National Wear Red Day - February 4th.

Go Red for Women is a mission created by the American Heart and Stroke Association. 
It's goal is to raise awareness that heart disease isn't just for older men. Go Red for Women is dedicated to "celebrating the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke."

With this, they created National Wear Read Day, which raises awareness nationwide by wearing red. 

This year, Wear Red Day is on February 4th.

Awareness starts with us.
Support the fight by wearing red on February 4th.
Help raise awareness, look for free check-ups in your area, go see a cardiologist, start eating better, work-out, stop taking birth control (yes, stop birth control), take care of yourself to be a better, healthier you.

This movement is close to my heart, literally.
After having a stroke on May 25, 2008...the doctor's found I had a hole in my heart and I ended up having open heart surgery on June 15, 2009.
Many of us think that heart disease, stroke, and any related heart issues are a man's thing or for someone older than 50.
This is NOT true.
Wear red on Feburary 4th and do yourself a favor and go see a cardiologist...even if you think you're safe from heart disease, get checked.

Dang, wish I had a TV.

Yes, you read that correctly, we don't have a TV. 

Usually it's great and we just watch stuff online or lots of movies (this has certainly worked, being that it is my means to an end with my new addiction to Glee) and I don't miss too much of what's out there. But I miss being able to watch all of the awards shows and fall premieres along with wanting to just sit and watch a mindless Seinfeld rerun.

Mostly though, I will miss not being able to watch TV tomorrow afternoon at 12 noon.  MSNBC will be airing it's annual Go Red for Women TV special.  The show shares the stories of three survivors and helps raise awareness to prevent heart disease...something I feel quite passionate about.  I am not (yet) on the national level with the American Heart and Stroke Associations to speak out to help raise awareness...but I aim to do so here.

Do you have a history of migraine, stroke, heart attack, heart disease in your family?  Are you a smoker?  How's your blood pressure? Cholesterol?  Have any chest pain?  How bout stress?  Do you use birth control?  Drugs?  How much do you drink?  How's your weight?  Do you not get your 30 minutes of cadio a day?

All of these are risk factors, yes, ALL.  And there are more.
Also, be aware that these issues are NOT just for your grandparents.  
There have been reports of children having a stroke as young as 13, 2, 10 years old! yes, this happens.

Heart disease is also a big issue in women.  One woman dies every minute from heart disease.
every minute!

As women, we usually take care of our friends, our husbands, our children, our family, our pets, everything else before we take care of ourselves.  
Take care of yourselves folks.

Go to a doctor, if even just cuz.

I'm a surviv-ah!

On June 24, Joel and I walked with friends and family in the American Heart Association's Start! Wall Street Run and Heart Walk to help raise awareness against heart disease and stroke.

We had some walkers with us in the Financial District along with team members in: IL, Vancouver, Kalamazoo, NJ, Upper East and West Sides, and Dr. Oz received an honorary team member tee.  

The front of the tee was a shout out to Dr. Oz, who did my surgery.  The tinman (Wizard of Oz, get it?) asking if you've "got heart". 

The back of the tee said:

'operor panton per totus of vestri pectus'

(Do everything with all of your heart.  Colossians 3.23)

Some pics (I will post more later):

I'm a survivor!  

Those of us wearing red caps during the event were all survivors and showed that we are "Fighting Back"!! 

Our walking team in the financial district (thanks guys!)

Some of our remote team members:
          
Dad and Mama Jan in IL                                                                 Mom in IL              

          

Shannon in Kalamazoo, MI                                 Peter and Cheryl in NJ

           Amanda and Laura in NYC                                   Laura again, my favorite little lady

                                                        


We also had many family and friends support us (via The American Heart Association) financially, which was a huge blessing.  This money helps to improve patient care, advocate for better health, reach out, educate, and raise awareness.

Heart Disease and stroke are the number 1 and number 3 killers in America and I'm certain each of us know someone affected by one or both.  I am very passionate about helping raise awareness, especially to alert young people that these issues are not just for your grandparents.  We are all affected.

It is hard to believe it has been two years since we started on this journey.  Amazing how the path of life drastically changes and your passions take a major shift as well.  I was unaware of so much those short two years ago and I will continue to share my story as long as I know it can help save lives.  

