# Carrie Fisher has massive heart attack on plane \[UPDATE: RIP\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482 "2016-12-23T21:44:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/41 "2016-12-24T20:08:32Z")
According to her brother, her condition has stabilized. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/42 "2016-12-24T20:17:34Z")
She had completed her filming for _Star Wars: Ep. VIII_. I hope she’s around for the film’s release and not praised posthumously for her performance. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/43 "2016-12-24T20:40:01Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > According to her brother, her condition has stabilized. Which could mean just about anything. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/44 "2016-12-24T20:47:41Z")
I hope her brain wasn’t deprived of oxygen. That can be very, very bad. Maybe the CPR on the plane will make the difference. A EMT and a doctor were administering it. That’s as good as it gets flying in a plane. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/45 "2016-12-24T20:50:53Z")
Since the title mentions a massive heart attack, can someone explain what makes a heart attack massive? What kinds of heart attack are there? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/46 "2016-12-24T21:02:27Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Since the title mentions a massive heart attack, can someone explain what makes a heart attack massive? What kinds of heart attack are there? A heart attack is what happens when a artery that serves the heart gets blocked, generally by ruptured plaque. If it’s an artery that serves a small area of the heart, the heart can continue to function, although at reduced output. If it’s a big artery (like the infamous “Widowmaker,” the LAD), then the heart attack becomes “massive,” where a large portion of the muscle is damaged. This usually leads to death, but not always. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/47 "2016-12-24T21:44:30Z")
_Variety_ is [reporting](http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/12/carrie-fisher-heart-attack) that the “stable condition” thing is bullshit. According to her brother Todd, that’s something the media came up with on their own. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/48 "2016-12-25T14:40:26Z")
That was a shock, she’s not really that old but I guess heart attacks can come at any age. I do hope she gets through this relatively unscathed but from all reports the situation seems bleak indeed. Come on, Carrie! You have literally millions pulling for you. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/49 "2016-12-25T15:33:48Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > A heart attack is what happens when a artery that serves the heart gets blocked, generally by ruptured plaque. If it’s an artery that serves a small area of the heart, the heart can continue to function, although at reduced output. If it’s a big artery (like the infamous “Widowmaker,” the LAD), then the heart attack becomes “massive,” where a large portion of the muscle is damaged. This usually leads to death, but not always. A few years ago, I woke up with chest pains. I woke my wife, and we headed to the hospital, which is just six blocks or so away. I was fifteen minutes from first pain to the ER. It was the Widowmaker, but the speedy attention made it a minor attack. My brother had a massive attack while behind the wheel. He rolled across four lanes of traffic and into someone’s yard. The rescue squad got to him pretty quickly, but he crashed a couple of times on the way to the hospital. He was in a coma for 16 days. We were talking about pulling the plug when he started to wake up. He came out of it OK. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/50 "2016-12-25T19:54:12Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > She and her mom Debbie were working on a joint production as well. How shocking and awful that she may have to bury her child. I didn’t realize her mom was still alive until I heard this on the news , I agree it would be awful if she had to bury her daughter. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/51 "2016-12-25T20:34:54Z")
[Debbie Reynolds says her daughter is stable.](http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2016/12/25/please-come-home-mark-hamill-sends-christmas-wish-carrie-fisher/95840242/) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/52 "2016-12-26T08:02:39Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > That was a shock, she’s not really that old but I guess heart attacks can come at any age. In addition to heavy drug use in her past (supposedly long behind her) she’s a heavy smoker (I’ve seen her twice in person at cons and she was vaping on an e-cig both times and talking about how much she needed a real one) and has had roller coaster weight in recent years. (She moves like she has bad knees or hips- does anybody know?) IIRC, her father had several heart attacks in his later years. She’s an advocate of electroshock therapy, which she said helped her depression more than any therapy or pharmaceuticals, though it did play havoc with some of her recent memories at the time she received it. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/53 "2016-12-26T08:35:17Z")
Apparently both she and Harrison Ford were drunk and high as hell during the filming of the Cloud city sequence in ESB. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/54 "2016-12-26T13:15:57Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > She’s an advocate of electroshock therapy, which she said helped her depression more than any therapy or pharmaceuticals, though it did play havoc with some of her recent memories at the time she received it. ECT isn’t the first choice for anything, but in appropriate cases and done properly the benefits can outweigh the negatives. Of the three people I’ve known personally who received ECT all three experienced permanent improvement regarding their depression. They also all suffered some degree of side effects, but on balance they did benefit from it. Memory problems are pretty common and pretty much expected for the time period around the actual treatment itself. It doesn’t entirely fix the problem, just makes it better. I hope Ms. Fisher recovers sufficiently to get back to a normal life, better yet, get back to acting or whatever else she wants to do. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/55 "2016-12-26T13:23:51Z")
When my Grandfather has his, from what I recall, the first 72 hours are the most crucial. Best of luck to her and her family. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/56 "2016-12-26T15:14:45Z")
I wish her the best. A sad basic actuarial fact: having [bipolar disease reduces life expectancy](http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/807988) significantly, 9 years on average for women, and not just by suicide, but also from ischemic heart disease, diabetes, COPD, influenza and pneumonia. This would still be on the young side but not shockingly so. Recover well Ms. Fisher. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/57 "2016-12-27T17:58:46Z")
WGN is reporting just now Ms. Fisher passed away a short time ago. No link yet. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/58 "2016-12-27T18:00:53Z")
[Just damn.](http://people.com/movies/carrie-fisher-dies/?xid=socialflow_facebook_peoplemag) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/59 "2016-12-27T18:06:08Z")
_People_ is [reporting](http://people.com/movies/carrie-fisher-dies/) Carrie Fisher has died. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482/60 "2016-12-27T18:07:36Z")
Sad but not surprised. RIP, Carrie. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrie-fisher-has-massive-heart-attack-on-plane-update-rip/775482.md?page=4)