STENT CLUB MEMBERS, WOMEN OVER 60 & OTHERS:HEART TALK

An egg white omelet with part-skim mozzarella cheese, asparagus, tomatoes and a special every day seasoning from Trader Joe's. This was my heart healthy breakfast today and those egg whites were surprisingly good and satisfying; which is sometimes hard to achieve on a heart healthy diet, but the alternative is fat which clogs the arteries and you die.

I have been given a new perspective on life after my heart surgery a little over a month ago. I was traveling along in life after just turning sixty with not a care in the world. I have a wonderful family, great friends an interesting job and even a beautiful view of the woods out my back windows. But lurking inside was an enemy that was mounting a serious attack. While I was walking away on a treadmill at LifeTime Fitness, at level 5, I suddenly felt something in my chest. I got a little short of breath. It felt like I swallowed something. I immediately slowed my pace, but continued my workout. Right before coming to LifeTime, my husband and I had walked our dog outside and it was cold and windy, so I just associated it with swallowing some cold air. I didn't think any more about it until I received an e-mail at work, describing a heart attack from a woman's point of view. In the e-mail the woman compared the sensation to "swallowing a golf ball." Now, I didn't think it felt exactly like that, but there were some similarities. However, I pushed "heart attack" thoughts aside. I mean, my husband, who does have heart problems along with a bout with kidney cancer, always tells me I'm going to live forever. My parents were in their 80's when they died, and neither one had any major medical problems before 75.

The following week I was chaperoning a field trip after school for our Newcomer's Club that gives new students an opportunity to socialize in a safe environment. We were taking the students to Woodfield Mall for some spring shopping. I was running late and while quickly walking, I experienced the "golf ball" feeling a second time. The thought crossed my mind that maybe I shouldn't go on this trip, but since our school nurse was coming, I thought, "If anything happens, she can take care of me."

The next day was Parent Conferences and I didn't have to go to school until noon, so I called my husband's cardiologist and they scheduled me for an appointment the following day. The nurse asked if my feeling was like "a lump?" "That's it," I replied. The following day, March 5, I went to see the doctor. I brought my latest blood report which showed all my counts for HDL, LDL and over all cholesterol all in range. They decided to give me two tests, a calcification test (which is like an MRI in the big machine). It is looking for any blockages or calcium deposits in the heart. I passed this test with flying colors. I scored a zero. The second test was a stress test and I flunked. The doctor then told me to call my husband and get over to the hospital for an angioplasty. He also said that perhaps this was a just a false positive.
I've been through the angioplasty drill before with my husband, and I knew that there is a degree of risk involved with this test. Also, you have to sign a release that if necessary they can do open heart surgery. I was concerned, but not anxious. I felt very relaxed going into the test and asked for prayer from my husband and daughter.
During the test, I was awake and heard the two doctors talking about size, something like, "Is it 3.5 or 4?" I said oh-oh, something must be going on. The surgery took all of about 30 minutes. And then the shocker, I had a 95% blockage in my left main artery of the heart, commonly referred to as the "widow maker," but in my case it would have been "widower maker." I am now a member of the STENT CLUB, because the doctors put in a medicated stent or tiny pipe that allows the blood to flow through the artery. They also put me on Plavix, which is a blood thinner, and a 80mg. dose of Vytorin, which is a cholesterol lowing medication. I also have to be on a strict low-fat diet and continue exercising. My husband and I have been going to LifeTime about three times a week since the fall, so that has to increase. Drugs, diet and exercise are now my mantras.

WOW, I couldn't believe it. How could this happen? I wasn't angry, but confused. Now, even though my parents didn't experience any serious health issues until their seventies; my mom's brothers and sisters died primarily of heart attacks in their sixties. But I had always thought I was my father's child, since I look more like him than my mom. I guess my insides are my mom's and with that comes the heart problems. Even my younger cousin, who is only 53, had the same thing happen to him last November. This heredity thing can really sneak up on you, just like age does.

It has taken me about a month to mentally process what all this means. I have had more thoughts about death after this, but not in a maudlin or depressing way. Just the thoughts that one day I will die and it will probably be heart related. Does this event make me want to quit my job and go sky diving, NO. (I'm still somewhat afraid of heights.) However, it does give me pause to spend more time in prayer listening, rather than talking.In addition it makes me want to tell other women over 60, not to ignore any feelings in the chest, no matter how busy they are.

For the past few months I had been having a lot of dreams about my dead family members,even at some of the old houses they lived in. Often I'd wake up and think, "Do they need prayers?" or "Are they calling me, am I going to die soon?" As I reflect on it now, perhaps they were warning me about this impending situation with my heart and telling me to take care of it.

Also, before this happened I would also say that I trusted the Lord with everything. Now, that trust in God and His plan for my life is going deeper into my soul. My life is truly in God's hands and I believe that now more than ever before. He has tasks for me to do and I won't go home to Him until those tasks are done and when I'm ready to see him in person. Trust and Faith are really two sides of the same coin. I trust that God is a loving God and I have Faith that His actions and decisions are rooted and grounded in love, just the way I should be. Do I ever get frightened? Of course, in the middle of the night when I feel a slight flash of pain or I twist or turn the wrong way. However, knowing that I am in His loving hands I return to my dreams.

I would like to recommend a book that I have been praying/reading after my surgery.
It's 31 DAYS OF HEALING by Mark Brazee. It's one of those little books that you can stuff in your purse or pocket. It is filled with encouragement for anyone who is going through an illness. Why 31 days? I don't know, but maybe it takes that long to mentally process a new health condition or illness.

I was also encouraged by two verses in my daily devotional following my surgery:
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order to know the hope to which God has called you." Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)

"Thus says the Lord: Your hurt is incurable; your wound is grievous. For I will restore health to you and your wounds I will heal." Jeremiah 30:12,17

Some pretty awesome encouraging, hope-filled, heart-lifting verses!

The Divine Physician is Himself the best medicine anyone could hope for!