Why does your arm hurt when you are having a heart attack? Dermatomes

It’s a beautiful day. The birds are chirping. The breeze is warm. The sun is shining. You take a deep breath of the park air. Without a care in the world, you continue walking through the park when you feel a sharp pain in your right arm. Stopping for only a moment, you rub the area, then turn onto a different path.

You walk to the middle of the park, thinking about your wife at home getting ready for the grandchildren’s visit. After sidestepping a hole in the sidewalk, you pause for a moment in front of a big grassy area to catch your breath.

A group of elementary aged children throws a frisbee to each other. You watch as one throws the disk to high and it flies over everyone’s heads. The frisbee lands at your feet. You pick it up and toss it back to the kid running your way. She says thank you and turns back to her friends, holding the frisbee in both hands.

Pain kicks in your arm again. Breath catches in your throat. A biker passes as you message your arm and the pain goes away. You take a deep breath.

Putting one foot in front of the other, you made your way to the wooded part of the park. After a few deep breaths, you wave at an old friend playing chess near the maple trees and he waves back. “You want to play today?”

“Can’t,” you reply. “I have to help my wife clean.”

“Too bad!”