Category: WomenHeart

WHAT’S YOUR VISION?

WHAT’S YOUR VISION?

by sharwrite ♥ 2 Comments

At the last meeting of our WomenHeart Group, we gathered stacks of old magazines, pictures, postcards, quotations, scissors, glue, and used our imaginations to create individual Vision Boards.  Andee and Annie brought some 9 x 12 boards that, when finished, could be hung on the wall.  We had an hour and a half to create a vision of our lives.

Better than a resolution, a Vision Board is a reminder of what’s essential in your life.  The idea came to us via our HeartSister Caridad.  In addition to heart disease, Cari had several other serious health issues. She told us about her Vision Board. It had words of encouragement, pictures of loved ones, and a photograph of the beach – a place Cari associated with peace and serenity. The first thing every morning, she would look at it.  It would lighten her load and help her start her day with feelings of thankfulness.

In January 2017, we had our first VB party.  At the end of a delightful evening,  we shared our completed projects.  Here is Cari with her Vision Board along with Annie de Velasco, Andee Weiner, and me.  What a lovely moment.

This year, the inspiration for my Vision Board started with two books.  Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, by Sarah Ban Breathnach, is a book I read years ago and decided to revisit.  Each day there is a passage to read, and each month she suggests small activities to enrich the reader’s life, called “Joyful Simplicities.”  The second book by Jennifer Ashton, M.D, was published recently and titled, “The Self-Care Solution.”  Dr. Ashton set in motion personal monthly challenges, which would help improve her life.

Why these books?  For years I’ve been reading “how-to” books.  And, yes, I often learned how to do something better.  Alternatively, these books dived into how to better care for me, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.

My vision board (shown below) is hanging in my office, which is currently filled with clutter.  Is it any wonder it has the words “less clutter” prominently displayed?  Looking like a title at the top of a page, I’m reminded to “Enjoy Life.  It has an expiration date.”  My blog is noted, as are the two books starting me on my journey, and my self-care monthly challenges.  In my first month, I delved into meditation.  That was so satisfying, I’m continuing it daily.

One thing that’s difficult to read in this picture, but really spoke to me are the words, “Instead of focusing on a to-do list, start a to be list.  Things I want to be:  Happy, Calm, Loving, Healthy, Awesome.”  As an A-Type personality,  I’m thinking not being driven by my to-do list is going to take some extra work.

So there is my vision for 2020.  It is said, visualization is a powerful mind exercise.  I’ll have to get back to you next year and let you know how strong my vision is.

In the meantime, here are some suggestions for your Vision Board.  Focus more on how you want to feel — not merely on things you want.  Use pictures, words, photographs, even trinkets.  There aren’t any rules.  Come back next year and let me know how you did.

It’s Heart Month!

It’s Heart Month!

by sharwrite ♥ 3 Comments

Editor’s Note:  As a WomenHeart Champion, I tell “My Heart Story” to educate women about heart disease.  The following message was delivered at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Professional Women’s Sorority in Miami Gardens, Florida.

On Martin Luther King’s birthday in 2016, I awoke at about 12:30 am with a horrific toothache. I got out of bed and meandered into the kitchen to get some water. I was incredibly tired. After a few moments, the pain began to subside. In my exhaustion, I thought, “I must have imagined that,” and I headed back to bed. I had just experienced two symptoms of a heart attack — referred pain in my jaw and extreme fatigue.

About 4 to 5 hours later, the “toothache” returned. I wondered, “Could this be heart-related?” My birth mother had died of a heart attack at the age of 48.  It was early in the morning, but in this marvelous age of technology, Dr. Google is an on-call go to. My diagnosis was that I may be or may not be having a heart attack. Deciding not to rely on indecision, I contacted my physician as soon as her office opened. She said, “Go to the ER and don’t drive yourself.”  The Emergency Room physician confirmed I had indeed had a heart attack.

Fast forward almost one year to the date. I was exercising in Cardiac Rehab when I noticed some pressure in my jaw. It wasn’t pain — just pressure or heaviness in my lower jaw. I asked a nurse to take my blood pressure. It was elevated, but for someone who was working out, that would be expected. I explained what had happened and was told to contact my cardiologist.

