Matter of the Heart

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

2012-02-06T07:55:00.002-05:00

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

2012-02-05T07:36:00.000-05:00

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!

Heart Month

2012-02-05T07:26:00.002-05:00

Monday I was given the opportunity to tell my story to Liz Bonis from Local 12 WKRC in Cinnati. Liz Bonis was awesome and did a great job putting my story together. Click on the link if you would like to see a little bit of my story. Click on the title Heart Month to see the video. The story aired on February 1, the beginning of heart month. I hope this helps other women to recognize that shortness of breath and fatigue can be symptoms that something is going wrong with your heart and take it seriously. This was a wonderful experience for me and I encourage anyone else that has a story that could help others to do the same and share their story. You never know how many lives you may touch or change by doing so.

Celebrating Milestones and counting Ebeneezer stones!

2011-06-24T09:17:00.001-04:00

The best thing that ever happened to me was heart disease. My heart break brought me back to God. It brought me where I needed to be. My heart break allowed me to get to know God better. To truly taste and see that he is good and get to know his character. It brought me to the end of me. It made me understand I've got nothing to bring but empty hands. Nothing to hide and nothing to prove. Heart disease brought me closer to God and it has been worth every bit of pain I've endured. I would not trade what I've been thru for anything this world has to offer me. This world will leave you empty, but God never will.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 marks a very special milestone for me in my journey with heart disease. Doctors at first said I wouldn't live thru the weekend, but God had other plans. Then doctors said I have 4 1/2 - 5 years to live, but God had other plans. This year I celebrate 10 years since my diagnosis with congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy. I also celebrate my 9 year wedding anniversary to my best friend, Steve. We chose to get married on that date just one year after my diagnosis to celebrate life and to give that date even more of a special meaning to us. What a ride it has been. I am extremely blessed to be where I am today. My path hasn't been easy, not at all but it's been good....so good. I've had many struggles and challenges over the last 10 years. Lots of unknowns and uncertain tomorrows. With all the struggles came tremendous blessings and opportunities I would have never had if not for the path I've been placed on while on this earth. When I was diagnosed with heart failure and told I had 1/16th of my heart actually working and that I would never survive without a heart transplant, it was then my faith was really put to the test. If was then I had to find out, was Christ really enough? Was he really all I need? From the very beginning, I can honestly tell you that yes Christ was enough. He was always with me. Always comforting me. Always giving me joy. I always knew I was in his capable hands and I knew something good was going to come out of everything I went thru. God truly can turn your struggles into an awesome ministry for you if you allow him to do so. I've been given a platform to share the love of Christ because of heart disease that I would never have had otherwise. I am amazed at what he has allowed me to do and grateful for every opportunity I'm given to share my story and to tell others about Christ. When doctors said there was nothing else they could do and that I would never improve, God showed he's still on the thrown reigning in grace and power. What man says is impossible, is possible with God. I'm so grateful to be where I am today with a heart function that is just 2% below normal and with my heart back at normal size. God literally touched my heart and reshaped it, remolded it and gave it strength for me to carry out his tasks. This is why I live. For his glory. I will forever be grateful and humbled by what he has done for me. Each day I give thanks and pray for discipline to be obedient to what he calls me to do every day. I see so many people struggle with what they believe God's calling is on their life. I believe each day he will guide you and let you know what he wants you to accomplish for him that day. Pray for discipline and take time to listen. I have people often times say to me that exercise is why I'm where I am today. I have to stop them and tell them....no it's not. It was prayer that got me where I am today. yes, I have to work in partnership with God and do what doctors tell me I need to do but there is no doubt in my heart where my healing came from and it was only because I had a touch from the masters hands. I did nothing to deserve this but he chose to bless me and I am so thankful. I've looked back over the last 10 years and I've seen how he has been with me every step of the way. He put certain people in my life, doctors, etc at just the right time. He supplied every single need I had before I even had the need. He was working on my behalf behind the scenes and I see all that now. Those are my ebeneezer stones. I can name them all but won't bore you with that but there are many. Take the time to go back over the last 10 or so years of your own life and count the times God made a provision for you before you even knew you needed it. You will be amazed. It's important to remember those. I am extremely blessed. It's really true what the Bible says about rejoicing in your struggles. They are what make you stronger and they are what helps you get to know God. I can honestly say heart disease saved my life and save me from myself. Thru it all, I have grown. I have learned more about God than I ever would if things had been smooth sailing the last 10 years. He not only reshaped my physical heart but also my spiritual heart. I have a heart for people that I would not have had without my struggles. This song by Josh Wilson sums up what I'm trying to say. I hope the words touch you too. It's call Fall Apart.

Why in the world did I think I could
Only get to know you when my life was good
When everything just falls in place
The easiest thing is to give You praise

Now it all seems upside down

‘Cause my whole world is caving in
But I feel You now more than I did then
How can I come to the end of me
And somehow still have all I need
God, I want to know You more
Maybe this is how it starts
I find You when I fall apart

Blessed are the ones who understand
We’ve got nothing to bring but empty hands
Nothing to hide and nothing to prove
Our heartbreak brings us back to You

And it all seems upside down

‘Cause my whole world is caving in
But I feel You now more than I did then
How can I come to the end of me
And somehow still have all I need
God, I want to know You more
Maybe this is how it starts
I find You when I fall apart

I don’t know how long this will last
I’m praying for the pain to pass
But maybe this is the best thing that
Has ever happened to me

My whole world is caving in
But I feel You now more than I did then
How can I come to the end of me
And somehow still have all I need
God, I want to know You more
Maybe this is how it starts
I find You when
You will find me when I fall apart

Go Red for Women Luncheon

2011-05-06T11:01:00.017-04:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending the Cincinnati Go Red for Women Luncheon. I was blessed to take part in the survivor fashion show also. I love volunteering for this very important cause. It was a very exciting day for me because this year my husband Steve actually got to attend and be a part of something that is very dear to my heart.

When I first got to the Duke Energy center yesterday, I met a woman named Renee. She was lost and saw I had red on so knew I could help get her to the right place! She had been invited by a friend and this was her first experience with Go Red. As we walked thru the convention center and found where we needed to be, I was introduced to her friend. Come to find out she is also a heart disease survivor and was going to be in the fashion show too. I was immediately drawn to her. Her name is Donna Crawford and she is very inspirational. Puts most people to shame! Donna was in a car accident when she was very young. She is an absolutely beautiful young woman that lets nothing stop her. Donna has one arm. She does tri-athalons! Get one thing straight here: Donna is NOT handicap. Nothing about her screams handicap but what screams from her is that all things are possible and you never give up. Donna shared her story with me. We were instant friends and will be forever! She started noticing she was more tired than usual and after one tri-athalon especially felt more tired than she thought she should have been. She went to the doctor and after time got one to listen to her and take her seriously. Doctors found that she had an enlarged heart and that she needed a pacemaker. She has the same heart condition that I have. Donna's heart, although enlarged, was not the size of an adult heart so she had to have a pediatric pacemaker implanted. Donna's heart really isn't small at all! She's got a big heart for people and a passion about her not seen in many people. I am so blessed to have met her and her story touched me and reinforced my faith even more than it's already been reinforced by my own miracle! What an amazingly beautiful smile and beautiful woman she is. I hope I get to spend more time with her! I made sure to get her address, email and phone number so I can make sure that happens! Donna has not had a heart transplant but was heading to her doctor after the luncheon due to some recent events that had her physician thinking her heart could be going into failure again. I'm praying for her that all is well. She was incredibly full of energy yesterday!

So after talking to Donna for about 30 minutes, we both went off to do a practice run for the fashion show that would happen later in the luncheon. The fashion show featured UC design students that had designed red dresses just 10 days prior for this event. They did an AWESOME job!
From there we headed over to have hair and makeup done. I've never felt so pampered! During the practice for the fashion show, I met other survivors that would also be in the fashion show as well as getting to work with my friend Christi again! It was during practice that I met Debbie, the girl I would walk the catwalk with, LOL! Debbie was another beautiful young woman that got the same heart condition that I have but hers happened during pregnancy. She did have a heart transplant 13 years ago. One week after her heart transplant, Debbie had a stroke due to her blood pressure being uncontrollable after her transplant. She still has some mild affects today so we walked the runway together so she could lean on me a bit. Debbie is also a breast cancer survivor. A miralce 3x over! It was an honor to walk the runway with her and to allow her to lean on me a bit and just take her time. Debbie was only going to go half way down the runway but when we started out she said to me, "My husband thinks I should go the entire runway." To which I said, "You should, you have earned that walk!" So, we went the entire runway together and stood at the end while our story was shared with the crowd there yesterday....a crowd of 750! Debbie has been thru a lot but her spirit is incredible. She told me when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she assured her husband things would be alright and that she would be fine. Incredible strength that can only come from God. I was blessed to meet her and spend time sharing stories with her. Her husband and sons were there to share her special day with her.

Then there is Christi. What can I tell you about Christi other than she is a great big ball of spunk! So full of energy, life and passion for Go Red. When you are with Christi, you can't help but get excited. I met Christi a few years back and she shared her story with me. I was amazed at how strong she is. When I met her at a Go Red for Women Luncheon, she was just 4 weeks post open heart surgery. Christi is a very young, physically fit beautiful young woman. She is an aerobics instructor and can run circles around us all! Christi had an aneurysm in her heart that was found just in time. She had open heart surgery to remove it and I'm so glad God was watching over her! Very blessed to know Christi and call her friend.

Then there was little miss Bailey. What a cutie! The youngest survivor at 3 years old. Bailey was born without the left side of her heart and has had surgeries to correct this. A survivor at age 3 with an awesome story to share already. God has great things in store for this little girl. She had a blast on the runway. She really hammed it up and the audience fell in love with her. So did I. Her great big smile when I talked to her later and asked her if she had a good time....well, that smile said it all.

After practice, hair and makeup, I was able to catch up with my husband and attend part of the healthy cooking session and then the session led by my doctor, Dr. Monica Hunter. Lots of stuff learned during the healthy cooking demo! I hope people really took it to heart and really start caring about taking of the body God has given them while they are on this earth. It's our responsibility to care for them and I find it sad that most don't care or think oh well, heart disease is something that will get me down the road. It's not immediate...it's cumulative so I don't have to worry now. I can tell you if that's how you feel and that's how you think, you couldn't be more wrong. Heart disease doesn't discriminate and it doesn't wait until late in life to take it's toll on your health. Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women over the age of 25. I know some very young women that have had heart attacks in their early 20's. Heart disease can start at a very young age and it doesn't wait until your elderly to do it's damage so today is the day to start taking your health serious and caring for the body God gave you to complete your work on earth. You're much better off to him healthy. Ok...that's my spill. I only hope people really take their health serious and do all they can to protect it. All the women I was in the survivor fashion show with yesterday were very young. Heart disase didn't wait for us to get older before it struck. Don't be so sure it will wait for you to get older. The reason we are passionate about this is because if you listen, take it to heart, make changes, know the signs and symptoms you won't have to go thru what we did. You can take charge of your own health. Why anyone wouldn't want to do this is beyond me. I'll never understand some of the flippant attitudes that I encounter on a daily basis concerning taking care of yourself.

After the healthy cooking demo, I headed over to hear my favorite doctor, Dr. Monica Hunter. LOVE her and I'm so blessed to have her as my own physician. I met Dr. Hunter thru an event I spoke at a few years back. God led me to this doctor and I'm been blessed because of it. Dr. Hunter shared statistics and facts with us. Shared stories from 3 of her patients. Demonstrated that heart disease isn't an old woman or old man disease. Showed what happens to your arteries when you don't watch what you eat. Told what can happen when you lead a sedentary lifestyle. Stressed to women that our symptoms are often different than a mans symptoms and told us all if our doctor doesn't listen, then it's time to find one that does. Like many of the women in the fashion show with me, we took care of our bodies, we exercised, we did everything right. I can say however that I didn't know the symptoms when I was diagnosed. I didn't know being tired and short of breath indicated that something could be wrong with your heart. I didn't know you could have a heart problem and NEVER have chest pain. Most women simply have a headache! I didn't know what a virus could do to your heart. I didn't know feeling nauseaous could mean you have a heart problem. I went for 2 years being misdiagnosed, a theme I heard over and over at yesterday's luncheon. Had I known this, I would have INSISTED on testing for my heart. I would have found a doctor that listented. Something Dr. Hunter stressed yesterday and something I hope the women there will take to heart. The tools were given, now I hope each indiviual there will take action. Don't take your heart for granted. As women, we have become so good at getting our mammograms but not about having a heart checkup but yet heart disease is our number 1 killer and health risk. It was nice to talk with Dr. Hunter yesterday and introduce my Mom to her. Dr. Hunter and I shared our excitement once again over my news that I now have 48% heart function. She told me she's looking forward to more improvement and I told her I would keep doing my part. I hope other women do their part and take charge of their health. It's not up to anyone else.

From there, I went to the luncheon. We had a delicious heart healthy lunch. I get so excited because they give us a menu card with complete breakdown on fat, sugar, carbs, sodium ,etc. Something I wish I saw at more restraurants. Something many of us care about and need to see. During lunch, we heard from Carol Williams who once again stressed how important it is to take care of our hearts and warned women heart disease is our number 1 health risk. Our keynote speaker this year was Ginger Zimmerman. What an incredibly strong young woman. Ginger is a 13 year heart transplant survivor. She had the same thing happen to her that I had. A virus attacked her heart. For years doctors wouldn't listen to her that something was wrong. They told her she was too young for heart disease,etc. Her story sounded so much like my own except that she did have a transplant. When Ginger got the call she had a heart, her husband was out of town. His company flew him in by helicopter so he could be with Ginger. During his flight, there were problems and they crashed. He survived along with the pilot and was there for Ginger thru her transplant. When she woke up, she saw her husband and commented to him that he looked terrible! He had no clue what was going on inside his own body. He had a complication from the helicopter crash he and doctors were unaware of. He died 9 days after her transplant. While she was recovering, Ginger lost her husband and her very young children lost their father. Her husband's wishes were for his organs to be donated so they were. A man in the same hospital with Ginger received her husbands heart. While she was recovering and given life by her donor, her very own husband gave life to someone in the same hospital and she lost her husband. If Ginger had noto been so persistant with her doctors, she might not be here today. I just can't even imagine. What an incredibly strong young woman. I was blessed to hear her story yesterday.

So yesterday was a very exciting day for me. Go Red has become a passion for me. I love getting the word out and sharing my story with others. I only hope they truly take it to heart. I know that I am a miracle and that I've been blessed by God and he's given me this platform to help other women take charge of their heart health. He's given me opportunities to share what he has done for me. He's shown me thru all this that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD. My faith is stronger. My love for people deeper. My passions more passionate! To God be the Glory, great things he has done. He has given me JOY and I put it this way in my life. Jesus, Others, You. I want to bring him glory while helping others putting myself last. That doesn't mean I don't take care of myself. I have my part to play in all this but he's given me the passion and discipline I need. I am truly only here today due to the power of prayer and the power of God in my life. He has blessed me tremendously and given me a platform to share with others. I'm one very grateful woman and I just wanted to share my thoughts from yesterday. What a great day it was to honor God.

another low sodium find!

2011-04-30T13:00:00.002-04:00

Click on the title of this post and it will take you to a website with no salt, no sugar seasonings. Think I'll give some of these a try! www.nosaltnosugar.com if the link doesn't work in the title.

Know your six!

2011-04-25T13:14:00.001-04:00

Six Numbers That Matter Most for Your Heart

Cholesterol Total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL or lower.
HDL ("good" cholesterol) of 50 mg/dL or higher, if you're a woman, or 40 mg/dL or higher, if you're a man.
Optimal LDL is 100 or lower

Fasting Glucose Less than 100 mg/dL -- Optimal
100 mg/dL to 125 mg/dL -- Pre-Diabetic
More than 125 mg/dL -- Diabetic

Blood Pressure Less than 120/80 mm Hg – Normal
120/80 mm Hg to 139/89 mm Hg -- Prehypertension
140/90 mm Hg to 159/99 mm Hg -- Stage 1 hypertension
160/100 mm Hg or higher -- Stage 2 hypertension

Body Mass Index (BMI) Less than 18.5 -- Underweight
18.5-24.9 -- Healthy Weight
25-29.9 -- Overweight
30-39.9 -- Obese
40+ -- Morbidly Obese

Physical Activity 30 minutes of exercise 6x week

Sleep 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night
Too little sleep can promote calcium buildup in the heart arteries, leading to the plaques that can break apart and cause heart attacks and strokes

New Low Sodium Food find

2011-04-25T11:07:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note to tell you of a low sodium food find that my Mom discovered. Mary B's open kettle dumplings. The package she had says zero sodium. They are in the freezer section and we've found them only at Walmart in our area. So, for all those that never thought they would get to enjoy chicken and dumplings because of the sodium, you now can! They are DELICIOUS. I've seen nutrition facts online that say 40 mg sodium per 6 oz but the package my mom had said zero sodium in the entire package. Not sure why the difference but wanted to pass this along to others on a sodium restricted diet. They are cholesterol free also and the package she had was low fat. So, look at your local walmart to see if they carry them. Mom said it's much easier than making dumplings from scratch and just as tasty! I can vouch for the taste!

Also, there is a product called Anne's flat dumplings that have absolutely no sodium in them either. Click on the title of this blogpost for their website. Looks like you can only order in bulk but they do have a list of stores that carry their products. I've never seen these in my local Kroger or Walmart but according to the website, some locations do carry these.

Interview with WCPO for the Go Red for Women Luncheon

2011-04-22T06:12:00.002-04:00

Click on the title of this blog post if you'd like to see what aired on WCPO on Thursday, April 21. The Go Red for Women luncheon is coming up on May 5. If you have never been, you will LOVE it. There is so much information about heart health, shopping, educational sessions. You'll come away very empowered IF you take it to heart!

The event will be at Duke Energy Center from 9 am until 1:30 pm. Ginger Zimmerman, a heart transplant survivor will be this years keynote speaker. Details at: https://ahacincinnati.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/20102011CincinnatiGoRedLuncheon/YourEvent/tabid/242154/Default.aspx

Copy and past the link into your browser address.

Heart of Gratitude

2011-04-18T11:00:00.004-04:00

Today, I am thinking of a friend I have never met. I prayed for her last year after hearing her story from our youth pastor. Her name is Megan Moss. What an awesome story of hope and faith she has to share. I remember being so thankful when the news came last year that she had a heart. This after being told she was too sick to receive one if in fact one did come. Her family prayed along with thousands of people all over the United States and God showed up right on time....after doctors had done all they could do and science said there was no hope God's healing touch came. God is always right on time, never too early, never too late. Her family has incredible faith and NEVER gave up praying or believing. God answered their prayers and today I am rejoicing with them. I remember praying for her all night when the news came she was too sick to have surgery if a heart came. I'll never forget the feeling I had the next morning when I checked her fathers blog and the post read: We Have a HEART! Megans temp went down from the pneumonia and she was able to have the surgery and receive the heart from her donor. This was an absolute MIRACLE. I'll never forger her story or the faith this family demonstrated in their darkest hour. So, Today, I just wanted to put a poem and a scripture to tell the world how grateful I am for the miracle he gave Megan Moss and for my own miracle. I will never forget what God has done. I remember telling my doctor when I was first diagnosed: My God is bigger than your science. Today, I am living proof and so is Megan Moss. Click on the title of this post to read her father's blog. You can also read her blog at www.meganrmoss.blogspot.com

Heart of Gratitude:

With a heart full of gratitude I want the world to know,
So I can share this feeling, you reap what you do sow.

For gratitude bubbles over when your heart appreciates,
Your prayer that was answered, even though you had to wait.

So count your many blessings. This we all must do.
For your new heart of gratitude will always carry you through.

Deborah J Birdoes

Quote from Scripture:
Come and see what God has done, how awesome his work
in our behalf. Ps. 66:5

Exciting News!

2011-04-15T10:34:00.001-04:00

I have some exciting. On Wednesday, April 20, I will be interviewed by Carol Williams for WCPO, channel 9 Cincinnati. They are interviewing me about my story with heart disase. This will be used to promote the Go Red for Women Luncheon coming up May 5th. Not sure when the segment will air. Prayers appreciated! I am so thankful for this opportunity to support such a great cause. I am humbled by the opportunities God has given me because of heart disase. I'm a bit nervous too!

Reposting an old favorite recipe for heart healthy mac and cheese at 120 mg sodium per 1/2 cup!

2011-04-14T15:52:00.005-04:00

I wanted to repost this recipe because I had a comment on an old post and someone misunderstood the nutrition contents of this recipe. They mistakenly looked at the nutrition info at the bottem of the page, which is for regular mac and cheese and very high in sodium. This recipe is a healthy version of an old favorite made so those on a sodium restricted diet can enjoy mac and cheese once again. This recipe contains 120 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup, not 1180 as one reader mistakenly thought. I just thought I'd sahre it again in case anyone might want this recipe.

Ok, all of us that suffer with heart failure know that it's impossible to find low sodium mac and cheese. The best thing to do is avoid this on buffets, socials, etc because mac and cheese can contain 800-2000 mg sodium in 1/2 to 1 cup! So, here's a recipe I wanted to pass along. It's low sodium and low fat....very heart healthy. You CAN enjoy mac and cheese again!

Makes 8 servings -serving size 1/2 cup

2 cups Macaroni ( I use whole wheat pasta to make this even healthier!)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1 egg medium size, beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 cups (4 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded, low fat
nonstick oil cooking spray

1. Cook macaroni according to directions. (Do NOT add salt to the cooking water.)
Drain and set aside.

2. Lightly spray saucepan with non stick cooking oil spray and saute onions for
about 3 minutes.

3. In another bowl, combine macaroni, onions, remaining ingredients and mix
thoroughly.

4. Transfer mixture into casserole dish, sprayed with non stick cooking oil.

5. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let Stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition fats: Calories: 200, Fat 4 g, Saturated fat 2g, cholesterol 24 mg,
Sodium 120 mg

Compare this to a regular serving of mac and cheese which is for a 1 cup serving. Below represents what a regular "unhealthy" portion of mac and chees would contain. Above recipe is for a healthy version at 120 mg per 1/2 cup serving.

This is nutrition facts for regular mac and cheese, not the posted recipe.
calories 370, calories from fat 160, total fat 18 g, saturated fat 11 g, cholesterol 40 mg and sodium 1130 mg in 1 cup! That's twice what a healthy person needs in a day!

Just so thankful....

2011-04-12T15:13:00.001-04:00

This may not seem like much to you, but today I am just so thankful. I got to take my 17 year old daughter to her drivers exam today. She was 7 when I was diagnosed and was told I wouldn't live thru the weekend and then told I needed a heart transplant. God has given me these last 10 years and today after coming home it just hit me....if the doctors had been right, it would have been someone else taking my daughter to get her drivers liscense today. I've been given the opportunity to watch her grow up and I know some mothers have not been given that opportunity. Some children have not had their mothers with them like she has. Just feeling so blessed. Remember to thank God for what he gives you and allows you to do. Don't take it for granted. That's really all I have to say today. Count your blessings and say thank you to God.

Oh, and she passed her exam!

Go Red for Women Luncheon 2011 Cincinnati

2011-04-07T13:55:00.005-04:00

The Go Red for women Luncheon is coming up in Cincinnati. It's Thursday, May 5th at the Duke Energy Center. This is an AWESOME event you won't want to miss! This year my company sponsored a table and my table is full! If you are interested in going, click on the title of this post and it should take you to the website where you can learn more about the event. Its from 9am to 1:30 pm and it's jammed packed with educational information, shopping for the heart, healthy cooking demo's and inspirational speeches by survivors. I had the privilege of speaking at the first one in Cincinnati and sharing my story. This year I'll be participating in the Go Red fashion show where you'll get an update on my story! I promise, you'll love this event and will be so glad you came!

