Low dose or no dose?

Many people take a low dose aspirin every day to help combat heart disease. Good for you! One tiny pill can save a life either by it's long term benefits or by taking it when you're actually having a heart attack. A bottle is always a good thing to have in your medicine cabinet if you're worried about your heart. It's also been thought to reduce your risk of colon cancer.

Should you take it every day though? The jury is out. Some doctors thing the risks of bleeding ulcers, bleeding on the brain, and other side effects outweighs the benefits for healthy people. After all, if you're in good shape, why take something that can cause harm?

Almost every doctor will agree that an aspirin regimen is needed if you've had a heart attack or an ischemic stroke. That's a stroke caused by a blood clot or a blockage. A brain heart attack if you will. Aspirin acts as a blood thinner and that's why doctors recommend it to patients with clotting problems. It can reduce the risk of another event. I take an 81mg pill daily for my aspirin regimen. My doctor strongly urged me to continue taking it and I agree with him. For me, the benefits far outweigh the risks. This tiny pill could save my life. I also carry them in a fob on my keychain. If I ever have another heart attack and I'm away from home I can take a dose while I'm waiting for help to arrive. Be prepared right?

So should you take an aspirin regimen? I thought about putting some of the age guidelines up... sorry but no. Not yet anyway. Everything I learn about the guidelines just brings up more questions. Technically, I'm in the NO age group. I still needed it. See what I mean? Here's what I suggest. Ask your doctor at your next appointment. What do you think about aspirin? Should I start taking it? That's easy to say. Your doctor will give you a yes or no and you can pick up your bottle just about anywhere. It's cheap, it's easy, and it just may save your life. Good odds in my book!

Confusion

I don't get it. There's a communication error somewhere and it's irritating and confusing. Is the rehab place not being told something? Am I not being told something? What's up with this?

I go to rehab class just to get kicked out and stuck in the hospital. I did GREAT on my tests so I got to go home. I was warned that I have a rapid heartrate but there's nothing wrong with my heart pumping. Arteries clear, stent working. Yay me. I go back to the cardiologist. He tells me again that there's NOTHING WRONG with the pumping part of my heart and I'm in gorgeous shape. I may be able to start jogging soon he says. Then he puts me in a heart monitor for a month and puts me back in rehab. Apparently whatever may be wrong requires around the clock monitoring. Worrisome. I head back to rehab. I'm hooked up to another monitor and while wearing two at a time I'm pulled off my rower for a rapid heartrate. Again. I bargain my way out of going back to the hospital. It's not happening! They inform me I'm likely never running again and it may be time to "accept my limitations."

I'm sorry what? Which is it?!? Am I healthy or am I not? Will I run or won't I? If the cardiologist says yes, let's get busy. If it's no, I need to start my life and work towards different goals. They'll still be big, I'll just be more careful. I know without a doubt that my heart is healthy. I also know that my guys are worried enough to have me wear a heart monitor. I'm in the middle, the bug, who at this point is just praying I don't have to meet the electrical specialist. Please, please don't let me have to go see that guy.

This is a confusing month. I can handle either answer. It's NO answer that's driving me a little nuts. This marks my 7th month healing. It's time to stop being a heart and start being a person. Don't you think it's time to start living again?

Baby workouts lead to big things.

Don't have time to work out? Sure you do. There are lots of itty bitty things that you can do that really add up. By adding up I mean they get easier and pretty soon that Y membership will come in handy or that Zumba class may seem like fun. These are just a few of the little things that EVERYONE can do to start down the right track. I've discovered they're fun and it amazes me how much time you can find in a day and how much I can get done in my free minutes!

Park in the back. It's win, win. You're car won't get dented and you get some exercise. Parking as close as you can isn't a contest folks. Take a brisk walk from the back and you have just squeezed in a baby workout. Also, go on a cart hunt! Getting a cart from the lot and pushing it inside helps you and helps the poor sucker that has to do it later in the rain. When you're done with it, put it back! If not at the door, at least in the cart spots. Bonus points for spotting "sporty chick." You know the one. They're the women that jockey for the space riiight next to the handicapped ones then hop out in their yoga clothes. When they're done loading their health food they leave the cart right in the middle of the lot. Healthy folks aren't they? Now clock yourself. I PROMISE your baby workout will take 2 minutes longer then their time saving. Doesn't make much sense does it?

We also spend a bunch of time in the kitchen and watching TV. Why not tuck some free weights in your kitchen? While I'm waiting for my water to boil or my microwave to ding I'm getting in some bicep curls. You can accomplish a ton in one minute! I still stare at my coffee pot and curse it for going slow. I just do it while I'm working on my triceps. Pretty soon you'll be disappointed with the time limit and want to add more reps on your own.