Within a week, I was in the Cardiac Cath lab again, my left anterior descending artery (sometimes referred to as the widow maker) was 95% occluded and was stented. I had avoided a second heart attack.

Our bodies are truly remarkable.  They talk to us — sometimes in unusual ways.  Heart attacks vary in intensity and symptomatically.  While some come on suddenly, many have warning signs, hours, days, or even weeks in advance. Here are some symptoms:

    • Pressure, pain or tightness in your chest, arms, neck, or jaw
    • Nausea, indigestion, heartburn, or abdominal pain
    • Shortness of breath
    • Cold sweat
    • Fatigue
    • Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness

Do not ignore these signs.

I get it, we are all busy. Perhaps you have a stressful job, or you’re taking care of the family (often both), and for many in the sandwich generation, you’re taking care of parents.  Women find themselves focused on everyone and everything else, disregarding signals our bodies are sending.

Here is my message to all of you. The next time your body speaks to you, pay attention, whether it’s SHOUTING at, or whispering to you, LISTEN! You may not get a second chance.

BODY LANGUAGE

BODY LANGUAGE

by sharwrite ♥ 2 Comments

The definition of body language is, “the process of communicating nonverbally through conscious or unconscious gestures and movements.”  But, I’m thinking of something different.  I’m here to discuss how your body speaks to you.  If you are sick, your body might ache, and your temperature rise.  These are straightforward messages from your body.  However, sometimes, the language is more subtle.  Let me tell you a story to illustrate what I mean.  It’s Martin Luther King’s birthday, 2016 about 12:39 am.

I awoke in extreme pain.  I had a toothache.  It’s the kind of pain you feel when you require a root canal.  I got out of bed, walked into the kitchen and got a drink of water.  As I wandered around the house, the pain began to subside.  I was exhausted and asked myself, “Did I really feel that?”  I finally convinced myself it was my imagination and went back to bed.

A few hours later, the pain returned.  I’ve undergone a root canal, and I know the pain doesn’t come and go.  I was also aware that when having a heart attack, one can experience referred pain.  Instead of feeling pain in your chest, it can be in your head, neck, arms, or back.  I figured I’d better check this out — and I did.  I went straight to Dr. Google.  I looked up angina.  There’s stable and unstable angina, the latter indicating a heart attack.

Not having graduated from medical school, but considering myself an excellent diagnostician, I determined I did NOT have a heart attack.  Mind you, I had just read on the Mayo Clinic site that unstable angina occurs even at rest (I was asleep) and often is unexpected.

My doctor’s office would be open in a couple of hours, and I decided to call her.  In the meantime, I took a shower, dressed, and worked in my office.

I explained to the receptionist I believed I might be having angina.  The doctor got on the phone and asked for my symptoms.  I told her what had occurred and she said, “Go to the Emergency Room.”

I countered with, “Well, I thought I’d just come to your office.”

“I don’t have time to drive you to the ER.  Go to the hospital … and don’t drive yourself.”

After some blood tests, chest x-rays, and EKGs, a young ER doctor came to the room I was in and said, “You’ve had a heart attack.”  Quite frankly, he looked to me to be about 19.  What could he possibly know?  Apparently, more than I.  Within minutes a very tall cardiologist walked in and said, “You’ve had a heart attack.  We won’t know the severity until you have a cardiac catheterization.”

Ten hours had passed since I felt the first pain.  Also, I’d experienced fatigue, another symptom of a heart attack.  What did I do as I was having a heart attack?  I went back to bed, diagnosed myself, worked in my office, and yes, took a shower!  Had my occlusion been in a different artery, those decisions could have been fatal.

Like many victims of a heart attack, I looked at the event and my quick recovery and figured, that’s it — I’m well.  I actually thought, “Is that all there is to a heart attack?”  What I didn’t consider is the cause and effect aspect.   The heart attack was fixed with a stent. However, the underlying cause, cardiovascular disease, was still with me.