While you are on the website, click on the link of my friend, Bob Herzog from WKRC. The video will make you smile! He and John Lomax are wearing the Go Red neckties I sent them! It takes a real man to wear a red dress! LOL!

National Start Walking day!

2011-04-07T13:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was National Start Walking day! I hope that you are all movitated to start! It's never too late to take care of your heart! Check out this website for walking paths, etc in your area.

http://www.startwalkingnow.org/

Do something good for your heart!

God of the Impossible

2011-04-07T12:16:00.005-04:00

I've had so many people ask me how I knew that God was going to touch my heart and give me healing. Then they go on to to say, why are my prayers not being answered when what I'm asking for is something that can only be good for my family? Sometimes it's hard to answer questions as to why are my prayers not being answered in the way people want them answered but I have to remind someone whenever they ask me this, my healing did not come instantly. I've had my struggles over the last 10 years with my health and I've had my struggles with God. I've held onto things I needed to let Go off and for a time refused to let the refiner do a work in my heart that was different than what I thought I needed. God opened my eyes to areas in my life and in my heart that needed to change. I needed to get my heart focused on God's kingdom, no matter the cost and take my eyes off of Kim and what her wants and desires were. I had to learn to trust thru difficult times. I've had on more than one occasion life threatening situations come up with my health and it has not been an easy journey but it is one I would not change for the world. Sometimes I don't think I do very well at answering people when they ask me questions like that. My journey has not been easy but I have always believed God was there with me and moving in my life to bring about his glory but lots of things had to melt away before he could truly shine. The refiner had to chip away and I had to be willing to allow him to do that. In my devotional today by Chris Tiegreen, what he says kind of helps me and maybe it will help you too. It's about God being the God of the impossible. Here is what is says:

In word, God can do impossible things. Just look at the revealed testimonies to his power: "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14); "Do I lack the strength to rescue you?" (Isaiah 50:2); "Is anything to hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27); "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26); and "Everything is possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23). We may pray and wonder what God's will is in a situation, but we should never--under any circumstances--wonder if God can meet our needs. The Creator of Heaven can do anything. As Jesus approached his passion, he had no doubts about the Father's power. The only question was God's will. In that situation, Jesus submitted willingly.

When we prayer we often times want God's power to be at our disposal. We want the power first, and our submission afterward. (been there, done that....doesn't work). That's not God's way, and that was not what Jesus did. He spent years demonstrating submission before he demonstrated miracles. Answers to prayer were not the ultimate goal for him; obedience was. God's will was. The plan of salvation and the Kingdom of God were. Miracles were only a small part of the bigger purpose.

Do we pray with that kind of focus? We sometimes seek answers to prayer without settling our commitment to Kingdom purposes first. But if we can be firmly allied with God's great plan--even when it hurts our short term interests--we can pray with the power of Jesus. We can call on the Father, knowing that he'll put angels and his spirit at our disposal.

(back to me now)
So, I have learned that obedience is more important to God than changing your circumstance, etc. He wants you to be his first.....completely his. He wants your whole heart. He wants you to love him with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. He wants you to do his will no matter the cost. No matter what he asks you to give up, no matter the changes he's telling you to make. He's waiting for obedience. With obedience comes blessing. I've experienced this in my life. You ultimate goal should be to further God's kingdom. We have to be about our Father's business to reach this dying world. That's what he wants first.

Chris goes on to say: Have a firm commitment to God's kingdom at whatever cost to your agenda. Then pray. Pray with power and with faith. With God, nothing is impossible.

I'm nothing special. I'm just a girl that thru the trials of the last 10 years fell head over heels in love with Jesus and was finally obedient to the areas God was trying to change in me. To the areas he was telling me to give up. To the areas he was telling me to get out of my comfort zone and move. The refining process wasn't without pain but it was so worth it. Jesus is so worth it. I'm sure there is more refining to come too. Let him purge the junk out of your life.....I'll leave you with this quote. "God can never make us wine if we object to the fingers he uses to crush us with." Oswald Chambers

I truly want people to see Jesus shine in me and not Kim shining.

Opening Day Parade

2011-04-02T15:39:00.006-04:00

I love meeting new people. Thursday I was blessed to be able to take part in the Cincinnati Reds opening day parade with a great group of ladies and one man! All of us have a passion for what Go Red for Women represents and that's getting the word out to women that heart disease is our number 1 killer and educating people of the importance of taking care of their hearts. This is definetely a passion of mine since my diagnosis with congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy almost 10 years ago. I was dreading being out in the cold all that time but once I was there, I didn't even realize how cold it was! The entire time I walked in the parade, I just kept thanking God for all he's done for me because just 2 years ago there is no way I would have been able to walk as far as we did. I was pleasantly surprised by the comments from the crowd because there were lots of people that knew what we are about and it was nice to hear them cheering us on and taking the message to heart. It was fun interacting with the crowd and giving high fives to some kids and even one man who commented that I was awesome! No sir, I'm not awesome. If not for Christ, I would not have even been there to take part in that parade. I do nothing on my own power but thru Christ who gives me strength. I know that my strength comes from the Lord and that because of a healing touch on me being in the parade was possible I met several very strong ladies that also have a story to share. I love to people watch also and just looking at the crowd you could just imagine what their story could possibly be. I think so differently than I did just a couple years ago because I couldn't help but think when I looked at the number of people there, how many of them don't have the hope I do. How many of them don't have a deep, personal relationship with my Savior? How many of them were willing to spend hours in the cold all bundled to watch a parade and maybe take in a baseball game but would those same people be willing to bundle up and wait for hours to attend a worship service outside in the cold? Would you? I know that may seem strange to you but I just couldn't help thinking that. I wish I had time to sit down with every person and ask them what their story was but that was just simply impossible. Do you take the time to speak with someone you've just met and listen, really listen to their story? It's so important. I met several new people and heard parts of stories that really were inspiring. We've all been through something and we all have something to say and share that has the potential to inspire another soul along the way. When you ask someone how they are doing, do you really want to know? Are you prepared when they tell you truthfully how they are really doing? If you are in Christ, always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within you. Weird that parade gave me these thoughts! It was a pretty fun-filled day and I was blessed to be able to do it. I'm grateful for the opportunities that have come my way and forever thankful for what God has done for me. As most of you know, I'm not a big sports fan but I did come home and catch the game on tv that day and the ending was very sweet! I'll leave you with just one thought. Although they didn't Thursday, the Reds will disappoint but Jesus never will.

Reds Opening Day Parade

2011-03-30T10:00:00.003-04:00

The Cincinnati Reds opening day parade and game are tomorrow March 31. I am honored that I get to take part in the parade with some very special ladies with hearts for others. I'll be marching with a group of ladies for Go Red for Women. This is one of my passions but Christ is first. Go Red for Women is all about educating women to the fact that heart disease is our number 1 killer. As women, we often times take care of everyone else in our lives before we give ourselves a 2nd thought. Thru Go Red for Women we want women to know it's never to late to start taking care of your heart. I'm so excited to be in the parade representing such a great cause but I have to tell you, I'm doing this to honor God. Tomorrow when I walk in this parade I will do so as another way to thank him for what he's done in my heart. I want my passion for him to shine thru in some way. I am doing this because I am so grateful for the many opportunities I've been given because of my heart condition. I would not have met so many wonderful people that I now know. I would not have been able to share my passion for Christ with this many people if not for having heart disease. I would not have learned that NOTHING is impossible with God if not for my struggles. I hope that my enthusiasm for my creator shines in me and tomorrow I hope that this quote will be true of me "Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn." John Wesley

We are group 150 out of 190 so if you're watching, it will be a while before you see us. Hang tight! Tomorrow I'm walking this parade as another way to say thank you to God for what he's done in my life and in my heart...spiritually and physically. I know if not for his power, this would not have been possible for me. I am blessed! How are you letting your light shine today? We were created to shine and to worship our creator. You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14 So, tomorrow all I want to do while in that parade is to shine for Christ. I hope I do him proud.

Low Sodium food baskets

2011-03-29T21:31:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder....I supply low sodium food baskets for anyone newly diagnosed with CHF or any condition that makes it necessary to begin a sodium restricted diet. If you know someone in need of one, please let me know!

Humbled and so grateful for what God has done in my life.

2011-03-29T06:46:00.001-04:00

I don't have a lot to say today, I know....shock, right? I am still taking in all that has happened in my life and in my heart. This verse just touched me and I just wanted to say this about sums it up for me.

1 Chronicles 17:16 Who am I, O Lord, and what is my family that you have brought me this far?

Nothing is impossible with God, absolutely NOTHING!

2011-03-24T12:39:00.001-04:00

When doctors say there is nothing else we can do and nothing is going to work for you, God can! This might not seem like much to those reading this but today during my workout, I ran 4 minutes 40 seconds. Doctors said I would never be able to run. Doctors said I wouldn't live without a transplant! Then they said I had 4 1/2 -5 years to live, that was almost 10 years ago. Then they said nothing is ever going to take down the enlargment of your heart and increase your function. Today, I have 48% heart function and my heart is now normal size. God can do anything! NOTHING is imossible. 48% is just 2% under normal! Don't dream small...ask him. He is able to do more than you could even imagine. I'm going to run every day during my workout and slowly build up my endurance. I have a goal...because I know NOTHING is impossible with God and I can do all things thru Christ who gives me strength! To God be the glory for what he has done for me. I'm humbled that he heard my cry and blessed me in this way because I'm nothing special. I'm just a sinner saved by grace. He enlarged my heart for him.

Blessings

2011-03-23T14:07:00.001-04:00

I love this song and the words mean so much to me. Maybe it will touch your heart too. I can truly say my battle with heart disease has been an absolute blessing. Heart disease saved my life and saved me from myself.

Blessings. Laura Story

we pray for blessings,
We pray for peace.
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep.
We pray for healing, for prosperity.
We pray your mighty hand to ease our suffering.
all the while, you hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things.

Cause what if your blessing come through raindrops
What if your healing comes through tears.
What if a thousand sleepless nights
are what it takes to know you're near.
What if the trials of this life are your mercies in disguise.

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
and we cry in anger when we cannot feel you near.
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from your word is not enough.
All the while, you hear each desperate plea
and long that we'd have faith to believe.

Cause what if you blessings come through raindrops.
What if you healing comes through tears.
What if a thousand sleepless nights
are what it takes to know you're near.
And what if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise.

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win.
We know the pain reminds this heart
that this world is not our home.

Cause what if you blessings come through raindrops.
What if your healing comes through tears.
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
are what it takes to know you're near.
What if my greatest disappointments
or the aching of this life
is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
and what if the trials of this life,
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
are your mercies in disguise.

My 10 year spiritual journey with God and with Heart Failure

2011-03-22T05:45:00.037-04:00

ok, all I can say is this journey has been amazing. It's not been without it's tears or it's pain. I've struggled thru the years. I've had ups and I've had downs. I've been thru the valley and stood on the mountain top. I never asked "why me" but I can't say I've never been without fear. I have learned the fear came when I took my eyes off God and focused on my situation instead of the power my God has and the love he has for me. Being at the 10 year mark now I can look back and see how God's hands have been on me the entire time. He's set things in motion for me before I even knew I would need them. He was working the entire time providing for me the right people at all the right time. He's given me opportunities I would have never had if I had not been diagnosed with this disease. The most important thing thou is how he has changed my heart. Thru this experience I have learned to never doubt God and that impossible should not even be a word I use. Nothing is impossible with God, absolutely nothing. He can take a heart barely beating and after 10 years make it strong again. Sunday I shared my update with my church family and shared a little bit about other things God has been working on me over the past years. God truly had to break my will and break my heart before he could give me this healing. I truly believe that and I see that now. I wanted to share that here also. I believe God uses others to help change us. Maybe my story will help someone else, I don't know. Maybe you'll just find it silly. I hope that's not the case.

I've had lots of selfishness God's been working on me over the past couple of years. God brought this all to light in me by using several different people,... one big one being Francis Chan. Then last year our church got a new pastor. Pastor Drew came along and reinforced the same things I had been listening to Francis Chan say. I Listened to lots of Francis Chan's online messages last year and realized how much selfishness I really had in my own life. God has also used Pastor Drew to speak some of the same things to me....yes, I'm a hard head and usually have to hear things more than once before the light bulb goes off! I heard God ask me why I wanted to be healed and I had to take a good look at what that answer was and changes had to come. I really did at that time only want healed for myself and really had no desire to get outside my comfort zone and let God use me the way he really wanted to use me. Years before, God had really put conviction on my husband Steve and myself over entertainment choices. We truly heard God say to us, my spirit lives in you. My eyes are your eyes, my ears are your ears and my mouth is your mouth. Be careful what you fill them with and what comes out and we heard him say what is in the heart is what will show in your life so protect it. He was not talking about my physical heart but my spiritual heart. We all know that Hollywood glamorizes sin. I think that's one thing we can all agree on. God really broke our hearts over things that were in tv shows, movies, music, etc. When heard him clearly say to us, why do you watch the very things I "hate"....yes, we heard the word hate because God hates sin. I can remember the night we finally got serious about it. We were watching an episode of a popular show "CSI". Steve has always loved the crime scene shows but this particular night there was a scene in the show at a srip club. Basically, the scene was a half dressed girl dancing around a pole. God spoke to both of us that night and I remember telling Steve I wouldn't give him my blessing to head over to a strip club where he would see this same thing so I certainly was not going to put it on a silver platter and allow him to watch it in the comfort of our own living room. I would say this was probably about 8 or 9 years ago. We turned off the tv and started really discussing this and seeking God about this area of our life. We felt very strong conviction about this and heard God say be careful what you allow in the living room of your heart because this is where I live. You have been purchased with a price. You belong to me. Your body is no longer your own but you are to be a living sacrifice for me and for us, that also meant our entertainment had to change. We started looking at everything so differently and really seeking God on this and this is what we heard him say to us....If a tv program, movie or music glorifies a sin it's not for you. This was really tough for me because I loved my "lifetime" movies, my sitcoms, movies, etc but we knew we needed to listen to the spirit so we started cleaning our entertainment closet so to speak. For us, that meant if it was something we didn't allow in our home, we no longer view it in the form of entertainment so that also means language. We don't use foul language, we don't allow Jocelyn to use foul language so even if the show has just foul language, we heard God say it's not for us. We believe language is something God wants to change in a person he calls his own so we couldn't ignore that in our entertainment choices either. Basically we heard God say to us, "Is what you are watching beneficial to you in any way?" So, we made the choice to follow God on this issue. Our rules were no shows that glorify anything that breaks our Father's heart. We made big changes in this area but I was still holding onto 1 program I knew God wanted out of my life. To some, this may seem really silly but God was convicting me on this and I was refusing to listen to him. I kept saying, I have given everything thing else up...just let me keep this one thing. It was my soap opera, "The Young and the Restless." I watched or listened to it faithfully. Working from home made it so easy to just take my lunch break for that hour and sit in front of the tv and really get into the messes that Hollywood created in the lives of these fictional characters. Some of you would probably say just that...it's not real, they are just fictional characters playing a part but what does that show glorify? Really, there is no other way to answer but to say it glorifies sin. It's full of premarital sex, it's full of men and women cheating on their spouses, it's full of deceit, full of immorality, bascially full of filth not fit for a daughter of the King. This is the one thing I had not given up. You know, you think you're doing good....you get kind of proud of what you've given up and the difference it's made in your life, etc all the while ignoring that one thing you still need to throw out but aren't willing to do. Pride comes before a fall, I've learned that and that's a painful lesson to learn. Well, that was me until early 2009. This is when I finally obeyed and gave it up for good. What I have learned is that God replaced everything he asked us to give up with his goodness...things that are so much better. Instead of watching the junk, we spend more time in his word and I can't tell you the difference it makes when you fill your heart and mind with his word instead of what the world has to offer. This may sound silly to you, but I felt like a burden was gone after I finally obeyed what God was telling me to do. I truly don't think it's coincindence that for the first time my heart function increased to 35%, which is considered safe from the risk of sudden cardiac death and it came after obedience on an issue God was dealing with me on. After that, God started working on other areas in my life he wanted to see change. I've been selfish for many years. God has broken my heart for others and opened my eyes up to needs of others. I truly have felt a calling on my life in this area. I ask him daily to show me needs that he can meet thru me. I am learning to move when he says move. I know I shared this story before but my heart was broken one day when I cleaned out my own closet and had at least 10 bags of clothes that I no longer wear. Mostly because I lost weight but God said to me, "why do you have all this stuff when there are people wearing tattered clothes and those that can't afford a new pair of shoes, etc?" "Why is your pantry full but you're not sharing with anyone that is hungry?" "Why do you ignore the needs of others when I have so richly blessed you?" These truths hurt, they did but I realized I was a selfish, spoiled brat that truly thought the world revolved around her and that God just wanted to make me happy and give me a comfortable life. That statement couldn't be further fromt the truth and if that is what you believe about your own life, you're listening to the same lie I listened to. This isn't the abundant life God is talking about. It's not how much you can get out of this life. It's not about all your stuff. God asked me where my treasures were and I couldn't say at that time they were in heaven. I was getting far too comfortable with the world. I never did anything to help another person before God changed my heart. I never made sacrifices, true sacrifices. I've learned if you don't feel it, if you're not truly giving up something and feeling it, it's not a true sacrifice. It's easy to give when it doesn't cost you anything. God has given me a heart for others that I don't think I would have had if not for this 10 year journey I've been on with my heart. I actually feel like I'm living now because I am no longer a consumer...I'm a doer. God truly has broken my heart in many ways to bring about healing.....I don't think it would have ever come if I had kept saying no to things I knew he was telling me I needed to be doing. I hope that point is what I got across when I gave my testimony at church. Obedience is what God wants from his children. He really doesn't have to listen to children that are disobedient and unwilling to change and to do his will. Nothing that has happened in my life came because I'm anything special.....I can do nothing without him guiding me but for him to do that, I have to listen and obey and move when he says move. For years I wanted healing for me, just to live longer and be with my family never giving much thought to others and doing anything to help when I knew about needs that God had blessed me with the ability to meet. I liked my comfort, really I loved my comfort. I was selfish....plain and simple. I can still be at times. He's still working on me but I'm moving when he says move and I'm doing what he says to do. I still mess up and don't get it right. I'm not perfect but really the spiritual healing that has taken place is more amazing to me than the physical healing that has taken place. I'm not who I was just 5 or 6 years ago. Not even 2 years ago. Things break my heart now that I never gave a 2nd thought to before. So many things I just can't do anymore because I know they are not beneficial to me in anyway. I've been a Christian since I was 12 but I look back and see what little I really accomplished for Christ because of the selfishness I had in me. My life was about me...I thought I had grown so much during the initial stages of my diagnosis but I look back now and see how much further I needed to go and how much deeper I needed to go with God. I'm not who I was, that's for sure and I still have growing and changing to do but I can say this journey has been amazing and so worth it. all the pain and all the tears that came before the healing brought me closer to God and I wouldn't change that for the world. If I had stayed a healthy person and never had this disease, I would still be that selfish, spoiled rotten brat that thought the world revolved around her. I was a pretty ugly person and I see all that now. Heart disease saved my life and changed my heart in more than just a physical way.

I know this is very long but I would ask, can you honestly say you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind? Are you filling any of those areas with the pollution of the world? I was...and for me that was sin. Are there things that need to change in your life that you're holding onto like I was? Do you really love your neighbors as yourself? I didn't, and that was sin. So, the real miracle here is the change that God made in my spiritual heart. I am completely different and that's a miracle. Jesus says, if you love me you will obey what I command. I picked a word for this year and it was obedience. I prayed about that and that's the word God gave me. funny, huh? Not really. God knows what he's doing and he absolutely knew what needed to change in my life. He knows all about you too. Ask him to help you in the areas he wants you to give completely to him.

This last part is taken from an aritlce I read about obedience to God. It doesn't give the name of the person who wrote it but it touched me so maybe it will touch you also. I didn't write this part though!

Jesus is very concerned about us and he wants us to do more than participate in good works. He wants us to believe in him. He wants to take us higher than the world and he wants us to be like him. When we are obedient to God, we are doing just that. Knowing him, loving him and having a personal, intimate relationship with him. To do this, we must be attentive to God's laws. This is not an option because you can't have an intimate relationship with Jesus and trample on the words he taught. Obedience to God is living God's word because you want to and enjoy being filled with the love of Jesus. Following the commandments step wise won't do. Reading the Bible diligently won't do. We have to take the words into our hearts. When we make the transition from calling ourselves a good Christian to being someone who is having a deep personal and intimate relationship with the Lord, then we can have the highest of joys, the deepest of peace, and receive the fullest measure of God's love and power each and every day of our lives.

ok...this is back to me now. It's funny when I think of this. God gave me healing and made my physical heart smaller but before that could happen he had to "enlarge" my spiritual heart for him. So, I guess I can still say I have an enlarged heart but it's so much better now! I'll leave you with this verse now. Psalm 119:32 I wil run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart.

I am so humbled by what God has done for me and I love him now more than ever but not because he gave me healing in a physical sense. Because he changed me, really changed me and I'm so glad he did. It was a true matter of the heart.

The miracle continues!

2011-03-17T17:56:00.002-04:00

ok, just a quick update. Yesterday I went for a MUGA scan because it's exact on heart function. Dr. Hunter called me yesterday with news that my heart function (EF) is now at 48%!!!!! That is just 2% below normal heart function. The nurse told me today it's about as perfect as perfect gets! The echo a few weeks ago was wrong.....I do not have 25%, I have 48% heart function. The echo results were low due to the fact my pulse rate is now lower while resting. This sometimes happens to athletes too due to lower pulse rates. Dr. Hunter wasn 't convinced I was at 25% so she order the MUGA to make sure. God has truly touched my heart physically and spirtually.....he has reshaped it, made it stronger and it beats for him! My heart is now normal size too. This comes almost 10 years after I was diagnosed and had only 1/16th of my heart working. After almost being worked up twice for the transplant list. No transplant....medicines didnt' work like they should have, device therapy didn't work like they should have....but GOD did a miracle!I am humbled and so very grateful for what God has done for me. This is something I've been told doesn't happen after this long with cardiomyopathy and CHF. Nothing is impossible with God! Never, never, never give up and never stop praying. My miracle didn't happen over night. It came with a lot of tears and a lot of pain.....but I never gave up. I knew God could do this and I believed he would and he did...he is still the God that performs miracles today.

