Go Red day is here!

The reason I go red: I was very fit, in the best shape of my life. I exercised, I ate right, I did everything I was supposed to do. Yet, at age 39, I was diagnosed with heart disease and my life was literally hanging my a thread. God didn't save my life to remain silent! I had no chest pain whatsoever when I was diagnosed. I was actually misdiagnosed with asthma for 2 years! Going to the doctor all the time with complaints of being tired and short of breath. Doctors said I was doing too much....a single mom, working fulltime and going to college. They are doctors...I believed them. My Mom kept urging me to get my heart checked. She kept telling me it could be my heart. I told her the doctors know. I mean, they are doctors, right? They went to school for their knowledge. They know what they are doing. LADIES....let this be a warning to you. Doctors still don't think about heart disease in women even though it's our number one killer and the reason is, our symptoms are so different! I had no chest pain at all. My symptoms were fatigue, shortness of breath and nausea. On the morning of June 21,2001 when I got up I could not fit into my own clothes. My face was red and puffy and I couldn't walk just a couple of feet without feeling worn out and needing to sit down. My father took me to the ER and I was greeted by Dr. Clyde Watson, a doctor I used to work for. Thank God for that. He took one look at me and these were his very words to me. I will never forget them. He said, "Has anyone ever checked your heart?". Sadly, they had not. Over two years of doctor appts and not one doctor even listened to my heart! One that day I learned I had 1/16th of my heart functioning and was told I would die without a heart transplant. I go Red so you don't have to go thru this. I don't want another woman to go two years misdiagnosed until the damage is so great it could cost them their life. Learn the heart facts, get the truth and Go RED!

Please pray for a very young lady.  Savannah Coffman is 21 years old and received her 2nd heart transplant just a few weeks ago.  There were complications with lung function so they had to leave her open.  She started running a fever so they went ahead and closed her up. She needs a miracle.  Her body is full of infection and she went into cardiac arrest but doctors were able to bring her back.  Right now, things are not looking good for her.  I remember a doctor saying those words to me.  God is in control.  Please pray!

Help my friend win the Safe AutoJingle Contest!

Please help my beautiful, talented friend win the Safe Auto jingle contest.  She and her husband wrote and filmed this little jingle and they were chosen as a finalist.  She needs votes to win. She would win $5,000.00 and a spot in a commercial.  I'd love to see her win because she is a beautiful, talented sister in Christ and would give the glory to him!  Here's the link. Once here, click on the green arrow to vote.  You can vote more than once so vote often!  Help her win!  http://www.safeauto.com/DoTheJingle/Video/Ayanna_Lewis

Cardiosmart contest

Wow, I was blown away by all the nice comments I received in the cardiosmart contest.  Thanks to all my friends that voted and left a special comment for me and for all those that also shared the link with friends and had friends vote.  That means so much to me!  We gave it out best!  I didn't win in the end.  I came in 2nd but the most important thing is my story inspired a few people to start taking better care of their hearts!  I also had some private messages from women with the same heart condition that had given up hope of getting any better.  My story gave them hope!  That's what it's all about.  If you are a regular reader of my blog, check out my new facebook page that I have set up. It's dedicated to education about heart disease, posting inpsiring stories, pictures, healthy recipes, etc.  Here's the link.  I'd love to have you join my page!  https://www.facebook.com/livingwithchf?ref=hl

Finalist in the Cardiosmart contest on facebook.

