Survivor turns advocate

How crazy to think I will be coming up on my two-year heart attack anniversary. The days of worry and wondering 'will it be today?' are becoming less frequent. I no longer ponder going to bed at night and worrying that I might not wake up.

It may sound cheesy, but I'm a new me. No longer letting my heart attack define me but guide me to a place of advocacy. A place where I can let my "crazy experience" help others and brings funds and awareness to a great cause. I've referenced this number before, but 1 in 3 women will die from heart disease or stroke compared to 1 in 30 who will die from breast cancer. This statics are unacceptable and need to be changed!

(Photo courtesy of American Heart Association)

So I have this little thing called a family. Family, we all know causes us to be an Uber driver, Chef, maid, mom, wife, and master of none. So why would I take on these extra responsibilities?  I believe in giving back. And I can't think of a better organization that supports people and families that have been impacted by heart disease and stroke. Many times we all wonder how there can be enough hours in the day to do what's required of us none the less add more.  I've decided to become chair of the Go Red for Women Silent Auction Committee and be a member of the Circle of Red. These new areas will allow me to give back to an amazing organization the American Heart Association.

The support the American Heart Association has given me at not only a national but local level has been extraordinary. The AHA has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people along the way. The two areas where I will be volunteering are the Go Red for Women Silent Auction Committee Chair and Circle of Red. Go Red for Women is a part of the American Heart Association that "encourages awareness of the issue of women and heart disease, and also action to save more lives The movement harnesses the energy, passion and power women have to band together and collectively wipe out heart disease. It challenges them to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their risk. It also gives them the tools they need to lead a heart-healthy life."

The Circle of Red Circle of Red is a society of women who have the passion, the motivation and inspiration to drive and influence change in the community regarding heart health of women in their community and across the country. Circle of Red Women help support the mission of Go Red For Women® by making a personal financial commitment to the movement.

Shortly, I'm looking forward to working with other staff and volunteers to raise the awareness of heart disease and stroke. And I plan on this being my mission for many years to come.  Don't feel like you have to wait to get involved until you are personally affected.. start today! If you are interested in getting involved or learning more, please visit the American Heart Associations website or call your local chapter. #LIFEISWHY #FAMILYISWHY #CARINGISWHY #CUREISWHY

And don't forget to wear RED on February 2nd, 2018!!

 

Three things everyone who survives a heart attack needs to know

Its that time of year again, time for pumpkin spice lattes, turkey, Christmas trees, and family! Did you know, that statistically, the most common time for somebody to have a heart attack is around the winter holidays? Total downer moment I know. But, Yikes!! Why is that? People, this is the time of year where we all decide to be superheroes. We bake dozens of cookies, shop til we drop and make our houses look like Christmas threw up on each corner. Why do we put ourselves through this? For the love of GOD stop! You don't want to be wound so tight tinsel starts coming out of every part of your body. 

If you think about it, this is the time of year where our eating habits go to crap, we get less sleep, we drive ourselves nuts with stress and anxiety trying to get everything right. The snow begins to fall and we need to shovel.  In actuality,  we need to take a deep breath and enjoy this time of year without all the craziness.  Who knew trying to make the holidays perfect could actually cause you to become an overnight guest at the hotel ie: Hospital!!

I wanted to do a blog about the three things I feel everyone needs to know post heart attack.

They are simple:

1. De-STRESS your life!!  I know easier said than done. When I get super stressed I actually start to have chest pain. Yikes! 

2. Laugh, laugh and laugh some more  Mayo Clinic actually discussed the health benefits of laughter. It can stimulate many organs, soothe tension, and relieve stress responses. 

3. Tomorrow is not a guarantee so don't treat your life like a dress rehearsal! You only get one go around.

So remember, if you have chest pain call 9-1-1 and remember your warning signs!  

 Heart Attack Warning Signs:

1. Chest Discomfort

2. Discomfort in other areas of the upper body

3. Shortness of Breath

4. Other signs

Have a wonderful holiday season and give yourself the gift of a stress-free holiday!

How do you tell someone "I had a heart attack?"

It took a call from a friend today to bring back the memories of telling family and friends that I had a heart attack. I remember having feelings of embarrassment and shame. Asking myself what are people going to think? What do I say? Should I tell them everything and over qualify that I didn't have plaque! Or should I say my heart is clear it was just a crazy abnormality?  You're probably wondering why would she think that? Well, whether or not we want to admit it we all have in our minds a preconceived notion of who will have a heart attack. They must be obese, smokers with high cholesterol and blood pressure. Sorry to say that is not the case.

Crazy as it is, my friend after an angiogram found out he too had S.C.A.D (Sudden Coronary Artery Dissection) same as what caused my heart attack.  What are the chances? This is so crazy. But I hate to say it.. but I now have my first member of my crazy heart attack club.

Do you know somebody who has had a heart attack? Was it a family member, friend or loved one? Did you ask yourself upon finding out, why did they have a heart attack? Well, imagine what the person who had the heart attack is thinking. We tell ourselves people are going to judge me and they must think I'm a horrible eater. She must not have any idea of what the inside of a gym looks like. She must spend all her time eating at McDonalds, smoking a pack of cigarettes a day and drinks like a drunken sailor. Well, let me tell you that is not the typical heart attack victims lifestyle. Most heart attack victims actually live healthy lifestyles and are avid runners and exercise more than four times a week.

