I can give
is to reiterate what the experts say: When in doubt, always seek emergency
care.
Hearts Akilter
Love, vengeance, attempted murder, and a bomb...No
reason to panic.
When a medical robot insists
he's having a heart attack, Marlee Evans, a pragmatic maintenance technician,
has every reason to panic. There's a bomb inside him. Since Marlee can't risk
the bomber discovering she's found the device, her only option is to kidnap
Deacon Black, an unflappable bomb expert, and secretly convince him to disarm
it. Things go slightly awry when Deacon sets a trap for someone who is trying
to kill him, and inadvertently captures Marlee instead. Instantly intrigued by
her refreshingly forthright and gutsy attitude, he's smitten. Unfortunately for
Deacon, Marlee recently hardened her heart and swore off men, especially
handsome ones with boy-next-door grins. But as Marlee and Deacon attempt to
identify and prevent the bomber from detonating the device, they discover that
love may be the most explosive force of all.