2011-02-22T10:03:00.015-05:00

Ok, it's been a very long time since I have posted on my blog. Life's been happening! so, in 2009 my heart function improved to 35% and the size of my heart decreased dramatically. This was something we had been praying for years about and it's something doctors say never happens after the number of years I had been living with this disease. Yesterday I had a very emotional day. A day of highs and a day of lows...riding the roller coaster once again and I hate roller coasters! Yesterday afternoon when I took my Dad home after he dropped off my daughter Jocelyn from school, he started talking to me and just telling me that he was proud of me. He listed reasons that I won't go into because they are between me and God (and my family). It's such an awesome feeling to have your earthly father tell you he's proud of you but for him to say that he believes God would be pleased with me, well that's what I live for. I hope God is pleased with me....I hope I do him proud. That's my life's goal is to do the will of my heavenly father and to one day hear him say, "well done, my good and faithful servant." That's why I live. So, I was on cloud nine to have my father tell me how proud he is of me and then I came home to find a message that my doctors office had just called to give me the results of my latest echo. So, I called them back and the nurse read my results. These results were not what I was expecting at all and I will not lie here, I felt like I had been kicked in the gut and the wind completely knocked out of me. The nurse told me this latest echo shows my heart function to only be 23%. This is a 12% reduction in function after I had been given such great news just a little over a 1 1/2 years earlier. Yes, I was extremely disappointed in those results and yes, I shed some tears and I'm sure I'm not done with tears. I went about finishing up working for the day and made dinner for my family. I went about the business I needed to get done and tried my best not to focus on myself. Here's an amazing part of this story....Saturday, I had taken my Mom to a bookstore that is closing it's doors because she had a gift card and she wanted to make sure she used it before the store did close. I had picked up a couple books, "Made to Crave" and "The Hiding Place" but God kept saying to me, you need to find a devotional book to use on a daily basis to go along with my Bible reading. So, the selection was very poor or at least that is what I thought! There was one devotional book there so I picked it up, flipped thru it and thought, ok I'll get this one. So after Mom had made her selections, we proceeded to go to the back of the line and wait for over 45 minutes in line to pay for our selections. Many times while in that line, I thought about setting the devotional book back on a shelf somewhere because frankly I thought it was a bit pricey and they were only offering a 20% discount at this point. God kept telling me if I was going to put a book down, it needed to be one of my other choices and not the devotional. I didn't want to put one of the other books down...selfish, I know. I felt like God was telling me to buy this devotional book so I listened to that voice and did. So, yesterday when I got this news I was heartbroken and really struggling to try and wrap my head around how this could be with everything I am able to do. After dinner, I sat down with my Bible and read my devotional for that day. This is what it said: Anti-Worship. Think about what anxiety says about God. When we harbor anxious thoughts, we are saying that the one who has promised to take care of our future might not do a good job of it. It says the one who promised to walk us thru the waters and not to allow the fire to burn us might abandon us to the waters and the fire. And it says that his presence in the valley of the shadow of death might not be enough to calm us. We don't realize it but our emotions often tell the provider that we don't think we'll have enough provision, tell our Savior that we're afraid of not being saved, tell our Comforter that we're uncomfortable, and tell our Deliverer that we're sure we'll remain captive. Our hearts actually slander him when we don't trust his protection, his strength, and his love. We don't mean to; we're just anxious. Our anxiety can be awfully offensive.

In Deed: Imagine a son lying awake at night wondering if his parents are going to feed him tomorrow. Imagine a daughter wondering if she will have something to clother herself in. That might happen in some homes, but what does that say of the parents? Nothing Complimentary. But we who worship God cannot praise him with such insecurities. Our fears are a form of anti-worship-a clear declaration that our God might not have promised us enough, or might not be able to follow through on what he has promised. Yes, he will let us go through hard things, but never outside of his timing or beyond his protection. So worship him and don't worry about it.

Now, I don't think that is merely a coincidence that this devotional was in that book with the same date on it as the date I got my test results, do you? That is why I was supposed to buy that devotional. That is why I found myself in a book store with my Mom last Saturday. I'll even go as far to say that is why my Mom got this gift card from a friend. Devine appointment and it leaves me in awe. So last night, I didn't worry....I worshipped. I've worshipped today while working out and I'm going to keep on worshipping. God will use HIS strength to accomplish what he wants to accomplish thru me. Maybe I need to be at 23% so I can really know that what I do is only because of his strength and the Holy Spirit working thru me. It's not me doing anything.....So, while at the Y this morning, I worshipped and it was beautiful. I'll spend my day worshipping. Yes, I'll probably cry some more but I won't waller in self pity. I've got work to do for my King. I live so others will know his name. That is my purpose. I live so others can enjoy eternal life. I was getting ready to turn my mp3 player off this morning and God said, sit down and listen to the word of this song before you leave so I did. I'm really learning to listen to him. Here are the words:

Lincoln Brewster

For Your endless love (For Your endless love)
For the life You gave (For the life You gave)
For the second chance (For the second chance)
For Your priceless grace (For Your priceless grace)
For Your healing hands (For Your healing hands)
For the gift of peace (For the gift of peace)
For the blessed hope (For the blessed hope)
For the faith to believe (For the faith to believe)

For these reasons I praise You
For these reasons I worship You
(1st ending)
For these reasons I live to tell
of Your love to all the world
(2nd ending)
For these reasons I live to tell
of Your love to all the world

For these reasons, Lord Jesus, I praise you. For your endless love. For the life you gave. For the second chance. For your priceless grace. For your healing hands. For the gift of peace. For the blessed hope. For the faith to believe.

You are my love and my life. I want the world to know of your love. I want to change this dying world. Work thru me. Use me as you see fit. I am ready and I am willing. You are so worth it......I love you more than life itself and I will go where you want me to go and I will do what you want me to do. I will give my all for you because you have given me hope and peace and life that never ends. Help me share this with the world. This is the most important decison people will ever make and I want to help those without hope find you. This is where yesterday brought me and I praise you for that. Use what you have to use to get my attention.

So, todays devotional think about his majesty. Let yourself be in awe of him today. Think about the imagination and power that went into a sunset, a mountain range, our human physiology, the wisdom of scripture, or the plan of the Kingdom of God. Stand amazed in his presence. worship begins with an understanding of our inability to understand. It silences our complaints and captures our hearts. It believes God is astoundingly precious. Worship where you are today. Stand in awe of your creator and know that we were made to worship him.

Fall is in the Air!

2010-09-13T08:13:00.002-04:00

I know after a very hot summer most people are enjoying the fall temps. I know I am one of them! Anyone with a heart condition enjoys these temps. It's very hard to get out and do anything in the heat or the extreme cold when you have cardiomyopathy and history of heart failure. Make sure you pay attention to what your body is telling you in that type of weather. Fall has always been my favorite season but it's even more so now because it's when I can get outside and exercise and enjoy the beauty God has given us in nature. So, with fall in the air I thought I would post a recipe that goes right along with the season. Hope you enjoy.

Apple Cider Cupcakes (use icing recipe to follow or just dust with powdered sugar)

3 cups apple cider
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sodium-free baking soda

In a large saucepan, boil the cider until it is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups and let it cool. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Into the bowl sift together the flour, the cloves, the cinnamon and the baking soda; stir in the reduced cider and combine the mixture well. Divide the batter among 18 paper lined muffin tins and bake in the middle of a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until a tester come out clean.

Each cupcake will contain 12 mg sodium

Now for the icing.

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider

Beat together butter, sugar and cider until smooth. Add more cider if necessary to make frosting of spreading consistency. adding the frosting to cupcakes will add 1 mg sodium.

Recipe found in 500 Low Sodium Recipes by Dick Logue, page 467-468

Enjoy!

Our God is HEALER, awesome in power, Our God!

2010-07-13T08:32:00.002-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've updated my blog! I'm still doing extremely well. Exercising every single day for 70 minutes at a very hard pace. I am amazed after every workout just how much I am able to do. I've come from 5% EF all those years ago to 35% when doctors said it was impossible after this much time. The reason for this post today is to ask anyone reading that believes in the power of prayer and the healing power of God to agree with me for 50-55% EF on my next echo which should be this November. I know it is possible with God and I'm believing it!

This week, I'm going to miss my daughter as she travels to Florida for International Youth Convention with her youth group. She flew for the first time in her life this morning! Praying God fills her with his spirit and she comes back changed forever and on fire for God. She already has such a servants heart!

I know God has more in store for me too and I'm ready to do what he his asking. I have heard him speaking to me a lot over the last couple weeks. He didn't heal my heart for my own comfort.....time to get out of the comfort zone a bit more! Ready to be a giant for God!

Go Red for Women Essay

2010-04-24T08:34:00.003-04:00

Ok, I thought I would post my short essay that I wrote to try out for the spokesperson for Go Red for Women. Cincinnati didn't go tryouts this year via video. This is my 3rd year trying out. I sure would love to do this but haven't heard anything so I don't think I was chosen this year either. So, there's always next year! Anyway, here's my story I posted on the Go Red for Women website.

Hello, my name is Kimberly Bnkley. I've often heard the phrase, "knowledge is power." but I have to say I disagree with that statement. Acting on that knowledge is where the power comes. I am one woman but I can speak volumes for a cause that matters to my heart and has become my passion. I am a heart disease survivor. I have been "living" with heart disease now for 9years. I was 39 years old when I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. I had 5% heart function at that time. I was told I would not leave the hospital without a heart transplant but by the grace of God, I did. I have to say, I am here today because of prayer and I believe that firmly. You see, when I was 39, I did not know that heart disease was my greatest health risk. I didn't know the symptoms of heart disease and I didn't know that more women die of heart disease than any other cause. My diagnosis came as a huge shock to myself and to my family. I was in the best shape of my life when I was diagnosed. I exercised, I ate right, I was at my perfect weight.....very physically fit but a virus attacked my heart and did it's damage. Had I known the signs of heart disease, I would have insisted on testing on my heart much sooner. Over the last 8 years, I have had my ups and downs with this disease. A few years ago, I became ill with bronchitis twice within a very short period of time. This caused stress on my heart and once again doctors discussed placing me on the heart transplant list. My heart failure specialist wanted me exercising but at that time I was fearful to do this on my own. So, I had them refer me to a cardiac rehab program so I could regain the confidence I needed to get back into a regular exercise routine. I also got a new bi-ventricular pacemaker that now included a defibrillator. My doctor told me if I wanted to avoid the transplant list and live longer, I needed to be exercising so this is what I did! At this point, I had 20% heart function and doctors needed to see that increase to at least 35%. So, I was one woman on a mission and I am very determined once I set my mind to something. I started looking at my portion sizes and realized that even though I was eating heart healthy foods, I was eating more than proper portions. So, my first change was to cut the portion size down to what I should be eating and no more. Secondly, after my cardiac program was finished, my family and I joined the YMCA. Exercise is no longer a "maybe I'll get to it" thing, it's a "I'm not compromising my excercise time for anything" thing! My heart matters and what I do for it matters very much to me. I exercise every single day for at least 60 minutes. I am able to do much more now than I could in the beginning and I feel so much better for doing so. I have lost 40 pounds and I am at the healthy weight for my height. So, with those changes also came good changes in my heart health and my fitness level. My last echo now says my heart function is at the 35% that my doctors wanted to see! Now, I attribute this to prayer because I had people specifically praying for 35% heart function but I do know that eating right and exercise had a lot to do with my improvement. I now no longer need to be placed on the heart transplant list and I feel absolutely wonderful! I can hike, bike, do aerobics......you name it, I can do it! I now take the stairs instead of the elevator too! I am healthier now than ever and I have no restrictions! I tell everyone about heart disease. This is my passion. I speak from my heart to help other hearts avoid what I have gone thru. You see, I am one very determined woman and I know my life's mission is not accomplished yet! I do all I can to teach others healthy eating habits and about the benefits of regular exercise. I also make sure they know heart disease is the number 1 killer and what they can do to prevent it. I see my doctor regularly. I know my numbers and I encourage others to do the same. I have learned that knowledge isn't power. Acting on that knowledge is power. I am one voice, I am one woman, I am one heart disease survivor that chooses to live and to live well. There is no room for compromise when it comes to my heart and the passion I have for others. When it comes to loving your heart, today is the day to start. Tomorrow may be too late. Go Red for yourself today!

Megan Moss

2010-04-20T14:54:00.001-04:00

Megan got her heart on Sunday! According to her blog, she is doing very well. Doctors are amazed. Please keep her recovery in prayer and pray there are no complications from the transplant. You can follow her story at http://www.megansheartstory.blogspot.com/

Pray

2010-04-16T06:54:00.001-04:00

http://www.megansheartstory.blogspot.com/

Please pray for Megan Moss. She has the same heart condition that I have. I know miracles happen because I am one. Today, please pray for her miracle. She is awaiting transplant right now.

Salt Free Taco Seasoning

2010-02-03T07:01:00.002-05:00

Ok, if you're living with heart failure you have learned by now that you can NOT use the packaged taco seasoning mixes. Here are a couple different salt free taco seasoning recipes that are pretty good. Just remember to look for salt free chili powder because some chili powder is very high in sodium.

First Recipe

6 tablespoons chili powder (look for the unsalted version)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Place all ingredients in a zip lock sandwich bag and shake!

Here's a slightly different recipe.

4 teaspoons minced onion
2 teaspoons chili powder (again, get the unsalted version)
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more if you like it hot!

You can store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.

Remember to Go RED on Friday

2010-02-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Go Red for Women day is this Friday, Feb 5th. Wear your red to help bring awareness that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women. Take this info to heart and do something to keep your own heart healthy!

Exciting News

2010-01-23T09:33:00.002-05:00

Wow...it has been a while since I updated my blog! I just want to update you all real quick and give you a couple dates to be remembering. I have very exciting news. In November, I went for a routine echo to check and make sure I had not lost any heart function since after 8 years doctors felt sure I would not see improvment. They had done everything they thought possible to bring that about with medication adjustments, etc and we had no luck. This year, I had people specifically praying that I would go from 20% heart function to 35% since this is the numbers doctors kept telling me I needed to get to. So, in November when I went for my results of my echo........the news is, my heart function improved from 20% to 35% and the size of my heart decreased to a tad bit bigger than a normal size heart. My nurse, Pam and I were in tears and we celebrated together that day. This is huge after this amount of time. I am exercising every single day at the Y and I feel great. This is nothing short of a miracle. So, please if you are reading this no matter what the situation is for you.....NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up hope! I love the words from this song that say: I've seen dreams that move the mountains, hope that doesn't ever end, even when the sky is falling. I've seen miracles just happen, broken hearts become brand new.....that's what faith can do! Keep the faith! Never give up, no matter what you are going thru. I am trusting God for complete healing of my heart and I'm expecting it! So, if you would like to pray for me, pray that I get 55% heart function as this would be in the normal range. I know it can happen and I am expecting it all in God's time.

ok...so the dates to remember are Friday February 5th. This is national Go Red for Women day to help bring awareness that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women.

Also, if you are in the Cincinnati area, the God Red Luncheon is going to be held Tuesday, May 4th at the Duke energey Center. It's an awesome event if you have never been.

I am also going to try out for the Go Red casting call again this year so wish me luck! I'd love to represent for this cause and tell the world what God has done for me! So that's the latest news. I'll try not wait so long before updating again! Keep doing what your doctor has told you to do.....it will pay off! Keep praying!

Low sodium/low fat, heart healthy mac and cheese recipe!

2009-10-01T06:29:00.005-04:00

Ok, all of us that suffer with heart failure know that it's impossible to find low sodium mac and cheese. The best thing to do is avoid this on buffets, socials, etc because mac and cheese can contain 800-2000 mg sodium in 1/2 to 1 cup! So, here's a recipe I wanted to pass along. It's low sodium and low fat....very heart healthy. You CAN enjoy mac and cheese again!

Makes 8 servings -serving size 1/2 cup

2 cups Macaroni ( I use whole wheat pasta to make this even healthier!)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1 egg medium size, beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 cups (4 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded, low fat
nonstick oil cooking spray

1. Cook macaroni according to directions. (Do NOT add salt to the cooking water.)
Drain and set aside.

2. Lightly spray saucepan with non stick cooking oil spray and saute onions for
about 3 minutes.

3. In another bowl, combine macaroni, onions, remaining ingredients and mix
thoroughly.

4. Transfer mixture into casserole dish, sprayed with non stick cooking oil.

5. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let Stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition facts for this healthy recipe are:
Nutrition fats: Calories: 200, Fat 4 g, Saturated fat 2g, cholesterol 24 mg,
Sodium 120 mg

Compare this to a regular serving of mac and cheese which is for a 1 cup serving. Below represents what a regular "unhealthy" portion of mac and chees would contain. Above recipe is for a healthy version at 120 mg per 1/2 cup serving.

This is nutrition facts for regular mac and cheese, not for recipe posted. This is for comparison purposes.
calories 370, calories from fat 160, total fat 18 g, saturated fat 11 g, cholesterol 40 mg and sodium 1130 mg in 1 cup! That's twice what a healthy person needs in a day!

Don't diet but instead....Dive Into Exercise Today!

2009-09-29T06:32:00.004-04:00

Why Diets Don't Work
By Wendy Bumgardner, About.com
Updated July 19, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

When you want to lose weight, is your first choice to run to the latest fad diet? Often a quick 5 to 10 pounds will come off, then your old eating habits return. If you stick with it to attain your weight goal, you may still find yourself back at the same weight or higher in a few months. Why don't diets work?

A Diet is a Lifestyle, Not an Event

On many diets, you are not eating the way you will eat for the rest of your life. You eat foods you may not like very much and don't find satisfying. If you are determined enough, you stick with it until you reach your goal. But you know this is "just for the diet" rather than finding healthier foods you enjoy in amounts that don't cause weight gain.

Diets Can Be Downers

The very word "diet" is depressing to many of us. We think of giving up foods that are comforting and enjoyable. We think of sitting a party with celery sticks while others are eating the crab puffs. We may even stop socializing because food is a big part of how we interact with friends and family. We feel deprived, alienated and alone, except for others who are dieting. Eventually we give up and enter back into the world of happy uncontrolled eating, carrying negative feelings toward healthier "diet foods."

The Dangerous Yo-Yo Diet Cycle

Studies are finding dangers in the yo-yo diet cycle of losing weight, gaining it back plus a little more, losing, and gaining again. It is stressful on the body systems to have wide swings in body weight. We think each time that this time we won't gain it back, but the statistics show that most of us will.
Yo-Yo Dieting May Weaken Immune System

Control Issues

At first a diet can give you a sense of control. You are taking charge of your eating patterns. You may see success as the scale drops. But soon you are fighting cravings for forbidden foods, as well as hunger pangs and a lack of energy from the lower calorie level. Eventually you rebel against the diet and start "cheating." If your cheats are small you can still be losing weight, although more slowly. But soon you may go into full rebellion and return to your old eating habits.

Diets Slow Your Metabolism.

Your body reacts to fewer calories by slowing down your metabolism -- burning fewer calories each day just to maintain your body functions. If you don't add exercise along with the diet, you will lose lean muscle mass as well as fat and water weight. When you lose muscle, your metabolism is slowed even further and you would have to eat even fewer calories per day to continue to lose weight. It takes a conscious effort to increase exercise when on a diet.

If you don't exercise and then you fall off of the diet, the weight will come back on even faster, as your body is burning fewer calories per day. Even worse, the weight will come back on as fat rather than as the muscle you lost. Your body will look even less lean and healthy.

Solution: Get Active for an Hour a Day

Your first step to improve your health and appearance is to begin daily exercise. Clients of bariatric surgery clinics are prescribed an hour of exercise a day before they can be candidates for surgery. Some of them lose weight so successfully from the exercise that they decide not to have the surgery after all. The exercise doesn't have to be intense -- pick activities you enjoy such as walking, biking, or swimming. Get your body moving most days of the week. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends a minimum daily requirement of 30 to 60 minutes a day of walking or other easy-to-moderate intensity exercise for weight management.

SmallStep.gov

Solution: Make Simple Eating Changes

Find a 100-calorie change you can make for this week. Perhaps it is drinking one less can of cola each day, or having non-fat milk in your coffee instead of cream. Substitute string cheese or an apple instead of a bag of potato chips. Make a 100-calorie change each week for the next six weeks and you will have made a significant change in your eating habits. Don't think in terms of depriving yourself of foods you love, but eliminate empty calories you don't really like and find substitutes that you can enjoy for the rest of your life.

Moving from "Diet" to "Way of Eating"
Healthy Foods Instead of a Diet

By making these changes, you can tip your energy balance to building and maintaining lean muscle while burning and losing fat. This will probably be gradual rather than dramatic, but you will eventually notice clothes fitting looser, your waistline shrinking, and your energy level higher.

Rather than gaining a few pounds each year like most adults, you will be losing a little weight each year. Friends who haven't seen you in awhile will be impressed by the difference. Best of all, you will not have shocked your body with a deprivation diet, but instead have been feeding it appropriate amounts of better food while giving it the exercise it needs for health.

Source: Mann T, Tomiyama AJ, Westling E, Lew AM, Samuels B, Chatman J. "Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments: Diets Are Not the Answer." Am Psychol. 2007 Apr;62(3):220-33.

This is why no one should ever say the flu is "NO BIG DEAL"

2009-09-21T08:50:00.002-04:00

I'm sharing this prayer request I received because I believe it's important and at the bottem of the email, they urged us to let people know. The flu is a big deal when it can do this to a perfectly healthy young lady. Get vaccinated when you can, if you can. Do what you can to prevent this and do what you can to protect your family. This my friends is why I have to take the precautions I do with my heart condition too.

On Saturday, 9/5/09, my son in law (Kelly Root) and my daughter (Stacy) lost their 19 year old niece (Taylor Brian) to pneumonia related H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus. Taylor was a senior at Denham Springs High School. She was treated for strep throat on 8/20, got better but still had strep on the 27th, began throwing up and was hospitalized in BR Gen on Bluebonnet, with a touch of pneumonia on 8/29. She was tested for H1N1 and the family was told it would take 10 days to get the results. When her fever got up to 105 over that weekend and she was placed in ICU. Her oxygen level got so low, she was given a paralytic drug and put on a ventilator Monday. Tuesday chest tubes had to be inserted. Wednesday, another swab for H1N1 was taken and a lab in BR, which as I understand will be dedicated for this type of testing, revealed Thursday she tested POSITIVE for H1N1. They tried to ween her off the paralytic drug in preparation for removal of the vent, but could not because the blood pressure and oxygen levels dropped. Everytime they would do anything to her, such as suctioning her lungs or bathing her, the BP and O2 levels would drop. The family received a call about 3 a.m. Saturday to return to the hospital as her levels dropped as she was being repostioned. This time they could not get her back and she passed away around 4 a.m.. She will be buried on Wednesday.

It appears this virus attacked her lungs with a vengence. The family was told her lungs were like one big blister.

The reason I am relaying all of this to you is so you will be especially alert if your child, grandchild, niece or nephew has any type of cold or sore throat, you can take immediate action. We don't know if Taylor had the H1N1 virus before getting strep or vise versa. In any event a perfectly healthy young woman died in a very short time.

Taylor was a precious young lady who always had a smile on her face, was a friend to all and a joy to be around. This whole ordeal has been like a nightmare for my son-in-law and his family. Please keep the Brian and Root Families in your prayers.

tips to help if you can't get the flu shot

2009-09-10T21:28:00.002-04:00

Ok, I highly recommend anyone with an underlying health condition to get the flu shot but I know not everyone can get the flu shot. So, I thought I would post these tips I found to help prevent the flu when you can't get the shot and since we are still waiting for the vaccine for the swine flu to be released. The best thing is for people that are sick, to stay home so they do not expose others.

Can’t Get The Flu Shot! What Am I To Do?
By: James L. Holly, MD
Isn’t it amazing how supply and demand work, even in healthcare? When the supply is
limited, suddenly the demand becomes unlimited, even when the demand might have
been low, when the supply seemed unlimited.

The flu vaccine has become much more popular in the past few years, particularly as thescience has improved. Taking a flu shot decreases your probability of getting the flu by almost 90%. With over 30,000,000 people in the US getting the flu each year and with over 30,000 deaths from the complications of the flu, this is not an inconsequential benefit from taking a simple immunization. However, these statistics need to be balanced by the fact that almost 90% of people in the United States DO NOT get the flu, even if they don’t take the flu shot. A flu shot is
imperative, even this year, if you are in a high risk group. This includes:
• People 50 years old or above
• Anyone who lives or works in a college, nursing or long-term care home, assisted
living residence, or similar facility
• Adults and children (6 months of age or older) who have chronic heart or lung
conditions, including asthma
• Adults and children (6 months of age or older) who need regular or follow-up
treatment for a kidney, immune, blood, or metabolic disorder (like diabetes), and
anyone else who lives in the same household
• Children (6 months to 18 years) who are on aspirin therapy, because a viral
infection like the flu puts them at risk for Reye's syndrome
• Pregnant women who will be in their second or third trimester during flu season
• Doctors, nurses, hospital employees, home caregivers, and
• household members of people in high-risk groups

What If I Can’t Get a Flu Shot?

