Today is the day--my heart anniversary. Three years ago tonight I was in complete shock as a doctor I had never met was looking at me telling me I was in the midst of a STEMI. I really just wanted to tell him he was full of shit except the blood pressure reading I was looking at on the machine I was hooked up to read 200/120 so I figured he really was telling me the truth.
I started my day at 4 am so I could get a jump start before anyone else got to work today. I was pondering what to post about this day and so many things came to mind. I chose just to keep it simple and I posted this on Facebook this morning:
In response, my friend Jamie posted this back:
This is it. What he wrote makes what happened to me at 42 and the role I have settled into all worth it. I put it out there just for this reason. If one person makes a change then this is the reason. I never knew something like this would suit me. It turns out it does! God chose this role of survivor and educator because he knew it would suit me. Before this, I never really volunteered. The volunteer work with the American Heart Association suits me as well. I would have never realized this if not for the heart attack. How amazing it feels to take such a monumental negative and turn it into a monumental positive.
A huge thank you to all of you that have hung in with me. Thank you to all of you that put on red for National Wear Red for Women day and text, email or post pictures to me on Facebook. You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you to those of you that read my posts and literally take it to heart and go visit your doctors. Thank you to the American Heart Association Kansas City for all of the opportunity you provide me to go out into our community and educate about heart disease. Thank you also for the opportunity to meet and forge such fabulous friendships with the amazing, amazing other survivors and advocates that I so cherish.
So, to help me celebrate my third heart anniversary, go visit your doctor and get your heart checked out!
One more thing you can do, help us root on our Royals! It is a feel good, good for your heart magical baseball season in our town! Go Royals! #TaketheCrown #BeRoyalKC
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