The most common thing talked about in February is Valentine’s Day, and what is the symbol that is used? A heart is used as the shape for candy boxes, sweethearts, valentine cards, cookies, pancakes, and anything else you want to give to your valentine. Due to Valentine’s Day being in February, it is also called the month of love. Heart emojis are probably the most used emoji in February. However, the heart emoji can be shared at any time of the year to illustrate love for others.
While all of this is well and good, it does not quite explain what I mean by “heart healthy” or having a healthy heart. My focus for this month is on your actual heart and how to keep it healthy. Let’s break down the word HEART, which is spelled H-E-A-R-T. Get ready! This is about to be some important information that I am sharing with you.
For example, I want to use the ‘H’ in HEART to represent Hole. Have you ever had a hole in your heart, figuratively or literally? I have had both. First, let’s look at the figurative hole in one’s heart. This typically happens as the result of loss. When you lose someone who has been an integral part of your life, it can feel like the loss has left a hole in your heart. There is a void that you think will never be filled. I have experienced this more times than I care to count. The first time was when I lost my mother in 1999 due to complications from diabetes. It happened a month after I moved away from her, and I never imagined that void could be filled. Then I lost my only son to suicide in 2003. He was 18 years old and did not give himself a chance to be an adult. Needless to say, I was devastated and saying that I felt a hole in my heart was an understatement. Once again, I never imagined that void could be filled. A few years later, I lost my Auntie to cancer She was my mom’s sister and my second mom. While that left yet another hole in my heart, I understood why I lost my mom. I had that experience so that I could be strong for my cousins and help them through losing their mom.
If all of the holes in my heart had been literal, I would have died a long time ago. However, I filled the voids with Jesus Christ. I would not have made it through if it had not been for the Lord being with me and on my side.
Now, let’s talk about having a literal hole in one’s heart. Do you know the medical term for that? It is called a heart murmur. In fact, I was born with a literal hole in my heart. Whenever the doctor listens to my heart, they can hear a slight murmur. While I realize that being born with a heart murmur is not something you can avoid, it is something you can understand. A physiological, or innocent, heart murmur is usually temporary and goes away on its own. However, I have a pathological, or abnormal, heart murmur that is likely the cause of my shortness of breath and fatigue. If your doctor has ever told you that you have a heart murmur, you should ask what the implications are.
Let’s move on to the ‘E’ in HEART, which I will use to represent Echocardiogram or Electrocardiogram. Have you ever had either of these tests done? I have had them both. The Echocardiogram is basically ultrasound imaging, sometimes abbreviated as Echo. When you think of an ultrasound, you usually think of the image of an unborn baby. However, doctors can obtain an ultrasound of more than just a pregnant mother’s belly. When the ultrasound is of the heart, it is called an echocardiogram. It is used to see real-time, moving images of the heart’s structure, chambers, valves, and blood flow. My echo showed that I did not have adequate blood flow. Then there was the electrocardiogram, commonly called the EKG or ECG. This imaging records electrical activity in the heart to detect irregular heartbeats, or arrhythmias, and to assess heart function. For me, I was given an EKG to determine the cause of my chest pain, which they were able to confirm was NOT from a heart attack, thank God!
Now I will share the reason for my imaging by using Angina for the ‘A’ in HEART. What is angina? It mimics a heart attack but does not cause as much damage to the heart. It is actually chest pain that happens when there is not enough oxygen-rich blood getting to the heart, which is a sign of Coronary Artery Disease, or CAD. As such, let’s also use Artery for the ‘A’ in HEART since it is so closely related to Angina.
Around 1 A.M. EST on Sunday, February 12, 2023, I started feeling chest pain that was radiating down my left arm. When it started, it wasn’t very intense, so I remained calm and drove myself to the emergency room (ER). I walked in and said I needed to be checked to see if I was having a heart attack. Well, even though I was calm, the nurses hopped into action and moved very quickly to help me. They got me into a room, checked my blood pressure (BP), and connected me to a heart monitor to confirm if I was actually having a heart attack. They determined that I was not having a heart attack, but I was primed for a stroke because my BP was 227/127. Consequently, I was immediately placed on medication to lower my blood pressure. Once again, I thank God that I did not have a stroke.
I was admitted to the hospital since it was the weekend and there was no one who could perform a cardiac catheterization (cath.) procedure, which was needed to determine why my blood was not flowing adequately. I finally got the cardiac catheter on February 14, and while they were in my arteries, they inserted a stent and cleared the blockage in my artery that was 99% blocked. Then there was a plan to insert a second stent on March 6 for another artery that was 85% blocked. Did you catch that? I had 2 arteries that were 99% and 85% blocked, which could have easily led to a heart attack. However, it was angina, and it was a horrific pain that kept coming every few minutes, lasting for several seconds. The pain was not alleviated until they opened my arteries with the stents, so I was dealing with that pain for 2 days! I do not wish that on anyone. Please keep your heart healthy.
This brings us to the ‘R’ in HEART, which I will associate with Rehabilitation, or Rehab for short; More specifically, cardiac rehab since we are talking about the heart. I was scheduled for 12 weeks of cardiac rehab to begin shortly after my second stent was placed. Despite the fact that I had missed exercising, I was a bit intimidated by this process. Three times a week, I had to spend 15 minutes each on three different machines, including elliptical, treadmill, recumbent elliptical cross trainer (my favorite), and upper body exerciser (arm circles forward and backwards). Due to hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis, I tried to avoid the treadmill and elliptical. However, by the end, I was able to successfully complete a 15-minute session on the treadmill at an incline of 6. I was very thankful for that. I graduated from cardiac rehab, but that’s not the end of my story.
Let’s just say that the ‘T’ in HEART represents tachycardia (rapid heart rate). This is something I am still dealing with today. I am taking a medication called metoprolol, so that helps. My medication list has changed quite a bit since February 12, 2023. In December 2023, I was hospitalized again, this time with bradycardia (slow heart rate). My heart was beating as low as 42 beats per minute (BPM). After some medication changes, my heart rate was finally back to normal. I was taken off the metoprolol at that time, as well as a couple of other medications. However, at some point, my heart rate became quite elevated again. This was also noticed during a physical therapy (PT) session for pain management. With minimal activity, my heart rate would reach 160 BPM. It was time for another medication change. I was put back on metoprolol, and I have been much better. However, my heart rate still reaches 130 faster than it should. This is why I have been diagnosed with tachycardia. The crazy thing is that my oldest daughter was diagnosed with it years ago, long before I was, and within the past year, my youngest daughter has been diagnosed with it.
I hope that my story will help you keep your heart healthy. I wish someone would have shared this information with me before February 12, 2023. That is the day my life changed forever. I thought I was doing well with exercising 5-6 days a week, trying to eat healthy foods, and following the suggestions I received from the doctor regarding my pre-diabetes. However, there was a silent killer creeping in my arteries ready to take me out! I cannot thank God enough for that silent killer making some noise and causing me to get it checked out. I am sure that waiting another day would not have ended well for me. Don’t let it happen to you! Keep your heart healthy. If you have been experiencing any pain or discomfort in your chest, have your doctor check you to make sure there are no clogs anywhere. OK? Have a blessed day, week, month, year, and life!
Glorified Fitness Inc 