In the absence of a flu shot, common sense works almost as well. Statistically, two
things work almost as well as the flu shot:

1. Cover your mouth if you cough and ask others to do the same. Virus are spread by
droplets of fluid which are propelled through the air by coughing. Avoiding these
droplets is one way of avoiding the flu.

2. Washing your hands frequently. Viruses can survive on the skin for several hours.
With a virus on your hands from hand shaking or other physical contact, you can infect yourself by touching your mouth or nose. We’ll discuss more about handing washing later.

Other common sense measures

1. Get plenty of rest. Your own immune system can often defeat a virus’ attempt to
invade your body, but not when you are fatigued. Fatigue diminishes the effectiveness of your own immune responses. So, a good night’s sleep is one excellent anti-viral method.

2. Physical activity stimulates the blood flow in your body, the clearing of your lungs and the mobilization of many other factors in your body which improves your chances of not getting the flu. Stay active. Get exercise. It’s better than the flu shot.

3. Hydration is important. Drinking your 64 ounces of water a day will help your
body’s immune system fight off the flu. Don’t forget to get plenty of fluids before youare ill and if you get sick.

4. Nutrition is important. Eating a well balanced diet, which includes vegetables and
fruits is critical to avoiding the flu. Your immune system is dependent upon your diet. Junk food, fast food, fried foods and fatty foods, all impair your ability to fend off viruses.

5. Avoiding stress will help you avoid the flu. Stress impairs your immune response.
While it is not possible to control the things which happen to us, it is possible to control our responses. Learn to live with what you can’t change and change what you can’t live with. Of course, these strategies for avoiding the flu are important all year long, not just in the flu season.

Medications for the Flu

If you can not get a flu shot and you are exposed to someone with the flu, you might ask your doctor about prescribing an antiviral drug to help prevent you from getting sick.These flu drugs include:
• amantadine (Symmetrel)
• rimantadine (Flumadine)
• oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
Although usually only prescribed for seven days after your flu exposure, they can also be used long-term for the whole flu season if you are considered high risk for getting seriously ill from the flu and you did not get a flu shot.
These flu medicines, along with zanamivir (Relenza), can also be used as treatment if you get sick with the flu. As a flu treatment, they can shorten the time a person infected with influenza feels ill by approximately 1 day, if treatment is started during the first 2 days of illness.

The drugs aren't perfect, though. Up to 10 percent of people taking amantadine
experience side effects including:
• nausea
• dizziness
• insomnia
These problems are less common with rimantadine. People with kidney disorders and
certain psychiatric conditions may have a serious reaction to these drugs. In addition,they aren't foolproof, because the type A virus can develop drug-resistant strains.In 1999, a new class of flu drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors came on the market,zanamivir (Relenza) and osteltamivir (Tamiflu). The newer drugs have some advantages over the previous ones:
• they suppress both types of influenza (A and B), and
• they inhibit most strains, not just the strains of the season.
Like the other antivirals, neurmaninidase inhibitors only work if you take them within the first 48 hours, and they generally shorten the length of a flu by about a day. They also have side effects to watch for: People with chronic lung conditions such asasthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may have trouble breathing or feel like their lung capacity is reduced while on zanamivir, and should keep a fast-acting inhaler handy. Osteltamivir produces nausea and vomiting in about 10 percent of people, and some of the less common effects include vertigo and insomnia. The FDA also recommends that osteltamivir not be given to infants less than a year old.

Echinacea and the Flu
Finally, Echinacea has been reported to boost the immune system, and some studies show it can reduce the severity and length of cold and flu symptoms. In one study, a daily 900-milligram Echinacea supplement during a bout with the flu significantly reduced patients' symptoms, including weakness, fatigue, chills, sweating, sore throat, muscle and joint aches, and headaches, when compared to both a placebo and a lower dosage (450 mg).

Other Tips to Avoid the Flu
Whether or not you got a flu shot, since it isn't 100% effective, you should follow these steps to help prevent you and your family from getting sick with the flu.

Wash Your Hands

One of the most important thing that you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands often. Unfortunately, many people, especially kids, either do not wash their hands often enough or don't do it correctly. You should wash your hands often. Probably more often than you do now because you can’t see germs with the naked eye or smell the, so you do not really know where they are hiding.

When should you wash your hands?

One of the most common ways people catch colds and the flu is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with a virus. By washing your hands often, especially:
• before, during, and after you prepare food
• before you eat, and
• after you use the bathroom
• after handling animals or animal waste
• when your hands are dirty, and
• more frequently when someone in your home is sick
you may avoid getting sick yourself and keep your kids from getting sick too.

What is the correct way to wash your hands?
• First wet your hands and apply liquid or clean bar soap.
• Place the bar soap on a rack and allow it to drain.
• Next rub your hands vigorously together and scrub all surfaces.
• Continue for 10 - 15 seconds or about the length of a little tune. It is the soap
combined with the scrubbing action that helps dislodge and remove germs.

Protecting Children

Routinely clean, with soap and water, and disinfect surfaces, toys, and objects that
younger children may put in their mouths. It may also help to wipe surfaces with paper towels that can be thrown away or cloth towels that can be washed afterwards.
• Use disposable tissues to wipe or blow your child's nose.
• Teach your children 'cough etiquette', which the American Academy of Pediatrics
describes as teaching 'your children to turn their heads and cough or sneeze into a
disposable tissue or the inside of their elbow if a tissue is unavailable'.

• Avoid close contact with people when you are sick.
It isn't really possible to completely avoid people who are sick, so it is likely better if you just avoid exposing other people to your germs when you or your kids are sick. So don't go to school, daycare, work, etc., if you are sick with the flu.
Avoid unnecessary contact with a lot of people for your younger children. It isn't easy to always tell when people are sick and some people are contagious even before they start to have symptoms, so don't expose your younger kids to large crowds of people if you don't have to. Since the virus can survive on surfaces for hours -- wash your hands as often as possible. If you can't get to soap and water use a commercial hand washing preparation. Studies show these are highly effective at killing influenza and other viruses.

Airplanes and the Air in the Plane

What about the air you breathe on planes? It passes though the same type of filters used in operating rooms - highly effective at keeping viruses from circulating. But the filtration does not protect you from nearby passengers, rude enough to not cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. Your greatest risk is going to be in very close proximity with somebody that, if you will, kind of showers your airspace with their virus. The expert advice is try to change seats and don't be shy about complaining if you can't. It might allow you to end your trip as healthy as you were when you started.

Conclusion
The good news is that we will survive the flu season and you will too. If you get sick,contact your physician immediately. Few people, aggressively treated early, will
succumb to the flu virus. Remember, it is your life and it is your health.

Deserts!

2009-08-20T07:35:00.002-04:00

Ok, most people think because deserts are sweet that they are low in sodium. That is simply not true. Most deserts are very high in sodium. You can have between 250 mg-400 mg in 1 cookie and up to 500-600 mg sodium in a piece of cake! If you are trying to watch your sodium (which everyone should do!), you need to limit the amount of deserts you have or bake using no salt baking soda and no salt baking powder and unsalted butter. You can find these in some grocery stores in the natural food section or you can order from www.healthyheartmarket.com or www.saltwatcher.com
Today I decided to post a recipe for one of my favorite cookies that is much healthier for you due to very low sodium! Here is a snickerdoodle recipe that has about 3 mg sodium per cookie!

Snickerdoodles:

1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (No not used self rising as this has sodium!)
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
2 teaspoons sodium-free baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream butter until light. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir together four, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Add to beaten mixture. Stir together 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and cool on racks.

Yield 72 servings

Recipe courtesy of 500 Low Sodium recipes by Dick Logue

Cincinnati Chili recipe

2009-08-19T06:51:00.002-04:00

Wow...I have not posted in a while. I couldn't get into my blog yesterday either for some weird reason! Well, since it's getting close to fall I thought I would post a chili recipe. This one is great served over spaghetti topped with cheddar cheese, onions and kidney beans (all toppings optional)

Here's what you will need

1 onion chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced ( I use more, add to taste)
1 tablespoon chili powder (I use a no salt added chili powder found in the natural food section at Kroger)
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
15 ounces no salt added tomato sauce
1 tablespoon low sodium worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water

In a large frying pan over medium high heat, saute onion, ground beef, garlic and chili powder until ground beef is slightly cooked. Add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, unsweetened cocoa, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar and water. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.

This recipe yeilds 6 servings with 57 mg sodium per serving.

Watch the sodium in Purdue chicken now!

2009-06-04T10:13:00.002-04:00

Ok...much to my disappointment, purdue now has fresh chicken that they have added sodium to. Their fresh chicken was always without the added sodium but when I went to Walmart a few days ago, I noticed they now have all sorts of fresh chicken with added sodium. It can be as much as 250-400 mg per piece depending on which piece of the chicken you like. So....buyer beware....check the labels very carefully because not all purdue chicken is now minimally processed without added sodium.

Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches

2009-06-03T06:43:00.003-04:00

I love Barbecued chicken, pork or beef sandwiches but as you know all those commercial brands or sandwiches you get in restraurants are very high in sodium. Here's a delicious recipe from "500 Low Sodium Recipes" by Dick Logue. He's right....with this recipe, you won't even miss the expensive sandwiches at your favorite barbecue restaurant! Try it with onion rolls (recipe at bottem) and a scoop of coleslaw on it. Yummy!

2 cups smoked chicken, shredded (if you don't have a smoker, the meat can be cooked in a slow cooker until it's tender and then shredded, which is my method!)

For sauce:

8 ounces no salt added tomato sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (no salt added)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayeene pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix together sauce ingredients. Combine with chicken or spoon over chicken on the roll as desired. Yields: 6 servings. Each serving will have 50 mg sodium.

Now for the onion roll recipe also from the same cookbook by Dick Logue, I highly recommend this cookbook!

1 cup skim milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons, or 10g) yeast

For topping:

2 tablespoons (20 g) minced onion
6 tablespoons (90 ml) water, divided
1 egg white

Place ingredients in bread machine in order specified by manufacturer. Process on dough cycle. When done, remove and shape into 10 rolls, cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Combine 2 tablespoons minced onion with 1/4 cup water. Let stand 5 minutes. Beat egg white with remaining 2 tablespoons water. Brush rolls with egg mixture. Sprinkle with onion mixture. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes. Yield: 10 servings

Each roll will have 30 mg sodium......much better than what you can buy in the grocery store! Enjoy!

Low sodium recipe

2009-06-02T07:14:00.003-04:00

ok...this is NOT my recipe but I'm always looking for new tasty recipes and this one sounds yummy! I got this off the foodnetwork healthyeats feedburner. It is by Dana White in Healthy recipes from the food network website. Sounds good and I know boxed rice mixes are loaded with sodium and are off limits for those of us with heart failure and those that just plain want to eat healthier without giving their children an unhealthy taste for sodium! Here's the recipe:

5 Ingredients or Less: Spicy Cheesy Rice
by Dana White in Healthy Recipes – Posted Monday, June 1, 2009, 12:30 pm

Packaged, seasoned rice dishes are loaded with sodium and preservatives. Sure, it’s easy when it comes from a box, but why not try it yourself? I created this healthier version that’s become a family hit. Serve beside chicken, pork, seafood beef or veggies, or try it with tacos (my favorite). Leftovers are convenient for lunch, too.

Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon Latin spice mix (suggested: Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime or Goya Sazón Natural)
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheese (your choice)
1 cup frozen green peas

1) Brown Rice
Switching to brown rice is an easy way to get more servings of whole grains. The extra fiber, protein and B vitamins keep you satisfied and energized; its mild, nutty flavor goes perfectly with the other ingredients in this recipe.

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, combine rice with 2 cups of water and a dash of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.

2) Latin Spice Mix
Spice blends usually contain garlic, cumin, chili and coriander. Some also include a spice called annatto — it’s peppery, delicious and has a unique red color. Mixes like Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime (a new Mrs. Dash offering) or Goya Sazón Natural & Complete give flavor without unnecessary salt.

3) Chili Sauce
I’m a chili sauce addict! My favorite is Sriracha. Just a few drops infuses the right amount of sweet heat — plus, it’s another way to add flavor without the extra calories!

While the rice is cooking, combine 2 tablespoons of canola oil, the spice mix and chili sauce in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

4) Low-Fat Shredded Cheese
Low-fat cheese — not non-fat — is always the better way to go. Fat-free kinds tend to have more chemicals in them than cheese and almost no flavor, but low-fat varieties have all the calcium, protein, taste and texture without as much saturated fat. I use a blend of cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey jack.

5) Frozen Peas
When I first made this recipe, I thought it needed something green to liven it up — and when you mix legumes like peas with a grain, you create a protein combination the body prefers. Peas also contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, K and thiamin. There’s no need to thaw the peas, they will warm up quickly when added to the rice.

Once the rice is cooked, add the spice mixture, cheese and peas; stir well to combine. Garnish with chopped scallions and fresh cilantro, if desired. This recipe serves 6.

Nutrition Info (per serving):
Calories: 189
Fat: 6 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 6 grams
Carbohydrate: 27 grams
Sodium: 95 milligrams
Cholesterol: 2 milligrams
Fiber: 2 grams
Servings: 6

5 foods to boost your energy

2009-06-02T07:05:00.001-04:00

I can attest to this!

Forget the energy drinks, supplements or packaged sports bars — get your zip from naturally energizing foods. Try these 5 to get extra oomph every day.

1) Whole-Wheat Bread
The body’s primary source of energy is carbs. I’m not referring to jelly beans and lollipops (a.k.a. simple sugars). If you load up on them, you’ll end up hitting the wall within 20 minutes. Whole grains burn off slower, giving you longer-lasting vigor. They also contain loads of B-vitamins, which work together to boost energy and your metabolism.

Other whole-grain sources: Whole-grain cereal (like raisin bran or shredded wheat), brown rice and oatmeal. Kashi makes great whole grain hot and cold cereals that we love.

2) Strawberries
Need an immediate burst of energy? Have a handful of strawberries. They’re coming into season now at your farmers’ market or produce grocer — this means they’re sweet and juicy. Strawberries also contain fiber, which helps your body more slowly absorb the carbohydrates you eat. Fresh fruits make a great mid-afternoon snack, especially for that 3pm slump.

Other energy-boosting fruit: cherries, apricots …. just about any fresh fruit will give you a lift.

3) Broccoli
Believe it or not, one cooked cup of broccoli actually contains as much vitamin C as an orange. Why is that vitamin important? Well, an Arizona State University study found that 1 in 3 women were not getting enough in their diets. After upping their intake to 500 milligrams a day, they reported feeling better and more energized. Forgo vitamin C supplements and just up your broccoli snacking or sides. (This applies to men, too).

Other vitamin C-packed veggies: cabbage, radishes and spinach

4) Pork
To keep energy levels constant, you need to get enough iron. Unfortunately, iron is the most common nutrient deficiency in the US (and in the whole world). This mineral helps transport oxygen to wherever your body needs it by hooking onto red blood cells. Common iron deficiency symptoms? Low energy and fatigue.

Not only does pork contain iron, it’s also a good source of the B-vitamins like thiamine and niacin, which are both involved with your metabolism. Choose lean cuts of pork, like tenderloin and pork chops — higher fat foods can weigh you down and make you sluggish.

Other lean proteins: beef tenderloin, chicken breast and shrimp

5) Water
Our bodies are two-thirds water. Water helps control body temperature and digestion and, of course, we need it to produce energy. Even slight dehydration can make you tired. Classic recommendations say 8 cups a day, but this can vary per person. Keep a glass by your side and sip away all day. And don’t count out food — eating foods with high water content (fruits and veggies especially) count towards your daily water needs.

The Most Important Thing
Don’t skip meals! Too much time between meals causes your body to start running on fumes, and you’ll be more likely to overindulge at your next meal. Eating larger portions then makes you feel tired and sluggish, too. Stick to 3 balanced meals and 2-3 small, healthy snacks daily — this way you’ll replenish your energy at a slow and steady pace

The Portion Distortion!

2009-06-01T06:44:00.003-04:00

ok...after eating out yesterday from lunch and ordering off the "LUNCH" menu at Pappadeaux's and getting 3x the food one needs at one sitting, I thought I would post some tips to avoid portion size pitfalls. More and more restrauants have been piling on the food and we American's have been eating it! Portion sizes have continued to grow in this country and we've seen it in increase obesity in children. Children today will be the first generation to not out live their parents if something isn't done. This is something the "consumer" needs to take control of and learn what a healthy portion size is. I've noticed in most restrauants the plates have gotten much larger too! So, one tip to control portion sizes at home is use smaller plates! You'd me amazed at how much less you eat when eating off a smaller size plate. Here are a few other tips to help avoid the portion distortion!
This is especially important if you are watching your sodium intake!

How to Avoid Portion Size Pitfalls to Help Manage Your Weight

This is part of our Weight Management Research to Practice Series.
When eating at many restaurants, it's hard to miss that portion sizes have gotten larger in the last few years. The trend has also spilled over into the grocery store and vending machines, where a bagel has become a BAGEL and an "individual" bag of chips can easily feed more than one. Research shows that people unintentionally consume more calories when faced with larger portions. This can mean significant excess calorie intake, especially when eating high-calorie foods. Here are some tips to help you avoid some common portion-size pitfalls.

Portion control when eating out. Many restaurants serve more food than one person needs at one meal. Take control of the amount of food that ends up on your plate by splitting an entrée with a friend. Or, ask the wait person for a "to-go" box and wrap up half your meal as soon as it's brought to the table.

Portion control when eating in. To minimize the temptation of second and third helpings when eating at home, serve the food on individual plates, instead of putting the serving dishes on the table. Keeping the excess food out of reach may discourage overeating.

Portion control in front of the TV. When eating or snacking in front of the TV, put the amount that you plan to eat into a bowl or container instead of eating straight from the package. It's easy to overeat when your attention is focused on something else.

Go ahead, spoil your dinner. We learned as children not to snack before a meal for fear of "spoiling our dinner." Well, it's time to forget that old rule. If you feel hungry between meals, eat a healthy snack, like a piece of fruit or small salad, to avoid overeating during your next meal.

Be aware of large packages. For some reason, the larger the package, the more people consume from it without realizing it. To minimize this effect:

Divide up the contents of one large package into several smaller containers to help avoid over-consumption.
Don't eat straight from the package. Instead, serve the food in a small bowl or container.

Out of sight, out of mind. People tend to consume more when they have easy access to food. Make your home a "portion friendly zone."

Replace the candy dish with a fruit bowl.
Store especially tempting foods, like cookies, chips, or ice cream, out of immediate eyesight, like on a high shelf or at the back of the freezer. Move the healthier food to the front at eye level.

When buying in bulk, store the excess in a place that's not convenient to get to, such as a high cabinet or at the back of the pantry.

Healthy Eating tip

2009-05-29T07:14:00.002-04:00

Ok...so you're trying to eat healthier and eat foods with less fat and sodium. when in the grocery store, one easier way to do "healthier" grocery shopping is to spend more time in the outer aisles of the store where fresh foods are kept. Spend less time in the middle aisles where packaged foods, snacks, and soft drinks are stocked. when you read your labels, look at the portion size in the container. If you eat double the serving size listed, you need to double the calories, fat, sodium and nutrients. Be aware that most canned foods have more than 1 serving per can, for example......canned soup. Most people eat the entire can and 1 serving can put you over your daily sodium need. Your better off making your own soup! Watch for both natural and added sodium in foods. Ordinary table salt is sodium chloride....40 percent sodium by weight. Healthy adults should take in less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. That's equal to about 1 tsp of salt. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, peas and beans are good sources of dietary fiber and can help reduce the risk of heart disease. For your total carbohydrates, emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals. Remember where there's animal protein, there's also fat and cholesterol.....Eat small portions! Keep track of your calories consumed in a day, you'd be surprised how much you are actually consuming! Watch your total fat intake. Most people need to cut back on calories and fat! Too much fat may contribute to heart disease and cancer. Watch your labels....the label gives you the number of fat grams per serving and the number of calories from fat. If you are overweight or trying to lose weight, your goal is an overall intake of no more than 25 to 35 percent of your total calories from fat, with less than 7 percent as saturated fat and less than 1 percent of trans fat. You should keep track of the amount of calories you consume and the amount of calories you burn. Watch the cholesterol. Too much in your diet may lead to too much of it in your blood. Too much cholesterol in your blood can lead to heart disease and stroke. It's best to eat less than 300 mg each day. People with heart disease should eat less than 200 mg per day. I go for much, much less that the recommended amount! Eat healthy and exercise.......choose to live!

Control your risk factors

2009-05-28T07:07:00.003-04:00

Did you know that YOU have control over 80% of the risk factors for heart disease? Most people never even think about their heart and what they are doing to it however. You can't control your family history but you can control other things that increase your risk of developing heart disease. One of the ways is by making a healthy lifestyle YOUR lifestyle. By eating right, exercising and controlling your weight you can do a lot to reduce your risk factors and stay healthy. The best way to lose weight, however, is thru lifestlye changes not thru the use of diet supplements which are generally pretty unhealthy for your heart. Most of them contain hidden sources of high amounts of caffeine which are potentially dangerous for your heart. I'm a big advocate of staying away from that stuff because I know what it can do to your heart and it's not worth losing a few pounds if you lose your life due to a dangerous heart rhythm all because you popped a pill instead of trying to be healthy! Here's an article on the subject from the Go Red for women website.

05/01/09 — Weight-loss Supplements May Cause Life-Threatening Cardiac Complications or Death

Weight-loss Supplements May Cause Life-Threatening Cardiac Complications or Death
Study published in the HeartRhythm Journal reveals hidden heart health risks associated with ingredients found in diet pills

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ann-Marie White
Heart Rhythm Society
(202) 464-3476
awhite@hrsonline.org

WASHINGTON, DC — A study published in the May edition of the HeartRhythm Journal, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, found that many non-prescription weight-loss supplements that are accessible online may have hidden heart health risks. Eight out of 12 weight-loss supplements analyzed contained one or more ingredients associated with life-threatening cardiac complications such as ventricular arrhythmias, cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death. Read full text of study »

Conducted by a team of researchers from the Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology Research at the Texas Heart Institute, the study reviewed the ingredients of 12 different weight-loss supplements available on the Internet. The researchers identified the sample supplements by entering the common search terms “diet pills” and “weight-loss supplements” into the Internet search engines Google, MSN and Yahoo, and selecting the top four hits returned from each search. Of the 12 weight-loss supplements purchased for evaluation, a list of ingredients was included on the label of each, but none of the supplements included warning labels on the bottles or shipping packages regarding the potential life-threatening cardiac side effects known to be associated with the ingredients.

“The growing rate of obesity in America has led to more frequent and widespread use of weight-loss supplements that are easily available without prescription,” said Alireza Nazeri, MD, lead author of the study. “We applaud the FDA for becoming more involved in identifying the risks associated with weight-loss supplements, but there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that dangerous ingredients are regulated.”

From the ingredients listed on each label, researchers identified 11 ingredients (representing 8 substances, because more than one name was used for some ingredients) with at least two reports of life-threatening cardiac complications or death: bitter orange (also listed as Citrus aurantium and synephrine HCl); green tea (also listed as Camellia sinensis); buckwheat; guarana; Korean ginseng; licorice root; Ma Huang root; caffeine anhydrous.