I l.o.v.e. commercials. Every commercial I try to get up, stretch, and move around a bit. Tuck in a rep or two of sit ups or push ups and you're on a roll! Work out the kinks or even limber up with some basic yoga poses. Toe touches, knee lifts, you get the idea. When the commercial is over I go right back to playing Bejeweled online but I'm looking out for the next one! I was suprised how much this got the blood moving and loosened me up.

So let's see. While wearing this dang heart monitor 24/7 I went grocery shopping, cooked dinner, watched TV, and typed this blog entry. I ALSO had a walk, did 40 push ups, 80 crunches, and completed 3 full reps of weights. Pretty. Darn. Cool. How much time did I lose working out? None.

Oh! One more thing. I'm strapped to a monitor around the clock and obviously monitored more the any human would ever want to be by a doctor. I'm watched so closely I could be a bug under my cardiologist's microscope. My whole team is absolutely amazing but the objective is to get to a point where I don't need them anymore.If you think you need to ask a doctor before being more active, please do. Otherwise you may end up the bug to. Use your brain before you do something dangerous.

Lent

Mardi Gras is over and Lent is here. Do you know why you give things up for Lent? It's fasting. You're supposed to identify with Christ's suffering, learn self discipline, and pay for your sins. That's why you give up something you love like chocolate, coffee, or meat. You have to feel the loss. If you're not suffering a little bit, you're not doing it right. So that's what's up.

What am I giving up? Sigh. I'm really, really sorry Jesus but nothing. Don't get too huffy people. In the past 7 months this is what I've given up...

Smoking
Mammals
Fat
Salt
8 inches of hair
Jogging
My gym
Ice Cream
Booze
Regular Coca Cola
"Real" coffee, not decaf
My job
Traveling
"Stress"

I could go on but you get the point. Other then an addiction to cute pajama bottoms and a nail biting habit I've got nothing. Some of those things I can get back but quite a few are gone for good. Does permanent loss count for Lent? No? Sorry. :(

I am feeling Lent though. I walked right by all that Valentine's candy at clearance prices yesterday. Sigh. All that chocolate wasting away in it's heart shaped boxes. I also treated all of my moonpies like Christmas presents. It's more fun to give then receive. I didn't eat ONE!!! That's a hefty accomplishment for a girl during Mardi Gras.

But what about this year? How's this? I share some of my healthy tips with you! Check back and I'll post the food, fun, and workouts I've been picking up in the past 7 months. I've learned some handy things! Considering that I'm not even Catholic and don't really HAVE to give up anything, this sounds like a good compromise. Maybe some of you guys can pick up something to do instead of giving up something! Now wouldn't that be fun?

A little tour, just for you.

I've been put back in rehab. It's so I can be babysat while I'm on my new, not so safe pills and wearing my heart monitor. It also gives the people monitoring me a set time to pay attention. Pretty cool.

What do I DO in rehab? A bunch. I go three times a week for exercise and once a week for heart class. The class is where you learn nifty things like what's wrong with you, how not to kill yourself eating McDonald's, and what to do if you manage to get in trouble again. Sometimes you get to look at plastic heart models and sometimes you get Cheerios coupons. It's a mixed bag.

When I get there I sign in then weigh myself. My weight is recorded while I pick up my heart monitor and attach it to my skin. Lucky me, I get to wear two for a month. The staff moves around and takes all of our resting blood pressures. Ready to start!

We warm up with stretches then do about 5 minutes of free weights. I'm allowed the 5 pounders. This is an upgrade from the pink 2 pound ones they made me start with. After weights, we break up and get to our cardio machines. We spend 15 minutes each on the 3 machines we've been assigned. I've got treadmill, rowing machine, and the elliptical in that order.

There are only two TV's in this gym. They show our heart rates. Isn't that entertaining? We're numbers and wavy lines, running across the screen. While we're working out, the fabulous staff is working. They walk around, talking to each of us and taking our working blood pressures. They also check for changes in our health and record any medication changes.

After breaking no more then a mild sweat, we're done for the day. We cool down then wait for our blood pressure to be taken for the 3rd and last time. Once we're clear, we turn in our heart monitors and peel off our lead stickers. The guys actually shave patches of their chests. Imagine taking off fuzz and skin 3 times a week. Ouch!

This is the bare minimum of my workout routine and it's pretty much all I'm allowed for now. The goal is to get my heart used to working hard without putting any strain on it. I do some stuff at home to but that's another post.

Does this sound like a gym you want to visit? No? Kinda sucks huh? While they do their best to make it nice for us, yes. It sucks. Guess what. A sedentary lifestyle is a leading cause for two of the biggest boogymen in bad health. Heart disease and diabetes. Even a little exercise a week will greatly increase your odds of never going to a cardiac rehab gym. Go figure. Going to a gym will help keep you out of THIS gym. All I can say is pick your poison. Either way, most of us end up going.