Almost one year to the date of my event, I was exercising more rigorously than usual in Cardiac Rehab when I began feeling some pressure in my jaw.  No pain, just pressure.  I stopped and asked someone to take my blood pressure.  It was elevated from exercise, but nothing concerning.  So I continued my routine.  As I was leaving, I mentioned what had happened to a nurse.  She said to call my doctor.  I did and was told to come right in.  My doctor, in turn, called my cardiologist and within a week I was back in the cath lab.

I had somehow avoided a second heart attack.  However, my Left Anterior Descending Artery  (a/k/a WidowMaker) was 95% occluded.  This event was potentially worse than the earlier heart attack.

Your body speaks to you.  I pretty much ignored my first cardiac encounter.  Fortunately, even though the second message was much more subtle, I listened.  Quick action saved my life.

Here are my rules to live by.  First, listen to your body.  Second, know your numbers:

Blood Pressure:  The new “Normal” is less than 120/80

Triglycerides:  Normal is less than 150mg/dl

Cholesterol:  LDL less than 70 (it was 100); HDL more than 40

Third, get some exercise.  You don’t need a gym.  Go for a walk in the park or if the weather is not conducive, go to a mall.  The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of exercise daily.

Oh, and if you’re still smoking, STOP!

Our bodies speak to us when something is wrong, in a language that is sometimes confusing or subtle.  In our busy worlds, we tend to ignore the message or pull a Scarlett O’Hara saying, “I just can’t think about this now.  I’ll think about it tomorrow.”  But here’s the rub: tomorrows aren’t guaranteed.

Editors Note:  This was a speech given at Miracle Mile Toastmasters on March 7, 2019.

 

Remembering Cari

Remembering Cari

by sharwrite ♥ 7 Comments

I was attending my first WomenHeart meeting two years ago.  The meeting was starting, and I quickly found a seat, sitting next to Caridad (Cari).  There were maybe 25 – 30 women present and I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Sometimes, the meetings have speakers or activities, but this evening was dedicated to sharing.  I was to learn that taking the time to listen and learn from other heart patients, is an invaluable tool for all.  As it came time for Cari to share, she started to tear up.  In addition to heart disease, Cari had several other serious health issues.  Having an opportunity to express her problems was difficult, yet she did so with profound dignity.

She told us about her Vision Board. It had words of encouragement, pictures of loved ones, and a photograph of the beach – a place she associated with peace and serenity. The first thing every morning she would look at it.  It would lighten her load and help her start her day with feelings of thankfulness.  At the end of the meeting, I spoke with her and our group leader, Annie, about having a Vision Board party for our WomanHeart group.

In January 2017, we had our VB party.  What a great time.  After working on our boards,  we shared our completed projects with everyone.  Here is Cari with her Vision Board along with Annie de Velasco, Andee Weiner and me.  What a happy moment.

As I look at Cari’s Vision Board, I see pictures of her family and of course her beautiful beach.  Most prominently we find the word, GRATITUDE, something integral to her well-being.

Cari passed away early last week.  In the song, Seasons of Love, from the musical, Rent, we are asked, “How do you measure the life of a woman or man?”  The answer is, “Measure your life in love.”  Cari exuded love.  I am so grateful I had the opportunity to know her, if only for a brief time.

DO AS I SAY…

DO AS I SAY…

by sharwrite ♥ 4 Comments

Editor’s Note:  Following is a speech given at Miracle Mile Toastmasters, February 8, 2018

WomanHeart is The National Coalition of Women WITH Heart Disease.  If someone had asked me 5 or 10 years ago, if I would be active in an organization that had as a criterion for membership having a disease, I would have said, “Not me.”  Yet here I am.  Every WomenHeart Champion has heart disease, and each of us has a story.

Let’s get personal.  On January 18, 2016, I awoke with the most horrible pain in my jaw.  I couldn’t believe it.  It felt as if I needed a root canal.  I looked at the clock, it was 12:30 am.  I went into the kitchen to get some water.  As I walked, the pain began to subside.  I was exhausted and thought, “Did I imagine that?  I must have.”  I went back to bed.