“The use of multiple names for the same substance can cause a great deal of confusion, even for physicians,” said Mehdi Razavi, MD, senior author of the study. “While it is critical to improve public knowledge of weight-loss supplements and the risks associated with them by issuing complete warning label information, it is highly recommended that individuals seek a doctor’s advice before purchasing any weight-loss supplement.”

“We hope that this study will expand health care providers’ knowledge about the potentially life-threatening adverse effects of some non-prescription weight-loss supplements,” says Ali Massumi, MD, FACC, Director of the Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology at the Texas Heart Institute. “We also hope that health care institutions will become more involved in educating patients and the general population on this subject.”

For more information about this study, please visit www.heartrhythmjournal.com.

About HeartRhythm Journal
HeartRhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, provides rapid publication of the most important science developments in the field of arrhythmias and cardiovascular electrophysiology (EP). As the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, HeartRhythm publishes both basic and clinical subject matter of scientific excellence devoted to the EP of the heart and blood vessels, as well as therapy. The journal is the only EP publication serving the entire electrophysiology community from basic to clinical academic researchers, private practitioners, technicians, industry and trainees. HeartRhythm has a new impact factor of 4.203 for 2007 and ranks 10th out of 72 cardiovascular medicine journals by the Institute for Scientific Information. Additionally, the journal ranks seventh in the Immediacy Index among cardiology publications. It is also the official publication of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society.

© Heart Rhythm Society | 1400 K St. NW, Suite 500 | Washington DC 20005 | (202) 464-3400 | Fax: (202) 4

Risk Factors for Heart Disease

2009-05-21T07:03:00.002-04:00

You may think if you don't have high cholesterol that you are not at risk for heart disease.......that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, just being overweight increases your risk for heart disease or heart attack even if you have no other risk factors for heart disease. Especially if you carry your weight in the belly. Being overweight also increases your risks for heart failure. I posted an article at the end of the study done for this. Higher waist sizes was associated with heart failure in women at all levels of BMI. Both waist size and BMI were heart failure predictors among men. I'm living proof you don't have to have clogged arteries to have heart disease. My arteries were the cleanest my doctor had ever seen when he did a cardiac catherization on me. Although I was not overweight and was physically active when I was diagnosed, I still had risk factors. Being physically inactive also increases your risks. So, beware......don't just think because you have no blockages, you're not at risk. We can't control family history but there are risk factors we can control and need to take them more seriously. I wanted to post them again as a reminder. Take care of your heart!

Risk Factors and Coronary Heart Disease

AHA Scientific Position
Extensive clinical and statistical studies have identified several factors that increase the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack. Major risk factors are those that research has shown significantly increase the risk of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease. Other factors are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but their significance and prevalence haven't yet been precisely determined. They're called contributing risk factors.

The American Heart Association has identified several risk factors. Some of them can be modified, treated or controlled, and some can't. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing coronary heart disease. Also, the greater the level of each risk factor, the greater the risk. For example, a person with a total cholesterol of 300 mg/dL has a greater risk than someone with a total cholesterol of 245 mg/dL, even though everyone with a total cholesterol greater than 240 is considered high-risk.

What are the major risk factors that can't be changed?

Increasing age — Over 83 percent of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 or older. At older ages, women who have heart attacks are more likely than men are to die from them within a few weeks.

Heredity (including Race) — Children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves. African Americans have more severe high blood pressure than Caucasians and a higher risk of heart disease. Heart disease risk is also higher among Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians and some Asian Americans. This is partly due to higher rates of obesity and diabetes. Most people with a strong family history of heart disease have one or more other risk factors. Just as you can't control your age, sex and race, you can't control your family history. Therefore, it's even more important to treat and control any other risk factors you have.
What are the major risk factors you can modify, treat or control by changing your lifestyle or taking medicine?

Tobacco smoke — Smokers' risk of developing coronary heart disease is 2–4 times that of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking is a powerful independent risk factor for sudden cardiac death in patients with coronary heart disease; smokers have about twice the risk of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the risk for coronary heart disease. People who smoke cigars or pipes seem to have a higher risk of death from coronary heart disease (and possibly stroke) but their risk isn't as great as cigarette smokers'. Exposure to other people's smoke increases the risk of heart disease even for nonsmokers.

High blood cholesterol — As blood cholesterol rises, so does risk of coronary heart disease. When other risk factors (such as high blood pressure and tobacco smoke) are present, this risk increases even more. A person's cholesterol level is also affected by age, sex, heredity and diet.

High blood pressure — High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing the heart to thicken and become stiffer. It also increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure. When high blood pressure exists with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol levels or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times.

Physical inactivity — An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease. The more vigorous the activity, the greater your benefits. However, even moderate-intensity activities help if done regularly and long term. Physical activity can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, as well as help lower blood pressure in some people.

Obesity and overweight — People who have excess body fat — especially if a lot of it is at the waist — are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the heart's work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. It can also make diabetes more likely to develop. Many obese and overweight people may have difficulty losing weight. But by losing even as few as 10 pounds, you can lower your heart disease risk.

Diabetes mellitus — Diabetes seriously increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Even when glucose (blood sugar) levels are under control, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, but the risks are even greater if blood sugar is not well controlled. About three-quarters of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. If you have diabetes, it's extremely important to work with your healthcare provider to manage it and control any other risk factors you can.
What other factors contribute to heart disease risk?
Individual response to stress may be a contributing factor. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person's life, their health behaviors and socioeconomic status. These factors may affect established risk factors. For example, people under stress may overeat, start smoking or smoke more than they otherwise would.
Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, cause heart failure and lead to stroke. It can contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, and produce irregular heartbeats. It contributes to obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents.

The risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol (an average of one drink for women or two drinks for men per day) is lower than in nondrinkers. One drink is defined as 1-1/2 fluid ounces (fl oz) of 80-proof spirits (such as bourbon, Scotch, vodka, gin, etc.), 1 fl oz of 100-proof spirits, 4 fl oz of wine or 12 fl oz of beer. It's not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase the amount they drink.

Information on the risks of heart failure: The study was done on Swedish men and women but holds true for all nationalities!

Abdominal obesity associated with heart failure in Swedish middle-age; older adults
Study highlights:
• Higher waist size was associated with heart failure in women at all levels of BMI.
• Both waist size and BMI were heart failure predictors among men.

DALLAS, April 7, 2009 — A higher waist size was associated with heart failure in women at all levels of body mass index (BMI), and both waist size and BMI were predictors of heart failure among men, researchers report in Circulation: Heart Failure.

Participants from two population-based studies, the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men, were followed from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2004. The 36,873 women (aged 48-83) and 43,487 men (aged 45-79) self-reported height, weight and waist circumference. During the study there were 382 first heart failure events among women (357 hospital admissions and 25 deaths) and 718 first heart failure events among men (679 hospital admissions and 39 deaths).

Researchers found:

34 percent of the women were overweight and 11 percent were obese.
46 percent of the men were overweight and 10 percent were obese.
A 10 centimeter higher waist circumference was associated with a 15 percent higher heart failure rate in women with a BMI of 25 and an 18 percent higher heart failure rate in women with a BMI of 30.
A 10 centimeter higher waist circumference was associated with a 16 percent higher heart failure rate in men with a BMI of 25 and an 18 percent higher heart failure rate in men with a BMI of 30.
In men, a 1 unit higher BMI was associated with a 4 percent higher heart failure rate at all waist sizes; BMI was only associated with heart failure rate in women with the biggest waists.
Strength of the association between BMI and heart failure events declined with age.
“In women, higher waist circumference was associated with heart failure at all levels of BMI, but BMI appeared to predict heart failure only among those with high waist circumference,” said Emily B. Levitan, Sc.D., lead author of the study and Research Fellow at the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Mass. “Both BMI and waist circumference were predictors in men.”

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Swedish Research Council/Committee for Infrastructure.

Another breakfast recipe!

2009-05-11T06:56:00.002-04:00

Aww....pancakes. Who doesn't love them? Well, if you are on a sodium restricted diet you are painfully aware that commercial pancake mixes are very high in sodium. There is one mix out there that you might be able to find in the diabetic section of your grocery but the taste is not the same because there is no added sugar. So, here's a recipe that you will love and you will never miss the sodium. These are delicious. I mixed up some of these for myself when I attended a pancake breakfast at church because I knew I could not eat the "Bob Evans" brand pancakes due to the sodium in the mix. Thanks to Tami Lilly for making them for me! This mix made about 4 large pancakes. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons sodium-free baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Combine the egg, milk, and oil. Add all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until blended but still slightly lumpy. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto hot greased griddle for each pancake. Cook until browned on bottom (when bubbles form and then break). Turn and cook on other side until done.

Tip: The griddle is hot enough when a drop of water dropped onto it sizzles and breaks up immediately.

so, have these if you are on a sodium restricted diet or if you just want to eat healthier!

p.s. They've been kid tested! Max had one of mine at the pancake breakfast and he said they were yummy! Couldn't tell they were minus the sodium!

flu update

2009-05-10T06:53:00.003-04:00

Just an update on the flu. I hope people are still taking precautions and are taking this seriously. Even though they are saying this flu is mild, it has proven deadly for people with underlying health conditions such as heart problems, copd, diabetes, etc. Please, if you are ill........STAY HOME. You never know who you are coming into contact with when you have a mild case of this. I've heard people say, well, the case is mild so they think it's ok to go out into the public, school or to work. Please, think about the people you come into contact on a daily basis. Anyone of those people could have chronic health conditions or any one of those people may have someone at home with chronic health problems. This is why it puzzles me when they say they are not telling schools in the U.S. to close when they have a case. I've come to learn that most people DON'T use common sense and go everywhere while they are sick never thinking of whom they might cause to get sick. If you have a chronic health condition, limit your large crowd exposure and carry hand sanitizer with you where ever you go and use it frequently. Do what you can to protect yourselves. We have 2254 cases now with 3 deaths. New cases are NOT on the decline like has been reported. All the deaths have been very young people with chronic health conditions that cause major complications when they got this flu. So, even though most cases have been mild, they are still deadly when you pass it on to someone with other health problems. USE COMMON SENSE!

Low sodium Buttermilk/Restaurant-style Biscuits

2009-05-09T07:37:00.005-04:00

One thing I never thought I'd have again once I had to go on a sodium restricted diet was biscuits. Most biscuits have at least 500mg of sodium in one biscuit. With this recipe, you can have more than one! Ok...as promised, here is the recipe for low sodium buttermilk biscuits. This will yeild 6 servings at 17 mg sodium per biscuit! Much healthier for anyone! Even if your're healthy, why make your heart work harder?

First you make the buttermilk baking mix. For this you will need:

10 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sodium free baking powder (if you can't find in your grocer, www.saltwatcher.com and www.healthyheartmarket.com carry it)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sodium free baking soda (same as above if you can't find at your grocer!)
2 cups shortening

In a large bowl, mix all ingedients with an electric mixer until particles are small and uniform in size. Store in a tightly covered container. yields 26 servings.

ok now onto the recipe for the biscuits. You will need:

2 cups of the buttermilk baking mix
2 ounces sour cream (look at the labels and get the lowest in sodium)
1/2 cup club soda, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Mix baking mix, sour cream and club soda. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly. Roll or pat to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 6 biscuits with biscuit cutter or sharp knife. Place biscuits in a 8 x 8 baking dish sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Melt butter and pour over top. Bake at 375 until golden brown, 20 to 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe taken from the cookbook "500 Low Sodium Recipes, lose the salt not the flavor in meals the whole family will love" by Dick Logue. I highly recommend this cookbook......AWESOME YUMMY HEALTHY RECIPES!

Sausage recipe!

2009-05-08T06:50:00.004-04:00

For those of us living with heart failure and keeping to our sodium restricted diet, I'm sure you never thought you could have sausage again. That's one thing I missed until I came across this recipe. Give it a try, I think you'll like it and it's much healthier than processed sausage you buy in your grocery store. Much better for healthy people to eat too!

1 pound pork, ground
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Fry, grill, or cook on a greased baking sheet in a 325 degree oven until done. makes 8 servings with about 24 mg of sodium per sodium! Lot's lower than the processed stuff you see in the grocery!

On thing I have missed is sausage gravy and biscuits. Sausage and biscuits are loaded in sodium and having both would more than likely put you over your daily allowance of sodium in one shot! Not anymore! You can make your own and they are much lower and much healthier for you.

Sausage Gravy

follow recipe for sausage above
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Remove sausage with slotted spoon after cooking, set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of grease from the skillet. Over medium heat, stir 3 tablespoons of flour into the grease. Stir constantly until browned, about 5 minutes. Stirring constantly, pour in milk. Season with pepper. Continue cooking until the gravy is thick. Add sausage back into the gravy. Serve over split biscuits, grits, or mashed potatoes. yields 4 servings with 77 mg sodium per serving.

Ok, now for the biscuit recipe.

2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons sodium-free baking powder (if you can't find in your grocer, go to www.saltwatcher.com or www.healthyheartmarket.com, they both carry)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup skim milk

Stir together first 4 ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk. Stir until just mixed. Knead gently on floured surface a few times. Press to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out with 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 or 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. 10 servings at 13 mg sodium each! A lot different than the 500-750 mg we see in biscuits!

Tomorrow, I'll post a recipe for buttermilk biscuits

Yummy Lemon chicken recipe

2009-05-06T19:00:00.001-04:00

Ok..here's the recipe. I loved it but it is NOT low carb! Low sodium but if you're watching your sugar and carbs you might just want to eat a half piece like I did!

4 boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6-ounce can frozen lemonade, thawed and undiluted
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup hunt's no salt added tomato sauce

I actually doubled the sauce but I don't think I needed to.

Remove all the skin and fat from the chicken. coat the chicken with flour and brown on all sides in the olive oil. Remove the chicken from the pan and stir in the lemonade concentrate, brown sugar, vinegar and tomato sauce and mix well. Transfer the chicken back into saute pan or you could also do this in crock pot. (I did stove top in a saute pan). For stovetop preparation, cook over low heat for 1 hour. If using a crock pot, cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. I'd use a crock pot liner if you do in the crock pot because the sauce does get sticky. That way your clean up is easier. I hope you enjoy. I loved it!

Recipe from the No-Salt, Lowest Sodium Cookbook by Donald Gazzaniga.

The Flu

2009-05-05T06:38:00.002-04:00

Since we are hearing so much about the flu right now, I thought it would be nice to post some facts about how the flu can affect anyone with a chronic medical condition, the elderly and the very young. I do NOT believe people take the flu seriously enough. It's not just any old virus......it's not just the common cold. It has proven itself to be deadly and we need to take it serious. If you have it.....STAY HOME. You never know who you are infecting when you go out in public. If you can get the vaccine, get it. Here are some important facts for those with chronic health problems and for those that are healthy so they realize how important it is not to go out and infect others! The flu is very serious for anyone with a chronic health problem and there are millions of us out there folks!

If you have a chronic medical condition such as heart disease, asthma, or diabetes, it's important to call your doctor when the first flu symptoms occur.

Each year in the United States, about 36,000 people die from influenza (flu) and over 200,000 are hospitalized due to complications from flu. These complications can include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. When kids with asthma or allergies get flu, they often get complications such as sinus problems and ear infections.

Who's at risk for problems associated with flu?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals who are at high risk for problems associated with flu include:

adults over age 50
people who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities that house people with long-term illnesses
adults and children 6 months and older with chronic heart or lung conditions, including asthma
adults and children 6 months and older who needed regular medical care or were in a hospital during the prior year because of a metabolic disease (such as diabetes), have chronic kidney disease, or have a weakened immune system -- including immune system problems caused by medicines or by infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS)
children 6 months to 18 years old who are on long-term aspirin therapy (Children given aspirin while they have influenza are at risk of Reye's syndrome.)
women who will be pregnant during the influenza season
all children 6 months to 59 months of age
What chronic medical conditions might increase problems associated with flu?
Some common medical conditions that may increase the risk of problems with the flu include:

asthma
diabetes
emphysema
heart disease
HIV/AIDS

Why is flu more serious to those with asthma?
Asthma is a chronic lung disease. It affects more than 22 million Americans. Flu can make asthma symptoms much worse.

According to the American Lung Association, only 40% of adults with asthma and 10% of children with asthma actually get the flu shot, despite longstanding recommendations that they do so. A study by the American Lung Association estimates that if every child with asthma got the flu shot, it would prevent approximately 100,000 hospitalizations each year.

For in-depth information, see WebMD's Asthma and Flu.

What about diabetes and flu?
While getting the flu is dangerous for anyone, it's extra risky for those with diabetes. People with diabetes are three times more likely to die with flu and/or pneumonia. Still, more than 50 percent of those with diabetes do not get an annual flu shot, according to the CDC.

For in-depth information, see WebMD's Diabetes and Flu.

How is COPD -- emphysema and chronic bronchitis -- worsened by flu?
Emphysema and chronic bronchitis, known together as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), affect 10.7 million adults. Both conditions are marked by obstruction to airflow that interferes with breathing. Like asthma or any lung disease, COPD is worsened by the flu. if you have COPD, it's important to learn what you can do to avoid respiratory problems.

For in-depth information, see WebMD's Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis (COPD) and Flu.

Why is flu a danger to those with heart disease?
Flu and lung infections pose greater dangers for people with heart disease. Lung infections prevent people from taking in oxygen as efficiently as they should. This makes the heart work harder to pump oxygen-rich blood through the body. This extra work can be dangerous for people with heart disease.

For in-depth information, see WebMD's Heart Disease and Flu.

What about HIV/AIDS and flu?
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) kills or damages cells in the body's immune system. It gradually destroys the body's ability to fight infections like the flu and the common cold. About 850,000 to 950,000 people are infected with HIV in the U.S., according to the CDC. People with HIV are more likely to get complications from the flu, such as pneumonia. They are also at higher risk of dying from the flu.

For in-depth information, see WebMD's HIV/AIDS and Flu.

Are elderly adults at higher risk for flu complications?
More than 90% of flu-related deaths occur among the elderly (adults more than 60 years of age) In addition, many older adults suffer with illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and COPD, which also increase the chances of flu complications.

For in-depth information, see WebMD's Flu in Older Adults.

What about pregnant women and flu complications?
Pregnancy can increase the risk of flu complications. That's why it's important to understand flu symptoms and contact your physician immediately to avoid potentially serious flu complications. In addition, women who intend on becoming pregnant during flu season are urged to get a flu shot.

For in-depth information, see WebMD's Pregnancy and Flu.

How can you prevent the flu when you have a chronic medical condition?
Getting a flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu. The flu vaccine is highly recommended for healthy individuals who want to avoid flu and for those people who are in high risk groups. Only infants younger than 6 months should not get a flu shot.

For in-depth information, see WebMD's Flu Shot: Influenza Vaccine and Side Effects.

If you have a chronic medical condition, how do you treat the flu?
Antiviral drugs are available by prescription to treat the flu. In some cases, antiviral drugs can be used to prevent infection with flu. These drugs work by blocking the replication of the flu virus, preventing its spread. Recommended antiviral drugs include:

Relenza (zanamivir)
Tamiflu (oseltamivir)
People who are at high risk of serious complications from the flu may benefit most from antiviral medications. This includes people with chronic medical conditions. Check with your doctor before taking an antiviral drug because some people may experience side effects.

You may also take some over-the-counter cold and flu medicines, but always check with your doctor or pharmacist first. You should make sure the medicine won't interfere with other medications prescribed for your condition. For example, if you have heart disease, you need to avoid decongestants. If you have COPD, you should avoid aspirin, antihistamines, and decongestants.

When do I call the doctor for flu with a chronic medical condition?
Some doctors recommend that people with chronic disease always go to the doctor when they get the flu or a cold. Others think you can safely wait out these viruses with bed rest and fluids. But if you experience any of the following symptoms, you need to call your doctor:

You have trouble breathing.
Your symptoms don't improve or they get worse after three to four days.
After feeling a little better, you develop signs of a more serious problem. Some of these signs are a sick-to-your-stomach feeling, vomiting, high fever, shaking chills, chest pain, or coughing with thick, yellow-green mucus.
For in-depth information, see WebMD's When to Call the Doctor About Flu.

When does flu season begin?
Flu season can begin as early as October and last as late as May.

October or November is the best time to get the flu vaccine, but you can still get vaccinated in January or later.

The flu shot becomes effective about two weeks after your vaccination.

Where can I get a flu shot?
The American Lung Association offers an online flu vaccine clinic locator. Visit www.flucliniclocator.org, enter a zip code and a date (or dates), and receive information about clinics scheduled in your area.

A nasal flu vaccine also exists. It is called FluMist and contains weakened live viruses. People with HIV/AIDS and other chronic medical conditions should not receive FluMist. It is approved for use only among healthy persons between the ages of 5 and 49 years.

Sodium can be a killer

2009-04-17T16:15:00.002-04:00

Have you ever looked at the labels when out grocery shopping or at the food you have already purchased and are feeding your family? I learned today that just by lower sodium contents in food that currently line grocery store shelves, we could save the lives of 150,000 people per year! Everyone needs to watch their sodium intake. The more sodium you eat, the harder you heart has to work. Your body only needs 500 mg per day, unless you are out doing marathons! Try and make a conscious awareness about how much you are consuming in a day and you'll be surprised! Check out the labels and stay away from the high sodium stuff! You'll do your heart good!

Live!

2009-04-07T07:14:00.003-04:00

Ok...I haven't been on my blog for quite some time. I've been very busy with work and just life in general. I just want to encourage anyone out there living with heart failure or heart disease of any kind......you can live, and live well. Take it one day at a time! That's all any of us can do anyway. I just want to say.....I have heart failure, heart failure doesn't have me!

Latest Dr. visit

2009-03-19T08:55:00.003-04:00

I saw Dr. Abraham from Ohio State Tuesday, March 8th. For now, the plan is to watch me for 4 more months to give the increase in my Coreg a bit more time to work. After that, he will order a new echo to check for improvement in heart function. I'd appreciate prayer for improvement in heart function. I have not seen any in quite a while but I believe that it can still happen with prayer. All things are possible with God. Right now they say I'm at anywhere from 20-25%. I feel good and I'm able to do everything I need to do. For that, I am very grateful! Don't take your health for granted those of you that have it. Take care of yourself! I can honestly say though.....I have heart failure, heart failure does NOT have me!

Disappointment in decision by President Obama

2009-03-09T10:02:00.003-04:00

I expect the decision to come down today where President Obama reverses restrictions placed on embryonic stem cell research. Private researchers are no longer putting their money into this research because it has shown no promise and has only created more problems such as tumor growth, etc when used. Using embryonic stem cells always makes a patient be on anti rejection drugs the rest of their life. Adult stem cells do not. Despite the facts that are available for review on this subject, it appears he will still sign the bill reversing the restrictions currently placed on federally funding this type of research. I am highly disappointed because I know this research has shown absolutely no good results in the private research that has taken place but the use of adult stem cells and cord blood stem cells has shown amazing results. I believe money will now be diverted from a science that is working and showing great promise and has the potential to save many lives into a science that has shown absolutely no promise and has the potential to save no one. I don't want to debate this subject. It is a subject I am well versed on because I myself could benefit greatly from an adult stem cell transplant in the future. Studies are in process today that are helping people with heart failure and many other diseases. Adult stem cells have been used in other countries with amazing results. It is, in fact, a medical miracle. Using adult stem cells does not snuff out potential life like embryonic stem cell research does. I believe the reason we are seeing such great promise is because God will honor us if we honor life that he created. Needless to say I am sad today and highly disappointed in our President. Will continue to pray for him and his decisions.

Exercise!