Open Heart Demo & Memories of the Big Day

Joel and I went to an open heart demo at the hospital on June 8 and it was a-ma-zing!
so cool and SO informative.
How often do you go into open heart surgery (or any surgery for that matter), are knocked out for 8+ hours and have a clear idea of what is happening to your body during that time?
....yeah, never.

There were a few things I remember leading up to the surgery:
-waking up stinking early the day of and taking a cab to the hospital
-waiting in one room and then being shifted to another room where Dad and Joel came with me.  In the second waiting room I put on my robe, went to the bathroom (yeah, as if that was needed as just moments later they put in the catheter, ha!), took out my contacts, and waited to be called into the O.R.
-a nurse then escorted me down the hall and into the O.R.  I couldn't see a thing without my glasses or contacts, so I remember hanging onto his elbow
-we walked into the O.R. and the nurses and docs had me lay down on the bed
-they spoke to me for awhile telling me a bit about what would happen during the surgery and then told me they were going to put the anesthesia mask on.  They continued to ask me questions about basically nothing, then... I. was. out.

After that...I have not a clue what happened.

So, Joel and I went to this demo to find out what the heck they did to me!
This was certainly not for those with a queasy stomach.

The doctor giving the demo showed us a video of my awesome doc in the O.R. and some basics of what he does along with shots of the heart/lung bypass machine. (a pic) wow.

He also passed around: 

--a chest tube (also: here and here) which is "used to remove fluid from the space between the lungs and the wall of the chest.  The tube is placed between the ribs and into the space between the inner and outer lining of the lungs".

--a pace maker

--the wire attached to your heart during and after surgery. I don't remember the name of it, (AICD? Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator?) but it helps maintain the electrical current of the heart...similar use as a pace maker, but it's temporary

--and some other tools used (note the one in the top center, thats how they crank and keep ya open! wo.)

It was amazing to see and touch these items.  (I did not have a pace maker put in, but it was still pretty neat to see what it was.)

He also told us some of the steps that happened after we are knocked out:
-they wash our whole body with a special anti-bacterial soap
-cover us up with the fancy blue sheets (one which had a special window just to the heart)
-cut open our skin, pry open the ribs, do the wee little op, and sew us back up!

Now, my surgery was a minimally invasive open heart surgery and not your traditional crack open the breast bone surgery. So instead of being on my back during the procedure, the docs had to roll me on my side and stretch the ribs open instead of just opening and closing the breast bone.

As the ribs shift back into place it is certainly pretty painful, but the recovery time for minimally invasive is shorter. With this, you can return to your normal life and activities pretty quickly.
There is less also scarring with minimal invasive,
I have an incision only about 4 inches long under my right breast:

(this pic was taken just 4 weeks after surgery, now, just over a year later... you can barely even see any of the scarring! woot! Vitamin E oil helps the scarring as well)

Needless to say this demo was incredible and very informative. Joel and I were the youngest ones in the room, but it was wonderful to be in a room full of supporters and folks who had been through the same thing and to learn more  about what has happened to my body. Incredible.

One Year & kicking strong...

ONE YEAR...


June 15, 2009: Open Heart Surgery


June 15, 2010: thanking God for all of His blessings and protection through crazy times.  I'm onto bigger and better things...and oh so grateful I'm still alive. wow.  PTL

Why is May important?

Did you know that May is Stroke and High Blood Pressure Awareness Month?
As many of you know by now...I had a stroke on May 25, 2008.
There are many ways that a stroke can affect someone...some are unfortunate and loose their lives, some paralyzed, some can't talk, some go blind, the side effects can be quite scary.
I am one of the lucky ones.
Sure, I may have to be more fervent with certain tasks of life such as working out my left side more than my right...but these are small trivial side affects.  I have been able to go back to living my life as I did before.  I still play sports, I still can remember random moments from the past (as my friend KatieG is so keenly aware of...how do I remember the name of the random lady from childhood who's birthday is on leap year?), I can keep up with the pace of the NYC life, and I can praise God for keeping me alive.
In this blessing...I aim to raise awareness.
Get your exercise.  Drink Water. Eat healthy. Know your family's health history.  Definitely know your own body and health history.  Take preventative action.
Don't say "Oh, I'm young.  I'm not at risk for anything" this is just plain ignorance folks.
Take care of your body.

What is a Patent Foramen Ovale???

A Patent Fo-what O-What?
A Patent Foramen Ovale.
{pronounced PAY-tent fore-A-men O-val-eh}
What is a PFO??