Please help me out!  I entered a contest with cardiosmart and shared my story of my journey with heart disease.  I have been chosen as 1 of 6 finalist.  I could win a trip to San Francisco and be honored by the American College of Cardiology.  In order to win, I need votes.  If you are reading my blog and are also on facebook, please take a moment to go to this site and then find my story.  Click like under my story and post a brief comment.  I get a vote for your like and a vote for your comment.  Please keep it one comment per person though.  I want to win but I want to do this honestly.  Here is the link.  Thanks in advance!  Get out and do something good for your heart today!  https://www.facebook.com/messages/#!/photo.php?fbid=10151193108102669&set=a.10150322112747669.351089.47257822668&type=1&theater

Sweet anniversary

Wow, I haven't updated my blog in a while! Well, today marks 11 years since my diagnosis with heart failure and cardiomyopathy. Just 11 years ago today I found myself in ccu at Middletown Hospital being told I needed a heart transplant to survive. That was IF I made it thru the weekend which doctors were not hopeful. What a journey this has been. God is so faithful. It is so good to go back and see where I was on June 21st 2001 and to look back over the years and see how God was making provision for me in his timing. I had met my husband just 8 months prior to my diagnosis. God knew I would need him and he sure provided a special person to go thru this journey with me. I'll never forget the day Steve looked at me in that hospital and told me with tears in his eyes that he would give me his heart if the doctos would permit it to save my life. Now, that is love! I learned so much about him during this time and truly saw a man that could stick with someone thru anything. So, we got married one year later on my one year heart anniversary so today also marks my 10 year wedding anniversary to the love of my life and my best friend. We chose to celebrate life by remembering it and by making this also the day to remember our wedding day. Talk about 2 different emotions! I can remember when I was in the hospital being told I probably would not survive and I really had no fear. God gave me an incredible strength that truly was a miracle in itself. Because I had no fear and always believed God was going to heal me, my family was more at ease. Peace seemed so strange to my doctors and nurses! My world should have been falling apart but God gave me sweet peace. The song that kept going thru my head at the time was "There is Joy in the Lord." It's been an incredible journey with ups and downs along the way. I've been worked up for transplant now twice and each time God chose a different way for me. There is so much power in prayer. Never take that for granted. Pray, pray, pray. Even when you don't see results....PRAY! 11 years after my initial diagnosis I am at my strongest. My heart is normal size and my EF is now 48%, which is just 2% below normal. I do not get tired. I work out...HARD and I feel great. There is no explantion to this other than God performed a miracle for me. I will never take that for granted. So, today I celebrate. I celebrate all I've been thru and what it has taught me and because this experience brought me closer to God than I would be if I had not had the experience. This experience changed my life for the better and I would not trade it for the world. Can I say it's all been fun....No, I have had my struggles but God has been with me the entire time. He has blessed me with a wonderful family and allowed me to marry my very best friend and love of my life. Today I celebrate all that he has done. He has done great things for me. Now, it is time for me to do great things for him.

Just a few facts on Women and Heart Disease for Heart Month

Under age 50, women’s heart attacks are twice as likely as men’s to be fatal.

71% of women experience early warning signs of heart attack with sudden onset of extreme weakness that feels like the flu - often with no chest pain at all. Medical professionals are challenged to respond to women's milder symptoms, acting with insufficient guidelines.

Nearly two-thirds of the deaths from heart attacks in women occur among those who have no history of chest pain.

42% of women who have heart attacks die within 1 year, compared to 24% of men.

Dance Party Friday

On Friday, February 1 on National Go Red for Women day, I was given the opportunity to share that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women on Local 12 WKRC Dancy Party Friday with Bob Herzog. Exercise has been a big part of my recovery so doing this was a lot of fun. Kerry and Paul, 2 of my zumba instructors came along to help me out and Kerry even made a shirt for Bob to wear. Bob was crazy as usual but we got the word out about Heart disease in women and that exercise is important in taking care of your heart. Click on the title to see the video of Dance Party Friday. I had a blast doing this and so thankful I was given an opportunity once again to do something I am so passionate about.

On Saturday, February 4th I participated in a Go Red casting call for Go Red for Women in hopes of being chosen a spokeswoman to represent the cause for 2012. This has been something I have wanted to do for many years now. Just being able to share my story once again in hopes it helps someone recognize the signs and symptoms of heart disease and to take action is a real blessing to me. Enjoy the Dance Party video and Love your heart!