2009-02-23T09:42:00.002-05:00

Exercise is one of the best ways to help protect your heart from heart disease. Have you exercised today or are you planning to? How often do you exercise each week? Would you do it if you could look into the future and see the shape your heart will be in 10, 20, or 30 years? This is something you CAN do today. We all have our excuses and our reasons but truthfully, we can all squeeze in 30 minutes a day for exercise. I've exercised today, have you?!

New Low Sodium Food Find!

2009-02-20T13:57:00.002-05:00

Ok...today at Kroger Marketplace, I found a very low sodium chili sauce in the natural food section. It's Crazy's Charlies chili sauce and it only has 5 mg sodium in a 1/2 cup serving! Very exciting. I haven't tried it out for taste yet but the jar states Award Winner fiery food challenge. States it's good for hot dogs for coney sauce and it's good to add to your own homemade chile. They have a website also. It's www.cgsalsa.com.

Also....I found some delicious soups! they are condensed soups and you just add 16 oz of low sodium chicken stock to them and warm up. They have several different soups and they also have spaghetti sauces that are low sodium also. The website where you can actually order them is www.reidfoods.com I contacted them by email today and got the sodium contents for all their soups and for the spaghetti sauces. You can find some of the soups at Dorothy Lane Market in the Dayton Ohio area but you can order direct from their website. Here are the contents given to me today in the email. I've tried the tomato basil, minestrone and the Italian Wedding soup and they are yummy!

Condensed Tortilla Soup - 140mg 6%
Condensed Tomato Basil - 149mg 6%
Condensed Potato Leek - 164mg 7%
Condensed Wild Mushroom - 163mg 7%
Condensed Italian Wedding - 27mg 1%
Condensed Pumpkin - 82mg 3%
Condensed Butternut - 128mg 5%
Condesned Minestrone - 55mg 2%

Pasta Sauces:
Artichoke Antipasto - 170mg 7%
Bruschetta - 60mg 3%
Marinara - 240mg 10%
Asiago Cheese - 289mg 12%
Vodka - 227mg 10%
Cognac - 30mg 1%
Roasted Red Pepper - 14mg 1%

Beat the Statistics!

2009-02-14T08:18:00.004-05:00

1 in 3 women will die of heart disease. Do you know your risk factors? Do you know what your heart health will be in 10 years? Are you doing anything today to help prevent heart disease in your future? Are you taking control of what you can control? You can't do a thing about your family history but there is so much that you can do on your own to help prevent heart disease for yourself and for those you love. I've heard it said, knowledge is power. That's not quite true......there is no power in knowledge, there is only power in the actions that take place because of that knowledge. There is no power if you do nothing with that knowledge. Choose today to take action and control the factors you can to keep your heart healthy. You've only got one heart! You know, as women, we take care of everyone in our families and for the most part we put ourselves last and never give our heart one thought. We never think about what the lack of exercise is doing, we never think about what the food we eat is doing to our heart, we never think about getting our cholesterol checked and doing what needs to be done to keep it under control, we never think about what being overweight is doing to our heart. We make time for our kids activities and for other things, but we never make time for exercise and just a little "you" time. You know.....if we never think about those things and never act upon them, are we really taking care of our families? I mean....wouldn't you rather make sure you are "there" for them today or 10 years down the road? I know you just answered yes to that. Ok, then act upon your knowledge. If you are reading this you now know that 1 in 3 women will die of heart disease. You now know that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women. You also know what you need to do! Get a heart healthy checkup, know your blood pressure numbers, know your cholesterol numbers and take action if they are high, you know you should exercise at least 30 minutes a day, you know you should eat healthy and you know you need to know your family history and discuss this with your doctor. You know you need to know the warning signs of a heart attack. You know the day you need to start taking control........TODAY! My favorite slogan is "JUST DO IT" Don't be that 1 in 3 that will develop and die of heart disease. Love your heart and do it today! Take care of your family by being there for them.

Another sponsor

2009-02-09T07:23:00.003-05:00

another sponsor I forgot to mention earlier. Diet coke....go to www.dietcoke.com and you can register for a diamond red dress pin! Also, don't forget to vote daily for the red dress on the campbells site at www.campbellsaddressyourheart.com

February is Heart Month

2009-02-09T06:52:00.004-05:00

Ok...the entire month of February is heart month. This is the month that should get us all thinking about our own heart health. Let's face it, most of us never think about our heart. Out of sight, out of mind! I challenge everyone to do 1 good thing for your heart each day. Sometime in this month, schedule a heart health check up. Know your family history and get your cholesterol numbers. Know them and act if they are high. There are lots of little things we can do to help protect the health of our hearts. I'm going to do my best to post one each day, so for today here's a simple thing you can do each day to help protect your heart:

It might seem surprising that a little pistachio nut can be one of the secrets of a healthy heart, but it's true. The mighty little pistachio nut contains phytosterols-a substance that blocks your body from absorbing cholesterol. The result: A small handful of pistachios daily may help prevent your arteries from clogging, keep your vessels clean, your heart healthy and strong. There are also other delicious nuts and seeds that may also help protect your heart. They include sunflower seeds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, flaxseeds (whole), almonds, walnuts, hazlenuts. Nuts contain unsaturated fats (good fats), Omega -3 fatty acids which help your heart by preventing dangerous heart rhythms that can lead to a fatal heart attack, L-arginine which may help the health of your artery walls by making them more flexible and less prone to blood clots that can block blood flow, fiber which helps lower cholesterol and helps you feel more full, vitamin E which may help stop the development of plaques in your arteries and plant sterols which help lower cholesterol. Even though nuts are a healthy snack, you still need to eat them in moderation because they do contain a lot of calories. Current guidelines suggest you eat 1 to 2 ounces of nuts daily, which is about a small handful! So grab a handful today and LOVE YOUR HEART!

Today is the Day

2009-02-06T07:20:00.001-05:00

Wear your red today and help bring awareness that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women. Go Red and do something good for your heart today. Make it a habit!

Sponsors supporting the Go Red Cause

2009-02-03T18:23:00.003-05:00

Ok....this is another easy way to support the Go Red movement. Many of you may already purchase items or use services from these businesses. There are several that are supporting Go Red for Women and you may not be aware of what they are doing so here they are:

1. Blue Diamond

From February 1 through April 15, 2009, Blue Diamond Growers will donate 10 cents per can of 6 oz. Whole Natural Almonds to the Go Red For Women movement for a total donation of $100,000.

For more information about Blue Diamond, visit www.bluediamond.com.

2. Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company has enlisted designer Nicole Miller to create three Campbell’s Red Dress designs. Consumers can vote for their favorite dress online, and each vote cast between December 18, 2008 and March 2, 2009 generates a $1 donation to Go Red For Women, up to $275,000.

For more information about Campbell’s support, visit www.CampbellsAddressYourHeart.com.

3. Campbell's Healthy Request Soups
As part of Campbell Soup Company's efforts to give at least $1.8 million over three years to the Go Red For Women movement, Campbell’s Healthy Request Soups will make a minimum donation of $350,000 to help fight heart disease.

For more information about Campbell's support of Go Red, visit www.CampbellsAddressYourHeart.com.

4. Clairol Professional
Clairol Professional is proud to donate 20 cents for every participating product sold from July 2008 through June 2009, for a total donation of $140,000.

For more information on Clairol Professional, visit www.clairolpro.com.

5. Cutco
CUTCO is donating a minimum of $200,000 by March 2009 to Go Red For Women to raise awareness about heart disease and encourage women to improve their heart health and live stronger, longer lives.

For more information on Cutco, visit www.cutco.com.

6. e-GLAM
e-GLAM, Inc. is proud to support the life-saving efforts of the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement and will donate $250,000 to the cause by June 2009.

For more information on e-GLAM, visit www.e-glamsfriendshiptour.com.

7. Flooring America
Flooring America is proud to support Go Red For Women.

For more information on Flooring America, visit www.flooringamerica.com.

8. Fresh Express / Chiquita
Fresh Express is proud to support the life-saving efforts of the Go Red For Women movement. From February 1 through February 28, 2009, 10 cents of every specially-marked Fresh Express or Chiquita product sold will be donated to the American Heart Association, for a minimum of $150,000.

Fresh Express also gives consumers the opportunity to donate Fresh Funds points to the American Heart Association and will double the points value for donations made during the month of February.

For more information on Fresh Express, visit www.freshexpress.com.

For information on how to donate points, visit www.freshfunds.com.

9. Geoffrey Beene

Geoffrey Beene is proud to honor Macy’s national sponsorship and support the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement with a $100,000 contribution in February 2009.

For more information about Geoffrey Beene, visit www.geoffreybeene.com.

10. Hamilton Beach

In support of Go Red For Women, Hamilton Beach will donate $850,000 through February 2009.

For more information on Hamilton Beach, visit www.hamiltonbeach.com.

11. Jafra

In 2009, Jafra will make a minimum donation of $75,000 to the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement.

For more information on Jafra, visit www.jafra.com.

12. Jiffy Lube
In support of Go Red For Women, Jiffy Lube has created the Maintenance Partners for Life program to help raise funds and awareness for heart disease prevention. From January 28 through March 16, 2009, Jiffy Lube customers who make a $3 donation will receive a Maintenance Partners for Life book and will contribute to Jiffy Lube's goal of raising $1.5 million for the cause.

For more information on Jiffy Lube, visit www.jiffylube.com.

13. Macy's (National Sponsor)
Macy's is a proud national sponsor of Go Red For Women. In addition to the ongoing support of their multi-year sponsorship, Macy's will help to raise funds and awareness for the cause in 2009 by conducting a Wear Red Sale.

Thursday, February 5, through Sunday, February 8, 2009, Macy's encourages everyone to show their support and will provide all-day in-store savings to customers wearing red. Those who forget their red can make a $2 donation and receive a Red Dress pin and the all-day savings. All contributions received will benefit the Go Red For Women movement.

For more information on Macy's, visit www.macys.com/gored.

14. Merck (National Sponsor)

Merck is proud to be a national sponsor of Go Red For Women. In addition to the ongoing support of their multi-year sponsorship, this year Merck will sponsor Go Red luncheons in 16 cities where they will offer a special breakout session and provide the Go Red For Women "Love Your Heart" Cookbook to all attendees.

For more information on Merck, visit www.goredwithmerck.com.

15. Ocean Spray
Ocean Spray is a proud national supporter of the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement.

For more information about Ocean Spray, visit www.oceanspray.com.

16. Perfumania
In support of Go Red For Women, Perfumania will donate $5 from the sale of each bottle of its Go Red fragrance for women and $5 from the sale of each Jerome Privée Pour La Maison Juicy Apple candle sold through December 31, 2009. And for each Mattese cosmetic gift set sold in 2009, Perfumania will donate $1 to the cause.

For more information on Perfumania, visit www.perfumania.com.

17. Prego Heart Smart
As part of Campbell Soup Company's efforts to give at least $1.8 million over three years to the Go Red For Women movement, Prego Heart Smart Italian Sauces will make a minimum donation of $75,000 to the cause.

For more information on Prego, visit www.prego.com.

18. Princess House

From January 3 through August 14, 2009, Princess House will donate $1 from the sale of each Princess Heritage "Love Your Heart" Keepsake Bottle to the Go Red For Women movement.

For more information on Princess House, visit www.princesshouse.com.

19. Rite Aid
During the month of February, Rite Aid is offering customers the opportunity to purchase a paper red dress with 100% of the proceeds to benefit Go Red For Women.

For more information on Rite Aid, visit www.riteaid.com.

20. StarKist
As a proud supporter of women’s heart health, this year StarKist® Tuna will donate $100,000 of its profits from StarKist Flavor Fresh Pouch® Tuna to the Go Red For Women movement.

For more information on StarKist, visit www.starkist.com.

21. Supervalu

SuperValu, parent of grocery chains Acme, Albertsons, bigg's, Bristol Farms, Cub, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher's, Jewel-Osco, Save-A-Lot, Shaw's, Shop 'n Save and Shoppers, is a proud national supporter of the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement.

For more information on SuperValu, visit www.supervalu.com www.supervalu.com.

22. Swanson Premium Chunk Chicken
As part of Campbell Soup Company's efforts to give at least $1.8 million over three years to the Go Red For Women movement, Swanson will make a minimum donation of $50,000 to the cause.

For more information on Swanson, visit www.swansonchicken.com.

23. Swarovski
Swarovski has created the Red Dress Pin, Red Dress Charm and the Swarovski Go Red For Women Collection and will donate $150,000 to the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement in 2009.

For more information on Swarovski, visit www.swarovski.com.

24. V8 Beverages

As part of Campbell Soup Company's efforts to give at least $1.8 million over three years to the Go Red For Women movement, V8 will make a minimum donation of $100,000 to the cause.

For more information on V8, visit www.v8juice.com.

25. Yankee Candle
During February 2009, Yankee Candle will donate $1 to the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement for the sale of every large jar candle or large 2-wick cylinder candle in one of six select red fragrances. Additionally, they will donate 10% of the net proceeds from the sale of new Red Dress Car Jar® auto air freshener.

For more information on Yankee Candle, visit www.yankeecandle.com.

I always like to support the businesses that support Go Red so I thought you might want to also! Go Red this Friday!

National Go Red for Women day

2009-02-03T13:26:00.002-05:00

Don't forget this Friday to wear your red to help bring awareness to women that heart disease is our number 1 killer. Go to www.goredforwomen.org and get your free red dress pin and sign up for newsletters, etc. You can also get lots of great information there to help with prevention of heart disease. Go Red and Love Your Heart! If in the Cincinnati area, watch channel 12 early in the morning to catch Bob Herzog and John Gumm wearing red dress neckties!

Easy way to donate to the cause

2009-02-02T17:06:00.002-05:00

Ok...here's an easey way to donate to the heart assoc for research. Go to www.campbellsaddressyourheart.com vote for the red dress you like and campbells will donate $1.00 for each vote until March 2nd. If I did this right, just click on the title of this post and it will take you to the website. If not.....just type it in! You can vote every day. Remember Friday is National Go Red for Women day. Wear your red to bring awareness to women about our #1 threat! Love your heart!

Resting heart rate!

2009-01-30T10:03:00.002-05:00

Ok, I admit I listen to "The Doctors" on my tv radio while I'm working each morning. This morning, they were discussing your resting heart rate. The lower your resting heart rate is, the healthier your heart is. So, guess what the best way to get your resting heart rate down is? You got it.....EXERCISE! I knew this and I do this! They want to keep mine at around 61 and it is usually there. It does flucuate a bit from time to time but for the most part, with exercise and my heart meds, mine is around 61. So.....my challenge to you is: Starting today, take your pulse while at rest. Then for the next 2 weeks, exercise at least 3x per week for at least 30 minutes......more days is better but start with 3. At the end of 2 weeks, check your resting heart rate and see if it's come down any. It should! You will feel better and your heart will thank you! LOVE YOUR HEART!

New Low Sodium food find

2009-01-28T07:13:00.003-05:00

Ok...I was excited about this when I found it. It's a condensed soup that you add low sodium chicken stock to. You have to make sure you only add low sodium chicken stock or you defeat the purpose of it being low sodium. It's Maria's Style soup and it is delicious! Nice when you don't have time to make your own homemade soup. I found this at Dorothy Lane Market in Springboro, Ohio. There are not a lot of stores that carry it but the good news is......you can order directly from the company at www.reidfoods.com There is also a link on there that tells you what stores you can find this soup at. Enjoy!

Also, a good cookbook for low sodium very tasty recipes is 500 low sodium recipes by Dick Logue! It is excellent. I got it last week and love it, love it, love it. He has CHF too and had to go on the low sodium diet so he has put together a great cookbook. I think I just may have to try doing a cookbook myself!

Be careful out there if in the Cincinnati area. It's nasty out there with all the ice and snow. Watch out for downed powers lines and be careful with trees falling! I remember last year that little girl that was killed when she was playing in the snow and a tree fell on her. This is serious stuff! Be careful and if you have heart disease......do not shovel! I sound so like a mom!

Snowy day! Be careful if you have heart disease!

2009-01-27T08:18:00.003-05:00

I'm looking at about 3, maybe 4 inches of fresh snow on my yard this morning and on my drive way! It is still coming down and we are supposed to have stuff all day, possibly mixed with freezing rain and sleet. Oh Joy! Those of you that know me know that I truly believe snow is a BAD 4 letter word that should never be used or seen! Now, Jocelyn on the other hand loves it and was probably praying for a snow day from school today. Well, she got her wish! I'll have a talk with her later! I didn't always hate snow.....I'm sure when I was her age, I prayed for it too! Now that I have heart disease, however, snow is just something I never want to see! First off, I'm not allowed to shovel snow so my drive will be a mess until probably Thursday or Friday since my husband is out working in this stuff. He works for a landscaping business and in the winter, they do snow removal for several businesses. Oh great, I'm listening to the news and they say we are in for 3 rounds of nasty stuff. I thought 2, but now I hear 3 so I will not see my hubby for quite some time. You would think having a husband that works for a landscape business my drive would be so clean during this stuff, you would be WRONG! He leaves before it hits because he has an hour drive to work. So, he slept at the shop last night and I pretty much didn't sleep because I just can not sleep when he's not here. He won't be here tonight either. I worry about how he has to put in 2 days or more of work without rest in between plus, I can not shovel my walk or drive due to my heart condition. So....there, I'm done venting for the day! So, the moral of this story is, those of you with heart conditions that woke up to snow this morning.......DO NOT TOUCH your drive! It is very dangerous on your heart. Those of you that are healthy and know someone that lives close to you with heart disease, do them a favor and shovel their walk and drive way. It is so important that anyone with heart disease do not get out and shovel snow. I'm praying for some kid that wants to make money to come by and shovel the first round of snow off my drive but that just doesn't seem to happen in our society today. Kids wanting to make money is like an oxymoron! Ok, take it easy out there! Please, Please, Please, if you have heart disease, especially cardiomyopathy or CHF......leave the mess and just stay inside today!

Save the Date!

2009-01-17T08:21:00.004-05:00

If you have never attended a Go Red for Women luncheon, I encourage you to do so. If you are in the Cincinnati area, there is a luncheon on May 7th from 9 am to 1 pm at the Duke Energy Center, 525 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information you can email adrienne.cronebaugh@heart.org I spoke at our first one and have attended every one since. There is so much information about how to take care of your heart and it really stresses the importance for women. You will be touched by the stories that are shared. If you are not in the Cincinnati area, you can check to see if there is a local event by going to the American Heart assoc website at www.americanheart.org and put in your zip code to find out what events are going on in your area. Many different locations are having the Go Red for Women empowerment luncheons. You will leave feeling empowered to do something for your own heart!

Go Red for Women Casting Call

2009-01-14T06:07:00.004-05:00

I'm trying out for the 2009 Go Red for Women Casting call on Friday, February 13th. I tried out last year but was not chosen but I'll give it another shot! Last year instead of choosing one person, they chose a group of women to resppresent the cause. Check out their stories at www.goredforwomen.org. 3 of the women have the same heart condition that I do with one already having a transplant. All of them were young when they were diagnosed with 2 of them having the same pacemaker that I have. Very inspiring! It helps to read stories about others that know what you are going thru because they have been there themselves. If you have heart disease I urge you to go check out the stories of all the women with heart disease. My story is on there too! Go read the stories and post your own. You never know who it will help. So, on February 13th I'll go record my story and I would love to represent the heart of Go Red!

National Go Red for Women Day

2009-01-13T07:16:00.003-05:00

Ok...National Go Red for Women day is coming up. It's Friday, February 6th. This is the day we are to wear red to help bring awareness that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women. If you don't have a red dress pin, pop me a note and I'll get you one. If you are in the Cincinnati area, watch wkrc channel 12 early in the morning. Bob Herzog and John Gumm have agreed to wear a neck tie that I'm sending them! I'm psyched! John Lomax may also wear one. They are red with the red dress symbol on them. I'm also sending a special red dress pin to Anna Townsend and Liz Bonis to wear on that day. Bob is a friend of ours from the church we used to attend. I am so excited that he agreed to do this! This will help get the message out there that we need to take care of our hearts. I think women tend to ask more questions when they see the red dress symbol on a man too so this should get the conversation going! Be sure and watch early on Friday, February 6th if in the WKRC viewing area!

New Recipe/Chicken Enchiladas

2009-01-08T08:56:00.006-05:00

I know it has been quite some time since I posted a low sodium recipe.....sorry for that! Just a little update on me and how I am doing. So far, so good. I feel fine and I am able to do everything I need to do in a day without getting worn out. That means so much! I'm being watched closely in order to catch any changes in my heart function so we can be very proactive. Right now, I am to go see the doctor from OSU in March and he will check to see if the increase in my medications have helped boost my heart function. I sure would appreciate prayer for this.....I believe it changes things! In March, I'm sure he will order an echo and if there is improvement I will just keep doing what I'm doing. If not, they will refer me to the study for the heart net. I have mixed emotions about this. On one hand, it's exciting to think I could be involved in something that could help others in the future and even possibly help my own heart function. On the other....it's surgery and who ever just wants to have surgery? For now, I'm not going to worry about that. We will wait and see what my echo says and take it from there.

Oh...I have to tell you what my husband did this morning. We had a light dusting of snow. Just enough to make the roads slick and cover the ground and cars with snow. He drew a heart in the snow on my wind shield and wrote I love you.....He's so romantic! His love really keeps me going...and Jocelyn's of course! There is nothing like the healing power of love!

Ok....now for the recipe.

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil spray

Sauce:

1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (many groceries now carry this with as little as 70mg per cup)
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup reduced-fat monterey jack cheese
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

8 6-inch corn tortillas. (you just have to check the sodium on the package. There are some out there that are very low sodium and some are very high so be sure and look at the labels)

2 cups cubed cooked skinless chicken breasts, cooked without salt (fresh purdue brand does not add salt solution to their chicken and if you can find Amish chicken breasts, they also do not add salt solution. It needs to say minimally processed. Be sure and check)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (look for no salt added chili powder)
1/2 cup reduced-fat Monterey jack cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped mild green chiles, rinsed and drained

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with the vegetable oil spray. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, broth, flour, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly, whisking occasionally.

Whisk in the 1/2 cup cheese and lime juice. Remove from heat and set aside.

To soften the tortillas, wrap in aluminum foil and warm in the oven for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the chicken, green onions, garlic, cumin and chili powder.

To assemble, place the tortillas on a flat surface. Spread 1/4 cup chicken mixture and 1 tablespoons Monterey Jack in the center of each. Roll up jelly-roll style and place with the seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the chiles.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is warmed through. Enjoy!

New Year (I found my post!) I'm so excited

2008-12-31T15:29:00.003-05:00

Ok...it's New Year's Eve and as I look back over the past year, I am overwhelmed at all the blessings God has bestowed on me. He brought me through some scary times when it looked like I would need to be on the heart transplant list. He has watched over me every day and I know that I truly need him each and every day. I am nothing without God in my life and I am so thankful for all the trials I have been through. Each and every one of them have brought me closer to God and have truly shown me his great love, power and mercy. Just like Nathan preached on Sunday....we have to rejoice in the bad times and in the good times.....rejoice at all times. this is something I truly learned how to do this past year. I kept going even when things did not look that great for my health and that is only due to the power of God in my life. As you look back over this past year, rejoice in the good times and rejoice in the bad. Our trials truly do make us better people if we trust in the Lord and not allow them to make us bitter. I am thankful that God gave me the strength to become a better person and not a bitter person. I wouldn't trade where I am today for all the health in the world. I have learned that there is NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD! He is all I need. I'm off to spend some time with friends this evening to celebrate what God has done in all our lives this past year. We have some great stories of trials and triumphs and it's nice to get together and talk about them from time to time. Keep the faith if you are going thru a trial today. Faith gives you hope, hope gives you strength, strength gives you courage to go on each day! Another fav song by Richie McDonald. Boy, am I glad he now sings Christian music. His music has blessed me over this past year and helped me through lots! I think I just may have to pop him an email and let him know that! Have a safe and wonderful new year and may we richly bless God! He is good, all the time, he is good!