First, there is the need to explain what the Foramen Ovale is  ::
When in the womb, our circulatory system works differently than when out.  We do not yet use our lungs when in the womb because we receive our vitamins & nourishment from our moms through the umbilical cord & placenta.  Since our circulatory system works differently at this stage, the Foramen Ovale is the small hole in the atrial septum (upper chambers of the heart) that allows the blood to circulate.
When we are born, the circulatory system changes.  The Foramen Ovale usually closes with our first big breath.  This breath causes the lungs to fill and thus causing Foramen Ovale to close because of the pressure of the circulatory system getting 'on track'.

BUT!
When the Foramen Ovale doesn’t close properly it is called a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO).

This type of defect generally works like a flap valve, opening during certain conditions when there is more pressure inside the chest.  When the PFO is present it allows blood to take 'short cuts' through the heart. 

(See the image to the left for what the PFO looks like.)

Approximately 25-30% of the general population has a PFO (occasionally, it can be heard with a heart murmur).  Many people can live with a PFO without any problems.  But there is the possible risk of migraines, strokes, and the possibility of not being able to scuba dive.


resourses for this info:
--mostly, my brain and things I've learned in the past couple of years.  along with these links ::
--Foramen Ovale
--PFO
--Fetal Circulation

"Now Go Out & Change the World"

These are the words Dr. Oz spoke to me on Friday, February 26.  I went to a recording of his show and said hello to him when the taping was over...he remembered me.
He did my open heart surgery June 15, 2009.
I told him thank you.
I told him he did a fantastic job.
I told him I feel great.
He gave me a couple of hugs and then said "Now go out and change the world"
quite a big feat!
"change the WORLD!"
well, I don't know if I can change the entire world...but I sure can at least continue to share my story.

Today's Entry
young women can have a stroke
Yes, it can happen.
Strokes are not just for older folks or people who are overweight or smokers or those who have high blood pressure or are migraine sufferers...
I was 30 when I had my stroke.
I had no family history of stoke, blood clots, heart issues...none.
Yet, I had a stroke.
One huge contributing factor: birth control (along with my 'thick blood' that the doctors found after I had the stroke...why did they not test this before I took the pill!?)
Doctors are so quick to prescribe the pill that I feel that they don't ask all of the precautionary questions or even take any precationary tests at all before handing out this extemely powerful daily drug.  Since I had my stroke, I have heard more & more stories of young women who have also had a stroke because of birth control.  Some have died, some paralyzed, some were lucky like me & hardly have any residual effects. 
(Here is another woman's story...quite similar to mine. and another link to cnn.com on the same topic)
Awhile back, I was in one doctor's office and was talking to him about my stroke.  I got on my soapbox and mentioned "If only doctors would do all of the precautionary testing on women before prescribing such a powerful drug" and he said "What, we're supposed to test every single woman that goes on the pill!?" I replied "YES! save a few lives!"
However, in addition to doctors being more careful about prescribing any old thing to their patients...we as the patient need to be careful in letting them prescribe any old thing to us.
Take charge, know your body, do your research.

I will admit, I took the pill without doing all of the precautionary research for myself.  I assumed, like many of my friends and other millions of women who take it, that I would be fine.  That I was immune to the small print on the prescription info sheet.  Yet, I was only on the pill for a year and a half...then had a stroke.

I can't really tell you what to do with your body and what to put in it or not put in it....but I can raise awareness.  Just like knowing that we need to do 30 minutes of cardio and eat our fruits and veggies each day, we need to be aware of the fine print.

Know to take care of your body, know the warning signs of a stroke.  Tell your friends and neighbors...and be careful of what you put in your body.

I can not go back and change the past. 
I am a young woman who has had a stroke and open heart surgery.
I now share my story, I raise awareness, I will try and do as Dr. Oz has challenged me and "go out and change the world".

postscript: I am convinced that my mom is the only one that reads my blog and I really do appreciate it Mom!, but I'm curious if there are others out there...what are your thoughts, questions, stories?

Me & the Wizard...

So, from the encouragement of my huz, some friends & a little doc we call Oz, I have decided to start blogging again to share my story. I will update this over time, but here's a little taste of it all....

Yup, that's me & Dr. Oz. I LOVE him! he's a wonderful, sympathetic doctor & you know he's trying his hardest to make the world of medicine a much better place. I feel so blessed that we were able to get him. :)