During the first few weeks, I would find myself over explaining my heart attack. I would tell anybody that would listen that my cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugars were below normal levels. I did stop at my weight.. now that maybe a little too much TMI..

The image above is of the different degrees of S.C.A.D Sudden Coronary Artery Dissection. (Graphic by Journal of Thoracic Disease)

 I wanted everyone to know that mine was not caused by plaque but due to S.C.A.D. (Sudden Coronary Artery Dissection). The scary thing about S.C.A.D. it has no explanation. No one knows what causes it,  why and when it happens, and who's affected. It just is one of those crazy things in the universe that decided to happen to my heart.

In the end, we all need to remember that people who have heart attacks are just like you. They still can eat, drink and have fun. Don't judge them and think that all they should ever eat is chicken, lettuce, and carrots. You are going to see us having fun and living life. Hell, we just had a brush with death. What is that quote about everything in moderation? I just ask that before you give someone advice about how they should be doing things think" Am I perfect?" Do I always live a 100% clean lifestyle? Don't judge or label us just because we had a heart attack. You have simply been lucky to not be a member of our "crazy heart attack club".

At the end of my call today with my friend, I finally felt like I had somebody who knew what I was going through. We currently have a support group of two but my hope is to work with the American Heart Association to identify others. Healing from an event like this is not just physical but a mental journey as well. So be kind when you hear of somebody having a heart attack.. Think more with your heart than your mind!

Go RED for Women.. Painting the United States RED!

As I sit down tonight to write this blog I'm at a loss for words. What I have just experienced in a room full of over 400 women/men in a sea of Red is truly an amazing moment. The air was filled with HOPE! Hope that each and every one of us could play a part in stopping the #1 killer of women heart disease and stroke. Emotions ranged from laughter to tears and everything in between. Go Red for Women is a truly amazing cause where people join together. In just 3.5 short hours, 400 women/men raised over $200,00 to help fight this cause. The possibilities are endless in what we can do to fight this! 

This is truly shocking!! 1 in 3 women dies from heart disease or stroke. This needs to end now!

When the slide above was presented, you could hear a pin drop. I sat at a table of 10 and looked around and thought who is next? What we need to remember is heart disease and stroke don't discriminate. We need to do something about this, and it needs to start now. How many times do we turn on our tv and see pink? It's time to expand our color palates and realize the red that signifies the American Heart Association impacts more women on a daily basis.  Well, my wish is that you will turn on your TV see red and think heart disease and stroke. We all need to start getting involved. The truth is that in your lifetime you will either be affected by it personally or have a family member affected. 

Do we need to start asking ourselves, what can I do? How can I get involved? It takes one simple step call your local American Heart Association ask them what you can do to help. It starts with you and from there it blossoms to others. I would love to see us all start to catch the "RED FEVER".  We need to take out the biggest paintbrush we can find and paint this world RED!!

Below you will find my "Survivor Story" video. This video was produced by the American Heart Association. I was able to share my story tonight in hopes that everyone in the audience would not have to experience the crazy journey I've been on. Thank you to the American Heart Association for letting me be apart of such a beautiful evening. 

The day you finally forget to take your medications

Well, it finally happened. One morning as I'm driving down the interstate I suddenly panic that I didn't take my morning medication. Up until this point, I had been psychotic about taking my medication before leaving the house. I would go as far as to put it in a Ziploc sandwich bag if I had to leave early. Immediately, I thought about turning my car around and getting it but then I was already two hours away. In my mind, I went through worst case scenarios about what possibly could happen. After, mulling it over for awhile I stopped at a Walgreens and bought a bottle of baby aspirin. Because who doesn't need a little of that in their car. Now, I've turned my car into a rolling Walgreens. I place the baby aspirin next to my kids deodorant. Why deodorant you ask? Because we all have that moment in parent drop off where the kids forget to apply deodorant and at the end of the day end up smelling like an onion.

You are probably reading this and wondering why is she writing about something as silly as forgetting her medication? Can't, she just take it when she gets home? I could but to somebody who has had a heart attack you look at your medications as a life line. As long as you take them everything is going to be ok you tell yourself. The what if's start to run ramped through your thoughts and occupy endless mind space. 

The American Heart Association wrote about this very topic and why it's so important. It has found that "Medication nonadherence results in approximately 125,000 preventable deaths a year" (American Heart Association) So listen up and take your medication every day! 

There comes a time post heart attack where your life starts to become normal. No longer do you let the heart attack define you! Sure, you think about it now and again but it becomes far less until one day you walk out of your house with out taking your medication. If you had asked me last year about a day like this I would have laughed. But just like anything it starts to occupy less and less of your thoughts.

Although it has been 18 months since my heart attack I still put a huge emphasis on taking my medication daily. Research has shown that this is a proven way to prevent future events. So, going forward I make sure before I leave the house to ask myself "DId I take my pills?"

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