Make Memories!

2008-12-22T12:16:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, December 21st, was my 47th birthday. yep....I'm not too proud to tell my age. You see, 7 1/2 years ago I didn't know if I would ever see another birthday. I was 39 years old when I was diagnosed with CHF and cardiomyopathy. You know, most women dread their 40th birthday. I have to say 40 was one of the sweetest birthdays I ever had. It was a true celebration of life as each and every birthday since that day has been. My diagnosis has truly taught me to appreciate everything in life, even the little things that happen along the way. We only get one shot at this life. That reminds me of a song but at the moment the name of it escapes me. That happens alot when your my age! Anyway, I just wanted to share what a great birthday I had this weekend. It really started on Saturday. Steve, Jocelyn and I went Christmas shopping then came home and relaxed a bit. That evening we went to dinner at Cracker Barrel with my parents. We were supposed to go to Hammel House in Waynesville for lunch but they were closed on Saturday! The nerve of them! That is my absolute favorite place to eat and Steve has promised I still get a lunch there in the very NEAR future! If you have never been there.....go shop and eat. You'll have a great time. The food is all homemade at the Hammel House and they have a great tomato soup that I have beggged for the recipe, but have not succeeded in getting! ok...back to my birthday. Anyway, yesterday was actually my birthday. We went to church and had a great service and the out to lunch at our usual spot....Culvers. After church, Jocelyn and I made cookies all afternoon. We had such a great time. Actually, Jocelyn made all the cookies. I just instructed her on what to do. She's a great cookie maker. We had so much fun giggling and making a big mess! Jocelyn had flour every where and on her face. Steve put up the Christmas tree while we baked and then I'm pretty sure I heard him snoring a few times! After that, we made plates of cookies to take to people for Christmas. Jocelyn went to her small group Bible study and we went to see friends that live close by. We had a great time sitting around their table with the fire place roaring. We sat and shared storied, admired their beautiful Christmas tree and ate popcorn and cookies. Steve and I both had a great time. Then, before leaving, Peggy gave us some goodies that she had collected while in Africa. They are in my curio cabinet now and I will treasure them. When we got home that evening, Jocelyn and I decorated the Christmas tree and we just relaxed the rest of the evening. It was a great birthday. The stuff memories are made of and I will cherish them! Life is good.....LIVE IT! Create memories that your family will remember forever. That's what it's all about! Merry Christmas!

Watch the Sodium at Christmas gatherings!

2008-12-22T09:15:00.004-05:00

Ok....once again it's that time of year for Christmas parties and gatherings. For those of us with heart failure, it's very hard to eat many of the items on a typical Christmas "menu". All those yummy cookies and treats that are tempting at Christmas can be very high in sodium so eat in moderation. The best thing to do before going to a Christmas party is to eat something before you leave so that you don't overdo at the party. Watch the dips that are out for veggie trays, etc because just a couple of tablespoons can be a source of high amounts of sodium. Do the veggies without the dip or be very careful about high much you put on your plate. Don't go back for seconds! If you also have to watch caffeine like I do, avoid the chocolate! Chocolate does have caffeine so be very careful. You don't want to throw your heart into a dangerous rhythm for a delicious taste of chocolate. I've actually learned to live without chocolate. At first I just thought my doctor was nuts when he told me I have to give up chocolate but I find now that I no longer crave it and if I do eat a nibble here and there, it doens't have the same taste. If you do eat a nibble of chocolate......eat dark chocolate. There's not as much caffeine in dark chocolate and it has many health benefits. But like everything else, moderation is the key! A small square of dark chocolate every day have great health benefits and is actually good for your heart! So, if you are attending Christmas and New Years parties, take along a low sodium dish so there is at least one dish you know you are safe in eating. Don't overdo.....Enjoy you time with friends and family and remember to take time to celebrate what this season is truly about. Christ came to live among us. He came to feel what we feel, to experience the heart aches we experience, to show us how to love one another but most of all..........he came to die so that we might live. Celebrate his wonderful birth. It's the best gift we will ever receive. Merry Christmas!

Stem cells growing new heart muscle

2008-12-04T06:27:00.004-05:00

ok...this is very exciting, especially for those of us living with heart failure and with very poor heart function. In Utah, they have finally opened up the study for those with dilated cardiomyopathy caused by unknown reasons. The study in the past has only been done on people with heart failure caused by a heart attack. In this study, they use stem cells taken from a patients own body so there is nothing controversial about this procedure. Adult stem cells have shown much more promise than embryonic.....in fact, embryonic has shown zero promise but politicians still want to make this an issue and still want to sink money into research, even though it has done nothing in the past. That's what worries me with Obama.....that's one of the first things he wants to change when he is in office. He wants to sink more money into embryonic stem cell research, even though it hasn't shown any promise. Ok...off my rant. with adult stem cells, there is no chance of rejection because the cells come from the patients own body. With embryonic stem cells, a patient would be on anti-rejection drugs the rest of their life. Embryonic stem cells are also programed to grow, grow, grow so all they have done in studes is grow tumors. There have been absolutely no break thrus using embryonic stem cells and many break thrus with adult stem cells and cord blood. My fear is that money would be taken from what does work to fund something that has shown literally no promise. In doing this, approval would take longer for what is working due to a decrease in funding and I believe lives lost in the process. People really need to get educated on this topic. Also, I believe that when we honor God's creation in our research, he will honor us with results and it is happening! Stem cells (adult) from a patients own body have shown great promise in treating many diseases. It actually will grown new heart muscle in people with heart failure and help their heart function better. They are doing the research in Utah right now on people with my exact heart condition. I'm going to have to check with my own doctor to see if this study has opened up in the Cincinnati area. I was told years ago as soon as it opened up for people like me, they would put me in it. If so, I want on the list! The stem cells (adult) are injected thru a heart catheter into the heart thru a minimally invasive procedure. I was so excited to see this article in the paper to see it has finally opened up for people like me! Anyone out there reading this that has dilated heart failure that you have from unknown causes......check into this! You have to be your own advocate so do not be afraid to ask questions and insist on things! This treatment could cease the need in the future for heart transplants and is very exciting!

Hidden sources of sodium

2008-12-03T18:12:00.003-05:00

Webmd has an excellent slide show that talks about hidden sodium in foods you don't think about being high in sodium. Go to www.webmd.com/diet/slideshow-salt-shockers
and check it out!

Take Time to be Thankful

2008-11-26T07:00:00.004-05:00

Ok, with Thanksgiving tomorrow I just wanted to take some time out to be thankful for all God has done. If you were to write a letter to God, what would you say. I wanted to give this a shot due to a song I heard by Richie McDonald (formerly of Lone Star). If you don't have his debut Christian cd.....it's great and worth buying! He has an awesome voice and I'm so glad he's now using it for God! Anyway, he has a song on his Chrisitan cd called "Hey God" and that is where I got this idea. After hearing this song, I wanted to write my own letter to God and since it's Thanksgiving, it's the perfect time to do it! So here goes,

Hey God...I just want to thank you. There was a time when the doctors said I wouldn't make it, but because of you I pulled through. That was 7 years ago and these 7 years have been the sweetest of my life. Hey God, I want to thank you for my family. For my husband, whom is the love of my life. He is a precious gift from you and I can truly say, I have been loved. That is so important and I don't take that for granted. Hey God, I want to thank for my beautiful daughter. She's 14 and I know I may be a bit prejudiced.......but I think she is beautiful, not just on the outside, but on the inside also. She truly has brightened my life and brought me joy. 7 years ago I didn't know if I would have anymore time with her. You have truly blessed my life. I will do my best in raising her because I know she is from you. Thank you for entrusting her life to me. Help me in raising her and help me to help her make wise choices. Hey God, you are the best and my truest friend. I look back and see your hand in my life in every step of they way. I am so grateful that my life is in your hands and not human hands.

Hey God, I want to thank you for taking care of my father when he had his surgery. Thank you for giving me more years with him. God, you know his numbers are starting to go up again. I know you will take care of him but you know God...I want him here for a long time yet so my prayer is that you give the doctors wisdom and that they act in a timely fashion. I am so blessed to have my father with me at my age. I know so many don't have their parents in their life and I pray you be with those families during the holiday season. Hey God, I also want to thank your for taking care of my mom during her recent surgery. You have blessed her with a speedy recovery. You also blessed her with that spunky spirit that helps during recovery....thank you for also giving me that same spirit! I am so blessed to have both my parents with me this Thankgiving. Hey God.......thank you for giving me the parents you did. They have been awesome parents to me my entire life. If I'm half the parent they are, I'll be fine. I remember seeing their face at every activity I was involved in as a child and they still come to see what I'm up to today! I couldn't have chosen better parents! Hey God, a simple thank you just doesn't see like enough.

Hey God, I want to thank you for the time I was able to spend with my own grandparents and for the knowledge they came to know you before they passed in this life. Thank you that I will see them again. Hey God, thank you for my entire family. My brothers, sister-in-laws, neice and nephews. I have to say, they are pretty nice people and I enjoy spending time with them. Thank you they are all healthy. When you go thru hard times, you see what you're family is made of and how much they love one another. They are always there when you need them and I thank you for mine.

Hey God, I know this may sound strange to some people but I want to thank you for my trials. They have truly taught me that "nothing is impossible with God" and they have brought me closer to you today. I wouldn't have it any other way. I have no regrets and nothing I would change. You are awesome God and you are always good. Your ways are not my ways and all I ask is that you walk with me thru each trial ahead like you have aready done and I know I will be better having gone thru them. To quote a few words from this song that I love from Richie McDonald's "Hey God", this sums it up.

YOU HAVE YOUR WAYS YOU HAVE YOUR PLAN
SOMETIMES MYSTERIOUS AND HARD TO UNDERSTAND
BUT I’M HUMBLED BY YOUR GRACE
AND EVERYTHING YOU DO
HEY GOD HEY GOD I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU

SOMETIMES I FORGET TO STOP AND BOW MY HEAD
AND REMEMBER THAT I HAVE BEEN BLESSED

Everything I have gone thru, good and bad, have made me who I am today. I am yours God and I have been blessed. Thank you!

I could go on and on with this Thank you letter because there is so much more to be thankful for. Take the time to be thankful and take the time to tell God how grateful you are. That is what this season is all about. May you all be richly blessed.

Eating low sodium on Thanksgiving!

2008-11-24T07:55:00.003-05:00

Ok....for all those out there that need to follow a low sodium diet, you know that Thanksgiving can be difficult. Eating low sodium on Thanksgiving can be done.....but I think you pretty much have to do the cooking or let whomever is cooking know what to look for when cooking for you. I find that difficult, so I do the cooking! Here are some tips to eating low sodium on Thanksgiving.

First off, the turkey. You are really better off buying a fresh turkey if you can find one but beware, not all fresh turkey's are the same. You must see the words, "minimally processed" on the packaging. Free Range turkey's at times do have the salt solution injected into them making them very high in sodium. Also, a Turkey that says "all natural" can also have the salt solution added them them since salt is a natural perservative. So, be very careful when picking out your turkey. Make sure it does say minimally processed. If so, it should have around 65-70 mg sodium per 4 ounce serving. That is the natural sodium in the turkey. Don't brine your turkey....I hear so many people say you can't cook a juicy turkey if you don't brine it........that is hogwash!

ok....vegetables..........use fresh or frozed vegetables. Canned vegetables are very high in sodium unless you find the ones that say "no salt added." Watch though because I have seen frozen vegetables that have added sodium to them. Make sure and check you labels. If you use butter, use no salt added butter.

If you make a sweet potatoe casserole..........just leave the salt out of the recipe. It will never be missed!

Make your own mashed potatoes.....don't buy those packaged ones that you just pop in the microwave because they are loaded with sodium. Even the new frozen steam and mash potatoes are high in sodium. You are better off making your own and using no salt added butter. The milk has some sodium but they will be much lower and doable on a low sodium diet if you make your own.

dressing or stuffing can be tricky! Breads are loaded with sodium. If your grocery sells a low sodium bread, use that with low sodium chicken stock.

Gravy....again.....make your own but do not add salt. Use unsalted butter also and the turkey drippings from your low sodium turkey. I don't even miss the salt in my gravy. Store bought gravies are extremely high in sodium.

Ok....your desserts.....not much you can do about those but just remember, eat small portions and you should be ok. It's hard to find low sodium pies/cakes so just don't over do them. If you keep everything else in your meal relatively low sodium, you are fine to indulge in a dessert but just don't overdo!

rolls are also very high in sodium. I have found that Hawaian rolls ae pretty low in sodium. You just really have to shop around and look at labels. If anyone knows of a low sodium roll, let me know please because I'm still searching on this one!

Use low sodium chicken stock and no salt butter in things that need these ingredients.

Remember, when cooking low sodium..........your guests can always add salt to anything they need but you can't talk salt out! Enjoy the day and take time to be grateful for all your blessings. God is good!

Heart Failure and cold weather!

2008-11-20T06:15:00.009-05:00

Ok...I'm not enduring the cold weather very well at all. I have to say, winter is my least favorite time of the year. I hate the cold and I hate the snow. When it snows, my hubby has to go out and work and I don't see him for days. He's out cleaning parking lots, etc for clients at work so my drive doesn't get cleaned off! I am unable to shovel snow, so my drive remains snow covered for days. I always think every time it snows, "where are all the young strong boys that want to earn some money by shoveling snow?" They never show up at my door! When I was a kid, they would all be out knocking on doors, shoveling snow and earning some spending money. Maybe it's just that kids get too much handed to them today......I don't think they really need spending money any more! So....usually what happens at my house is, after a couple days with snow laying on my drive, my parents come over and shovel for me. Well, they shouldn't be doing it either! Ok...of the point a bit but it feels good to vent sometimes! For anyone with heart failure, you know how the cold and the extreme hot weather can affect your heart. This is just a reminder to take it easy out there in this cold weather. You heart has to work much harder in the cold so it's extremely hard on anyone with heart failure. Dress warm and make sure to cover your mouth with a scarf or something when out in the cold to keep the air you are breathing warm. I've noticed this year that I'm just not tolerating the cold very well already so I'm wishin for Spring.....an early spring! so....if you are a young healthy person reading this blog and know someone in your neighborhood with heart failure or any heart condition.....do them a favor and shovel their drive and their sidewalk when it snows.

Here are precautions and information from the American Heart Association.

Cold Weather and Cardiovascular Disease

AHA Recommendation
People who are outdoors in cold weather should avoid sudden exertion, like lifting a heavy shovel full of snow. Even walking through heavy, wet snow or snow drifts can strain a person's heart.

How does cold weather affect the heart?

Many people aren't conditioned to the physical stress of outdoor activities and don't know the dangers of being outdoors in cold weather. Winter sports enthusiasts who don't take certain precautions can suffer accidental hypothermia (hi"po-THER'me-ah).

Hypothermia means the body temperature has fallen below normal. It occurs when your body can't produce enough energy to keep the internal body temperature warm enough. It can kill you. Heart failure causes most deaths in hypothermia.

Symptoms include lack of coordination, mental confusion, slowed reactions, shivering and sleepiness.

Children, the elderly and those with heart disease are at special risk. As people age, their ability to maintain a normal internal body temperature often decreases. Because elderly people seem to be relatively insensitive to moderately cold conditions, they can suffer hypothermia without knowing they're in danger.

People with coronary heart disease often suffer chest pain or discomfort called angina pectoris (AN'jih-nah or an-JI'nah PEK'tor-is) when they're in cold weather. Some studies suggest that harsh winter weather may increase a person's risk of heart attack due to overexertion.

Besides cold temperatures, high winds, snow and rain also can steal body heat. Wind is especially dangerous, because it removes the layer of heated air from around your body. At 30 degrees Fahrenheit in a 20-mile-per-hour wind, the cooling effect is equal to calm air at four degrees. Similarly, dampness causes the body to lose heat faster than it would at the same temperature in drier conditions.

To keep warm, wear layers of clothing. This traps air between layers, forming a protective insulation. Also, wear a hat or head scarf. Much of your body's heat can be lost through your head. And ears are especially prone to frostbite. Keep your hands and feet warm, too, as they tend to lose heat rapidly.

Don't drink alcoholic beverages before going outdoors or when outside. Alcohol gives an initial feeling of warmth, because blood vessels in the skin expand. Heat is then drawn away from the body's vital organs.

Broken Heart

2008-11-19T06:10:00.005-05:00

I'm writing this blog this morning with a broken heart. My dear friend, Julie Werling, lost her little niece yesterday. I've never actually "met" Julie in person but she is a very dear friend. She has helped me with so many decisions and thru so much. I hope I have done the same for her. We have corresponded with each other and talked on the phone but haven't met in person yet, but we will! Julie and I came to know each other due to us each having heart disease. I couldn't ask for a better friend and I believe God brought us together for a reason. Julie's sister-in-law, Kendra, gave birth to twins 3 months ago. One of the twins, Noelle, had a heart condition at birth and had open heart surgery right away after birth. She fought for 3 months but lost her fight yesterday I learned thru an email this morning. I've been praying for this sweet little baby for 3 months, whom I have never seen or met, and my heart is broken today. Please pray for this family. They can certainly benefit from your prayers. Her name means "Christmas" and she is with him today. Please remember, you are never too young for heart disease. One thing I guess I will never understand is why some are taken so young.

You're never too young to start!

2008-11-12T06:57:00.004-05:00

You are never too young to start taking care of your heart. Did you know, kids only need higher amounts of fat the first year of their life and then they need to watch what they eat just like adults do? When I heard the news report yesterday about how our children are eating and how they are faring due to this, I cringed. Some 10 year olds already have the arteries of a 45 year old individual. This is all due to the poor eating habits we are teaching our kids and to the junk food we have so readily available to them. Please.....teach your kids to read labels, teach them to eat a heart healthy diet while they are young. It will stay with them for a lifetime. Of course you can have a "treat" from time to time. What would life be like without doing that? Our kids need to be taught how to eat healthy for their heart and it has to start at home. They were reporting how in California, they are banning the junk from school menu's, banning bake sales, etc. That's a start but kids don't just eat at school so parents really need to instill in their kids at a young age how to eat healthy. Remember,this is the first generation of kids that will NOT outlive their parents if they don't make a change..........Cook with your kids. It's an excellant way to get them interested in what they eat.

Prevention is the Key!

2008-11-04T06:12:00.003-05:00

Ok, I had a friend request for me to share things women can do to prevent heart disease so here we go!

First off.....Know your risk factors! Schedule a checkup for your heart! We are good about scheduling our yearly mammograms, etc but never give our heart a second thought. Your heart pumps 70 gallons of blood thru your body a day!

Know the symptoms (as I posted earlier) and seek medical attention when having symptoms. Don't wait! If you do not get answers, seek another medical professional until you get a DR that will listen to you and agree to check your heart to rule out heart disease!

Know your numbers! Know your total cholesterol and what it means! Take steps to lower it if need be. Know your blood pressure and take steps to lower it by exercise or medication. Over time, high blood pressure damages your heart.

If you have diabetes, keep it under control!

Maintain a healthy weight. Weight gain around the waist increases your risk of heart disease. Make time every day to EXCERCISE!

Eat a heart healthy diet that is low in fat and cholesterol.

If you smoke, quit!

Know your family history. Heart disease often runs in families. You can't do anything about your genes but you can do a lot to prevent major problems just by knowing your family history and getting regular heart check ups!

If you have not done so, set up an appointment with your doctor to talk about Heart health and to evaluate your heart risks.

Hope this helps!

Joe the Plummer!

2008-10-28T18:53:00.005-04:00

Ok...I just have to post this. My daughter was all excited when she got home from school today. My dad was too! As my Dad was driving home he said Jocelyn screamed....hey, there's John McCains bus! It was at a small business not far from our home. So, they got out to investigate and it was Joe the Plummer! He was going around small businesses in the area talking about Obama's tax plan and how it will hurt small businesses. They listened for a bit but then Jocelyn got cold so they came home. She said.....Sunday, I saw Cammie Dierking and today Joe the Plummer....who's next? You never know!

Listen up Ladies!

2008-10-28T06:22:00.005-04:00

Ok...since I know some of this information got lost in my last post, I wanted to post it again. I've heard it said you have to hear or see something 7 times before it really sinks in. I have to say I was amazed during the health fair at Jungle Jims just how many women still do not realize their number 1 health threat. In one span of about 20 minutes, I would see 7 or 8 women that never knew heart disease was our number 1 killer (and I could tell some of them were not taking it serious even after you tell them) and then in another span of 20 minutes, I would hear stories from 7 or 8 women about how heart disease has touched them personally. It is so important to know this information but just knowing won't save your life. It takes ACTION. Why is it we are so good about getting our yearly mamograms and paps but we never give our heart a thought? So, here are some statistics concerning women and heart disease that I think are worth repeating:

**1 in 5 women have some form of cardiovascular disease.
**Since 1984, the number of cardiovascular deaths for females has exceeded those for males. The difference in deaths is now more than 58,200 a year.
**Final 1998 mortality for cardiovascular disease was 503,927 for females (this is in 1 year!) compared to 445,692 for males.

*****IN the US, cardiovascular disease claims the lives of 504,000 females annually: all forms of cancer combined claim 259,000. Breast cancer 41,700, lung cancer 64,500. So you can see, we need to start taking care of our hearts and really taking this more seriously!

**There is one death per minute for women

**Coronary heart disease is the single largest killer of American females.
**42% of women who have heart attacks die within a year compared with 24% of men.
**In 63% of women who died suddenly of coronary heart disease, there were no previous symptoms of this disease (so take your symptoms serious if you have any!)

Women don't recognize the symptoms of a heart attack and arrive too late at the hospital, causing more heart damage, death, or heart failure.

Many medical professionals (still) don't recognize the symptoms of a heart attack in women and take too long to make the diagnosis. If you are having symptoms........push your doctor to check your heart. You really have to be your own advocate!

**Review of the symptoms in women

**Fatigue
**Chest pain or discomfort can appear anywhere in the chest, abdomen, or below the rib cage. Even jaw pain can be a symptom of the heart. Some women have upper back pain.
**Heart palpitations or a "fluttering" heart beat
**Chest pain/discomfort develops during activity but subsides with the activity stops.
**Pain may appear during the night or in the morning and then subside.
**Shortness of breath, breathlessness
**Nausea, indigestion, gas (sometimes after eating)

If you have any of these symptoms, insist on a thorough check of your heart....not just an EKG......a thorough check of your heart is in order and not too much to ask. I never had pain.....only fatigue, nausea and shortness of breath and my doctor thought I was just doing too much and that I had asthma. I repeat......INSIST on a thorough check of your heart if you have any of those symptoms. Never let a doctor tell you that you're too young for heart disease or that you just need to slow down without first ruling out heart disease. It may save your life!

