Sunday October 13 is my two year heart anniversary! Two years since that moment in time that changed my life so drastically.
I am thankful for so many things about that night. First, I am thankful that I recognized that I was sick enough that I needed to call an ambulance. Second, I am thankful for the first responders, EMT's and paramedics that came to my house. Not to mention the fire department, police and county sheriffs officers. I live in a town of 6,000 people in Kansas and there is really not much that goes on here so calling 911 means they all come. I am thankful they all came. I am thankful that there was a fabulous cardiac team waiting on me when I arrived at Lawrence Memorial. They got paged after hours and left their families to save my life---thank you, thank you, thank you! I am thankful for the several different cardiologists I have had. My first cardiologist saved my life when they took me off the ambulance and he had to place three stents in my LAD. I didn't like him though for post emergency care so I had to find another cardiologist. I found a second cardiologist that I loved. He was funny as hell and humor goes a long way when you are as ill as I was. He discovered the restenosis and put two more stents inside the three I already had. He up and went to practice in Topeka. Now, I am seeing Dr.Yang. She is about my age and a fabulous doc--she takes great care of not only my heart but also me.
They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. To that end, I love this:
Precisely because it did not kill me, I have had experiences that I would not have had if I had never had a heart attack. I started blogging. I would have never started blogging. Much to my surprise, people actually read it and I have met new people because of it. I started the blog because I was 42, had a heart attack and really just didn't know what to do. It was more for me to work through what it meant to me, but the fact that you read it makes me smile. Thank you. This risk is real for everyone and I want to spread that knowledge to as many people as I can. If just one person recognizes their risk and acts to avoid heart disease, this life I was handed has meaning.
I have joined the Go Red Ambassadors through the American Heart Association in Kansas City. I have met incredible women that understand. They are all so different, so interesting and so strong! The first meeting I went to was so emotional--they all just knew why.
In February of 2012 I did not participate in Go Red for Women month. It was all too new and still very raw and I was still in denial. By the time February rolled around this year, it meant so much to me. It was very emotional for me!
On the first Friday in February we went red for women. My friends, family and co workers went red for me and I love them all for it:
I attended the Go Red Casting Call:
One of my best friends daughter's held a fundraiser for the AHA selling red dress pins at her middle school:
The result:
My high school friend Mia makes jewelry and made this for the Heart and Stroke Ball silent auction in my honor:
In April I attended the Half Day for Your Heart Event:
In May, my company had a Greater Kansas City Heart Walk Team and we raised almost $2000.00:
In June we attended Girls Night Out at the K and got to represent heart disease survivors on the field of the Kansas City Royals:
What a fun year it has been and I would have never had these experiences if I wasn't sick! How is that for odd? What a strange life it can be.
I look forward to this weekend as tomorrow is my Second Annual Heart Anniversary Party. Now I love a good party and what better reason? Tomorrow I celebrate life, celebrate my friends and family and celebrate the fact that I am even around to celebrate. I love my friends and family and they have been amazing through all of this! I really am lucky. I got a second chance to spend more time with them and to reconnect. Often time life gets in the way of relationships. People tend to let work overrun their lives and I think you have to make sure that doesn't happen. Make sure to make those relationships come first--with your family and your friends. If I had died that night two years ago there would have been so much left unsaid. Make sure you say it--there is no better time than right now.
If you are out and about tomorrow night raise your glass for me and toast to my health and life and yours!
With love--
Jodi