About 4 hours later, it happened again.  I woke up with severe pain in my jaw.  I’m smart enough to know that root canal pain does not come and then go on its own.  What to do?  Have you heard of Google?  Yep, that’s what I did, I googled angina.  What I read said it could be a heart attack, but then again, it might not.  Being the outstanding diagnostician that I am, I deduced it was not.  My doctor would be in the office in a couple of hours.  I decided to wait (yet again) and call her.  She said, “Go directly to the ER, do not pass go, do not collect $200.”

Ten and a half hours after the first pain, I was diagnosed.  I’d had a heart attack.

Fast forward 1 year.  I was at Cardiac Rehab exercising.  I was pushing up the speed on a treadmill.  I noticed some pressure in my jaw.  No pain – just pressure.  I stopped and had someone check my blood pressure.  It was okay.  I continued with my routine and only as I was leaving did I mention the mild discomfort I’d felt.  The nurse looked at me as if I had 2 heads.  “Why didn’t you tell me?  You need to see your doctor right away.”  I called my internist and explained what had happened.  The next thing I knew I was in her office where the staff told me several times all would be OK.  Oddly enough I wasn’t alarmed until the third, “you’ll be OK.”  The next day I was at the cardiologist’s office, the next week in the cath lab.  I didn’t have a heart attack.  However, my Left Anterior Descending Artery (aka the Widowmaker) was 95% occluded, making it far more dangerous than the attack I’d had a year earlier.

What can you learn from my experience?  You know the old saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.”  What were my actions? I ignored symptoms, waited far too long to get help, even worse I diagnosed myself!

Considering that heart disease is the number 1 killer of men and women in the United States, here is what you should do:

Know your risks (some over which you have no control):  If you are African-American, Hispanic or Native American, or if you have a family history, you are at higher risk for developing heart disease.

Know your risks Part 2 (you can change these):  If you’re a diabetic, if you are overweight or if exercise is lacking in your day — make changes to your routine, and diet.  And for heaven’s sake STOP SMOKING!

Know your numbers:  Is your cholesterol too high?  What about your HDL and LDL?  How are your triglycerides?  Do you have hypertension?  Remember the guidelines have changed.

All of these risks and numbers apply to everyone in this room.  You may ask, “But, what is WomenHeart?  Why is there a need for an organization just for women with heart disease?”

Let’s look at some facts and statistics.  While 1 in 31 American women die of breast cancer (which is far too many) 1 in 3 dies of heart disease.  Since 1984, more women than men have died from heart disease.  Let’s say a woman goes to the best cardiologist on the planet.  And that cardiologist gives the VERY BEST advice available.  The reality is that “best advice” may not be the best at all.  Doctors recommendations are often tied to the results of clinical trials.  Today, women comprise less than 27% of the participants in cardiac trials.  Women are not little men.  Their biology is different.

Women’s symptoms during a heart attack are different as well.  Yes, they may have chest pain, but they are likely to present with various indicators such as nausea, feeling light-headed, having extreme fatigue, pain or discomfort in the arm or shoulder, neck or back — and don’t forget my symptoms — pain in the jaw.  With my second event there was NO PAIN — merely pressure in my jaw.  Is it any wonder that women are often misdiagnosed?

The most important thing to do if you have any symptoms of a heart attack is to go the emergency room.  Time is of the essence.  Call 911 or have someone take you.  Do not drive yourself.

Many of you work for companies in this area or belong to organizations that meet locally.  WomenHeart has a program called WomenHeart@Work.  We can design a power point meeting for members of your group, giving each participant facts about taking charge of their heart health.  I have some of our “Bags of Courage”  with information on protecting your heart health as well as my WomenHeart Business Card.  Call me, and we will schedule a presentation, which will be a gift to your company, its employees or members of your organization.

I implore you to “do as I say.”  Education can save the life of a colleague, friend, teammate or partner.  Take this life-saving opportunity.