A Day at the Spa and some alarming statistics

2008-10-26T20:32:00.005-04:00

ok....I have NEVER been to a spa before so today was an absolute treat for me. The Mandarine Hair, Foot & Body spa sponsored a Go Red for Women Girlfriends event for heart disease survivors and anyone wanting to learn about heart disease. I took my daughter Jocelyn with me and we both had a bit of pampering. After all....us women take care of everyone else in our lives without ever really taking the time for ourselves. Some pampering from time to time is needed! So, Jocelyn and I had our make up done at the spa and Jocelyn had her nails done, in red, of course! We had some yummy chocolate covered strawberries and a few other little treats. I am not one to wear makeup so this was a real treat for me. So, after our day at the spa, we had a pastor appreciation dinner at church. Steve had to drive seperately since Jocelyn and I came straight from the spa. So, Steve looks at me an says.....you have a lot more makeup on than you usually wear. I looked at him and said, any makeup they put on me is more than I ever wear. He knows I don't wear any and it's because he doesn't like it that I don't! Men! Oh well! Jocelyn and I had a good time and it was fun just getting to spend some "alone" time with Jocelyn. She's growing up so fast and I cherish those times spent with her chatting about what's going on in her life. It seems like just yesterday she was playing dress up and messing in my make up and now she's 14 and is wearing makeup. It was a nice event for the Madarine to put on. Cammy Dierking from channel 12 news was there. I love her on the news but I didn't want to bother her so didn't go up and introduce myself. Sometimes I just think they need to have their "spa" time too without being bombarded with strangers wanting to have pictures made with them or whatever else. That has to feel so strange to them. Ok...enough about the spa time. Now to some alarming statistics about heart disease that were shared with us this evening.

**1 in 5 women have some form of cardiovascular disease
**Since 1984, the number of cardiovascular deaths for females has exceeded those for males. The difference in deaths now is more than 58,200 per year.
**Since 1998 mortality for cardiovascular disease was 503,927 for females compared with 445,692 for males.
**In the US, cardiovascular disease claimse the lives of 504,000 annually: all forms of cancer 259,000. Breast cancer 41,700 per year, lung cancer 64,500 yet many women still believe breast cancer is their greatest threat.
**This equals one death per minute for women.

**42% of women who have heart attacks die within a year compared with 24% of men.
**In 63% of women who died suddenly of coronary heart disease, there were no previous symptom.

**Reasons wome have worse outcomes after heart attack
Women don't recgnize the symptoms of a heart attack and arrive too late at the hospital, causing more heart damage, death or heart failure.

Medical professionals don't recognize the symptoms of a heart attack in women and take too long to make the diagnosis.

Heart disease symptoms in men (typical symptoms):
**Lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath
**Severe pain, heavy pressure, fullness, or a squeezing sensation of the chest
**chest discomfort
**Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck, or down the arm (usually the left arm)

Heart disease symptoms in women (atypical symptoms):
**Fatigue
**Chest pain or discomfort can appear anywhere in the chest, abdomen, or below the rib cage.
**Heart palpitations, or a "fluttering" heart beat
**Chest pain/discomfort develops during activity (walking, exercise) but subsides when the activity stops
**Pain may appear during the night or in the morning and then subside.
**Shortness of breath, breathlessness
**Nausea, indigestion, gas (sometimes after eating)

The most important thing to focus on is a symptom (no matter what, where, or how minor) that occurs with activity or stress and goes away with rest. A symptom of this type should be checked out immediately to avoid a heart attack, heart damage, or death.

I look back over years before I was finally diagnosed with heart failure and can remember times when I felt my heart "flutter" and as a child I was usually more fatigued that other kids my age. I would have to take naps, even as a young adult. I never had pain but I realize now these were symtpoms of my heart that if I had known were serious, could have saved my heart from the severe damage it has now. Please, take these symptoms seriously. If you are not getting answers from your doctor, seek a second opinion. Make sure you get the answers you need. I had severe fatigue and nauseaness days before my trip to the ER when I was finally properly diagnosed. By that time, the damage had already been done. Please don't allow this to happen to you. Be aware of the symptoms of heart disease and seek attention early. It could save your life, or the life or your mother, aunt, daughter or friend.

Health Fair

2008-10-25T07:48:00.002-04:00

If you are in the Cincinnati area, today Jungle Jims is having a health fair from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. There will be free health screenings available. Go Red for Women will have a booth with information about women and heart disease. I'll be there from 2:30 -4:00! Hope to see you there. There will be lots of goodies!

Yesterday's Dr. visit

2008-10-23T06:12:00.004-04:00

Ok....the ups and downs of having heart failure! Yesterday, I went to see my heart failure specialist. The doctor from Ohio state Univ has increased one of my drugs once again to try and improve my heart function. My last echo in September still does not show improvement despite taking higher doses of the drug that is supposed to help with this. So, the specialist wants me in this study where they do the heart net. This has been mentioned to me several times before. So, if I get into this study, there is no guarantee that I'll get the heart net. I could be put in a group that has drug therapy and device therapy (pacemaker), which is what I am currently already doing. So, I need to really pray about this to see what God would have me do. On one hand, I feel somewhat excited because this could really help people in the future once we get FDA approval. It's exciting to think you could be a part of a new treatment that could really improve the lives of so many down the road and at the same time help your own heart. On the other hand, I'm not thrilled at the thought of surgery, athough this surgery is not as invasive as open heart surgery. They actually go through a small incision in your side, they do not have to break the rib cage. I have mixed emotions. Even though I'm not thrilled at the thought of surgery, I feel like it would be a waste to be in the study and get picked for the placebo group. Right now, I'm not really sure what to do so I'd appreciate prayer. I've really got to pray and be still and listen. If anyone reading this has been in this study and has the heart net.......let me know how it was and if the procedure has helped you. The doctor doesn't give me a whole lot of information and I am an information person! I want to know more about it before I decide. Of course, I may end up not qualifying. They want to do another metabolic stress test on me......I just did one back in June and I didn't qualify then so I don't know why they want to do another one so quickly. I think they really want me in this study.....not sure if it's so much for me or if it's more to help get FDA approval. I have real mixed emotions here! OH, if you want to read the little info I have on this, go to www.bigheartstudy.com. They are doing this in Cincinnati at the lindner Center and at the Ohio State University in Columbus.

Apple Streusel Cupcakes

2008-10-20T18:43:00.005-04:00

I love apples in the fall so thought I would post a recipe for a cupcake that is pretty low sodium. Each cupcake has about 144 mg of sodium

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal (quick-cooking or regular)
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons canola or corn oil
1 1/2 teapsoons water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cupcakes

1 9-ounce box single-layer yellow cake mix
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
Whites of 2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 medium apple, such as jonathan or McIntosh, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (about 3/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pa with paper muffin cups or lightly spray the pan with vegetable oil spray.

In a small bowl, stir together the streusel topping ingredients until crumbly.

In a medium mixing bown, beat the cake mix, applesauce, egg whites, and cinnamon with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the apples. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with batter. Sprinkle the topping over the batter.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Back from Vacation

2008-10-20T18:31:00.002-04:00

Ok...today was back to reality. Back to work and the daily grind. We had such a nice vacation and I really didn't want to come home! We stayed in Nashville, Indiana inside the Yellow wood state forest. We were miles from another person. I absolutely loved it. I could live that way, well, at least as long as I'm only about 30 minutes from some shopping! We shopped the shops of Little Nashville. They have about 250 little shops with a variety of different things. There is something for everyone. It takes a good 3 days to really get thru all the shops. If you've never been, I recommend it for those that love to shop! We relaxed a lot at the cabin, which had no phone! I could live without a phone too! We did have TV but we rarely turned it on. That's another thing I could live without too. There's nothing on that's worth my time to sit down and watch anything anymore. We turned it on for the news just to check out the forecast for the next day and that was it. We fished and my daughter, Jocelyn, outfished the guys! She's a really good fisher woman! She yelled out that she had one and before I turned around to look, she had it reeled in already! It was probably about a 10 pound large mouth bass. So, she has a fish story to tell that is real! Last year, she caught a huge catfish that took her about 20 minutes to reel in, but she got it in! I was in heaven there. I love to cook so I got to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner while we were there and just pamper my parents. They deserve it for everything they have done for me over the years. I could never pay them back but I know they do it because they love me! We take our own food since I have to watch my sodium and I do the cooking. I absolutely love doing that! If I didn't have to work, I'd do that every day! We did eat dinner out one day and went to the Artist Colony. If you get a chance to go to Nashville, Indiana, make sure to eat there. It's one of my absolute favorites because everything is homemade. Lots of things that fit into a low sodium diet too. So, for a few days we got away from the hectic, busy lives we all tend to live. We made memories that will last a liftime. Do the same with your family!

When we got home, we had relatives in from Virginia and West Virginia and we spent a long weekend with them. Those are the times I cherish!

Vacation! Yay!

2008-10-12T08:40:00.003-04:00

Ok........I'm off on vacation this morning. Vacations are so important to take so if you get the chance........escape! They do your heart, mind, and body good! I can't write much this morning since I just started packing. Hey, you mom's out there know how it is. We take care of everything else before we take care of our own stuff or our selves! So, since I still have packing to do I just wanted to leave you with my favorite Bible verse. This verse has become my "theme" so to speak ever since my diagnosis with heart failure. It has helped me thru a lot and so I hope it speaks to you in some way today. It's also the verse that I use for my heart walk team every year and for my ministry "Matter of the Heart." So here it is:

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

Without God's strength, I could do nothing.......he is absolutely all I need. He is my portion. I hope he's your strength and your portion today.

Replace the salt in your shaker with this!

2008-10-11T09:13:00.003-04:00

Herb Seasoning

This is an all purpose replacement for the salt shaker. It's perfect for keeping on the table or kitchen counter. This mixture is good on vegetables and meats and in casseroles and stews.

1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried parsley, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried savory, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried ground mace or nutmet
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional, according to taste!)

Mix all the ingredients until well blended. Store in a jar with a tight fitting lid in a cool, dry, dark place for up to six months!

Traveling with heart failure

2008-10-11T08:47:00.004-04:00

I love to travel but one thing I have found is that it can really be a challenge when you have heart failure. Not the traveling part.....that is fine and very enjoyable but if you have heart failure, you know what I'm talking about. It's very hard, especially if you have to eat every meal out. So, I thought I'd try and post some tips of things you can do when you are traveling. It's not always possible to get a place that has a kitchen, but if possible, that's what I do. The vacation I'm taking next week will be no problem because I will do all my own cooking since we have rented a cabin. I'm talking all my own food with me so I can make it according to my low sodium diet. This isn't always possible though and deciding what and where to eat can be a challenge. Some of the things I do that you may also find helpful are:

I always take fruit with me and make that my breakfast! Sometimes you can order fruit off the menu at many places also. You can never go wrong with fruit and OJ for breakfast and that's about the lowest sodium meal you will ever have! That way, you've kept it low at breakfast so you have room for more throughout the day because lunch and dinners can be the real challenges.

I always take a loaf of my low sodium bread with me. Whenever I order a sandwich, I swap out the bun or bread for my own low sodium bread. You can lower the sodium in one sandwich by a great deal by doing this. It can be as much as 400 mg that you lower by swapping out the bun or bread.

I always carry my own no salt added ketchup with me too. Ketchup is very high in sodium and you can get more than you realize in just a little cup with an order of fries.

Aks for everything you order to be prepared without the salt! I always tell them to hold the cheese too because cheese is very high in sodium.

Ask for half orders........you get way too much to eat anyway! smaller portions can lower the sodium quite a bit.

Order a baked potato and a salad. For your dressing, use vinegar and oil because most salad dressings are very high in sodium.

If you are flying, most airlines have a toll free number you can call to special order a low-sodium meal on your flight. You'll need to request this in advance though so do a few days before you are scheduled to leave.

Pack a meal in an insulated lunch bag. I do this quite often!

Some hotels offer "heart healthy" room service choices. You'd be surprised. I still ask for everything with no salt, just to be sure.

Be careful with pre-dinner treats. Those little nibbles of finger foods can add up in a hurry.

This vacation, I'll eat out once for lunch, once for dinner and once for breakfast. Try and plan where you will eat a head of time if possible. Make special requests when you can.....don't be afraid to do so! I know the place we will be having dinner at serves meats without the added salt and they have locally grown produce, so I request they add no salt when preparing my food. They are always happy to do this. Don't be afraid to ask if they use free range meats or not. Most of your nicer places do this now and a lot of places get their meats from local farmers so there has been nothing added to it! I try and find those places and go there often. I'll be eating at one next week that I love! There are lots of things you can do to avoid too much salt, but don't be afraid to ask!

Hope that helps........if you have any tips to add, please feel free to leave a comment. I'm always looking for new ways to lower sodium!

Pacemaker check

2008-10-10T18:05:00.003-04:00

Just a quick update. I went for a pacemaker check today and there were no episodes of rapid/irregular beats over the last 6 months! Yay! That is great news. Now, to stay well during cold and flu season. That's when all my problems started last year, right after my yearly fall vacation. I got my flu shot today too. Everyone should get a flu shot....it's quick and painless and is much better than getting the flu! The flu in people with heart failure can be life threatening. So, everyone in my family gets one to keep me from coming down with the flu if they are exposed. You should do the same! Alright, I had a busy week and now I'm ready for vacation, which is next week! I'll be off in a secluded cabin in the woods enjoying the beauty of nature God created for us to enjoy! This is my favorite vacation we take every year. I've told many of my friends that I don't need a mansion in heaven, just a rustic log cabin with a moose in the yard! What could be more perfect?! Ok...do something good for your heart today! Don't sweat the small stuff! My husband just called and he's stuck in traffic. It seems he got caught behind the Ross High School homecoming parade on the way home from work. He's a little stressed! I just don't him told him not to sweat the small stuff. It's not good for yor heart! Oh...he is so stressed and nothing I say will cheer him up! So, the moral of the story today is, if you get stuck in traffic, don't stress about it. Take the time to reflect on your blessings and all that God has done for you. After all, he may be keeping you from being in an accident, etc.

One bad thing today, one of my favorite doctors is moving to California. The doctor that implanted both pacemakers I've had is leaving. I told him he couldn't, but he didn't listen to me! Can you believe that, the nerve! So, next time I have it checked, I'll have a different doctor and next time I need one implanted, I'll have a new doctor doing that also. So, Dr. Chow......THANK YOU for everything you have done. I'm going to miss you! You're a great doctor and people in California are lucky you're coming! I'm losing a good one!

Since I am talking about my pacemaker check today, I'll talk a bit about my pacemaker. I have a Medtronic bi-ventricular pacemaker with defibrillator. If you have heart failure and this has been recommended to you, run as fast as you can to get it! I was nervous when I got my first one. So, I asked my heart failure specialist (Dr. Chung) what his thoughts were. He said if it were him, he'd run naked to get it! So, I got one.....I have never regretted it. Since the left and right side of my heart do not beat together, this pacemaker works all the time to keep it in synch. It has made me feel so much better and has given me incredible energy. In most people, it also helps improve heart function or your EF. It has not done so in me but the other benefits I have gotten from it are well worth it. Doctors say it still can help my heart function, even after years. But, I can shop till you drop with the best of them and I don't get tired so I'm glad I have it. Don't be afraid of the procedure itself either. It's not bad at all. You are in the hospital overnight but you are not all the way under during surgery. You can talk to your doctor and everything but you don't feel a thing. I actually watched my heart on the screen the first time. I got my first one in 2004 and my second one just this past January. I got an upgrade to a defibrillator due to the problems I had last winter with my heart rate, etc. The technology gets better every year and they can do so many different types of programming to help your heart along. I didnt' want the difibrillator but now I'm so glad I have it. Like my friend Julie said....it's like a life squad in your heart! It's there if you need it so if you have been told you need one by your physician, don't be too afraid to get it. It could save your life! My new one is actually wireless, which means I don't need to be hooked up to anything when they check it! The nurses loved it when I came in for my first check because I was their first wireless patient. They had me go in another room just to see what all they could do. They got a kick out of it! Anyway, I'm thankful for the technology that we have and I hope this will help someone that is trying to decide what to do. Like Dr. Chung told me 4 years ago.......I'd run naked to get one! You will never regret it!

Ok....do something good for your heart. Exercise, watch a funny movie, or just relax! I'll try and post a new low sodium recipe tomorrow.

Laughter really is the best medicine!

2008-10-08T06:51:00.005-04:00

Ok....I have to post a funny that made me laught until I cried this past weekend. I am in a production at my local church called "Kidstuf". This is a fast paced, high energy production with skits, singing, etc. that is geared towards kids and parents. Adults get as much out of it as the kids and love it just as much! Anyway, during one segment of the production our incredible host, Tracy Starr, did a game called "These aren't the Lyrics." She called up 3 "willing" participants....I say willing very loosely here! They were suppposed to sing 3 different songs and then fill in the missing lyrics. Well, one song was "Chariots of Fire". You might be stratching your head on that one.....the next song was "Eye of the Tiger", and the 3rd song, well, I'll just wait on that one! So, the "volunteers" were not cooperating so Tracy yells, "stop the music!" I don't think she has ever done that before but it was hilarious! She then calls my husband to the stage and restarts the music and he sings, "I AM WOMAN!" We were all laughing so hard backstage we were crying! He was such a good sport and it gave us all a good laugh that morning which made me want to talk about laughter and how good it actually is for you.

Did you know laughter really is good for your heart? Laughter actually increases blood flow in the body. In fact, laughter actually boosts blood flow about the same amount as light excercise or drugs that lower cholesterol. Laughter on a regular basis will undo some of the excess stress we face in our everyday lives. Laughter increases circulation and improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues throughout the body. Laughter helps lower blood pressure. Laughter actually helps strengthen the heart muscle so it's particularly good for those that can't exercise on a regular basis. Laughter aids the immune system and is good for the lungs because it helps empty the lungs of air. Laughter helps reduce stress hormones in the body. Laughter won't cost you a thing either.....and that's good news in today's economy! I love to laugh and for the most part, you will see me laughing at things others don't even find that funny! A good belly laugh does wonders for your health and your heart so laugh to your heart's content! Just do it!

So, thanks Tracy for the good laugh you gave us on on Sunday! It was good for us all! Anytime you want to use Steve as a "guinea pig", I'm all for it if it gives us a good laugh. I'll just tell him it's part of my therapy! After all, he is strong.....he is invincible!

another food find!

2008-10-06T10:31:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to let anyone know that lives in the Cincinnati area, Meijer is now carrying the Momma DiSalvo's spaghetti sauce that is low in sodium. Remember, don't salt your pasta water and you'll have a very low sodium and very tasty meal. Wheat pasta is better for you too so give it a try. We love it! Even my family that doesn't have to watch their sodium loves this sauce! I've now seen it at Jungle Jims, Meijer and Kroger Marketplace.

Monitoring you heart failure daily!

2008-10-06T06:55:00.004-04:00

If you are living with heart failure, you know how important it is to realize any changes that occur in your own body. Taking care of yourself and practicing healthy living habits can help keep your conditioning from worsening. Take steps to avoid colds! That one is easeir said than done but there are a few things you can do. Whenever you grocery shop, clean off the handles on the carts with a antibacterial wipe. I carry antibacterial spray in my purse. You can spray you hands after touching door knobs, etc and I use it at church after shaking hands with several people. This is NOT being rude....it's protecting yourself. Even a simple cold can reck havoc on someone living with heart failure. So, if you know someone with heart failure, please when you are ill........do not expose them. Stay away until you are better. Anything someone with heart failure comes down with is very hard on their heart. 2 bouts of bronchitis last year was very hard on me!

Also, if you have heart failure...........GET A FLU SHOT and a PNEUMONIA SHOT! I advise everyone to get the flu shot. That way, you don't pass it on to someone that does have heart failure. My daughter got hers last week and Steve and I are scheduled to get ours. This is something you can do to protect yourself and your own family.

For anyone with heart failure, it is important that you weigh yourself every day. This is one of the best ways to keep track of your heart failure. Sudden weight gain may be a sign that fuild is building up in your body. Weigh yourself at the same time, with the same scale, and with the same amount of clothing. About 2 pounds shows up on the scale for each extra quart of fluid. Make sure to record you weight in a chart everyday. ******If you gain 2 pounds in a 24 hour period or 3-5 pounds a week, call your doctor******This is very important! Do no try to medicate yourself by taking an extra water pill. In some cases, this may not be enough and could cause serious side effects. Make sure to get instructions from your doctor!

Take notice of your symptoms:

Experiencing new or increased symptoms could mean that your heart failure is not under control. But if the changes are caught early, your treatment can be adjusted and severe symptoms and hospitalization can be prevented. If you have symptoms, contact your doctor. Your heart failure is less likely to get worse if you pay attention to how your feel and know when to call your doctor. Call you doctor if your experience any of the following symptoms, or if they worsen.

**Sudden weight gain
**shortness of breath
**swelling of the feet, ankles, and legs
**coughing
**tiredness
**nuases or swelling in the abdomen

Monitoring your condition every day is very important! JUST DO IT!

Understand your enemy!

2008-10-04T07:58:00.005-04:00

October is breast cancer awareness. Now, this is NOT to steal any thunder from that worthy cause. Women, we need to be aware of that threat and schedule your mammograms every year once you reach the age of 40. One in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Women with a high risk for breast cancer should schedule them once a year at even younger ages. I think as women, we have gotten better about preventive action when it comes to breast cancer because we are good about taking care of the parts of our body we can see. But what about what's inside? It's critical to care about heart disease. Why is heart disease the number 1 killer of women and men in the U.S.? One reason is undeniably a lack of commitment to a heart-healthy lifestyle. Your lifestyle is not only your best defense against heart disease and stroke, it’s also YOUR responsibility. Here are some sobering statistics about women and heart disease:

**Only 13% of women view heart disease as a health threat, even though it’s women's No. 1 killer.

**Cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills over 480,000 women a year, about one per minute.

**One in three adult females and males in the United States suffers from a form of CVD.

**CVD claims more lives than the next four most common causes of death combined.
On average, an American dies of CVD every 35 seconds.

**Coronary heart disease is the No. 1 single killer of women over age 25.

**64% of women who died suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms.

**One in 2.6 female deaths are from CVD, compared with one in 30 from breast cancer.
Heart disease rates in post-menopausal women are two to three times higher than in pre-menopausal women of the same age.

**Stroke is the #3 cause of death for American women, and is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability.

**Stroke kills more women than men. In 2003, females represented 61% of stroke deaths.

Heart disease is usually gradual and develops over time but women need to understand that heart disease is a "NOW" problem, and that "later" may be too late. Among women aged 25 to 34 years, a key audience for prevention messages, nearly two-thirds believed cancer was their greatest health threat and just 4% regarded heart disease as a danger. Half of these women will die of heart disease but yet their priorities lie elsewhere. Women......you make sure you schedule your mammograms and your yearly GYN exams, but don't take your heart for granted! Care for your heart, take action......get off the couch, get a heart checkup, know your numbers, know your family history and know your risks for heart disease, do something for yourself and the people you love! There are risk factors that only YOU can do something about. Don't wait until you have symptoms or problems, later may be to late. I wish I had done that. Maybe my heart condition would not have progressed to where it is now, but I'll never know. Do it NOW! I love the Nike slogan and I use it quite frequently so JUST DO IT!

Foods that actually help lower your cholesterol

2008-10-03T19:31:00.004-04:00

I heard this on my local news this evening and wanted to post it before I forget! Anytime I hear news stories that are related to heart disease and helping prevent it, I get excited. I you have high cholesterol and are looking for foods that help lower you cholesterol, here are some they mentioned this evening. I know olive oil works because I use it all the time and it actually helped bring up my good cholesterol. I could never get that number to come up until I started using olive oil. It also lowered my bad cholesterol a great deal too. My last test, I had a total cholesterol of 138 and my good cholesterol was high, which is very good. That number you want to be high! ok...here's a list of foods that may help you.

Orange juice and citrus fruits
Stell cut oats, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans and peanuts. A handful a day is all you need!

Olive oil
Salmon
Beans
Medical Margerine

and.....believe it or not.....here's the best one.....a little bit of dark chocolate! Notice the key words, a little bit. Don't eat but a square of dark chocolate a day. It also helps keep your blood flowing and helps prevent bood clots. Everything in moderation!

Another tip, olive oil has great benefits but it does have the calories so use it in moderation too.