A bloggie blurb...

Just a baby post for you guys. What can I say, slow week! Other then figuring out that I can put my new short hair into the cutest ponytails ever, well, I got nothin' for ya. Seriously, they look like itty bitty horns. For an at home do it's just happy. It's enough to make you want to say something silly like Rawr! Yeah, yeah. I'm a dork. What else right?

Not much! The new pill may be working. I'm hitting perky but ever heard of placebo effect? Me and my new pigtails aren't celebrating yet. Let's give it a bit more before I party.

The new heart monitor comes in the mail tomorrow. Jeez. Crappiest package ever. Once it's here I call a number and the tech support guy will tell me how they want me to hook that thing up. Then it's 21 days of someone recording my every heartbeat before I take it off. Joy. I'm allowed a stink face on this one. It's a little creepy isn't it? On a good note, it's the laaaaast test. No more hospitals, needles, and wires. No surgery scares. I'll be done and focusing on STAYING better not being sick. Cool huh?

Hummingbird

I went to the cardiologist yesterday. You know you're dealing with a really amazing team when they comment on your new haircut and know your medical record highlights right off. They haven't seen me in office in quite some time. They treat me like a person, not a beating heart and I really appreciate it. But what did they say right?

I gotta lose about 5 pounds. Getting kicked out of rehab pushed my weight from 108 to 116. Stink. Yeah, yeah. I know what you're thinking. Poor pitiful me right? Well I don't think so. I need to lose the fat weight I put on and I'm looking to add double that in muscle mass. I don't give a minute worth of heartbeats on what the scale says. It's like an apple. It can be shiny and gorgeous but still rotten on the inside. I need healthy insides.

My cardiologist is one of those super great guys. Of course I'm crazy about him because he played a huge part in saving my life but he's just one of those sincere, nice people to. He and I are just about done with this Marco Polo hunt with what's wrong in my chest. The fatigue is coming from somewhere. My heart is beating too fast for some reason. WHAT?!? Tell me and I'll fix it. Please. Today. Now.

There's only two things left. One is my medication. I'll go into more of this later. It makes sense to me though. We identified a suspect and took me off of that pill. The only problem is I really need that pill. Like life depends on it, need it. We're going to try something a little different and they're going to watch me like a hawk. If this works, I stay on the new pill and I'll feel better fast. Problem solved! I'm rooting for this option!

Problem two stinks a bit more. The rapid heartbeat is a little troubling. But how much so? Normally a patient has a base line made up of normal readings. The first time I had an EKG was when I was having a heart attack. This is a problem because I don't have any way of knowing what my base line is. Now me and my cardiologist have to wing it. So here's the thing. I'm an itty bitty young woman with a ton of energy and a healthy lifestyle. What if my heart JUST beats fast? I could have a hummingbird of a heart and there's no way of knowing if it's always been that way.

There's only one thing left to do and neither one of us is happy about it. I'm being mailed a heart monitor. I'll attach it to my chest with leads and it will record my heartbeats digitally. For 21 days. I can sleep and shower without it but otherwise it has to stay on nonstop. I'm being put back in rehab and it's going to record that to. Great. Just great. The only thing I can say about this is thank goodness it's winter. My wires will be on the inside! If I do well I'm just a hummingbird. If I get bad readings then I earned myself a visit with a specialist. I may have an electrical impulse issue that would need to be addressed.

I bet you can tell what I'm rooting for! Chilly weather, a hummingbird heart, and mean medication! I'll be a happy girl if it's just that easy. Please, just let it be that easy. I can almost see that 5k in my future...

It's not a diet it's a lifestyle!

This is just my opinion but I'm a semi expert on the subject. I've heard the rants from my heart buddies and I have my own. Who can a heart patient have a happy meal with? Only other heart patients. Since we live in a country obsessed with food, having a normal, healthy meal outside of our homes is darn near impossible. We have a major battle in front of us and it gets downright tiring to deal with it several times a day. As a baby heart patient, I (hopefully) have decades of dealing with this. Lovely. Well, the problem is the people around us! Most likely you love us right? Lets be honest here.See the food in the picture? It doesn't look THAT bad right? Why is everyone so upset then? I'm getting picked on! As far as I can tell there are 2 types of concerned loved ones.

Type One - The Nazi. We have to police our own diets. If we're doing a good job we know just how much fat and sodium we can have and how much wiggle room there is in a day for a treat. We DO NOT need someone to give us stink eye because we ate a cookie. No, I will never again eat the chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant. One bite size Snickers isn't going to do me in. The can you have that question is just rude. Would you ask anyone else that? Please don't make a heart patient feel guilty for eating. It just makes for defensive, defiant dinnertimes.

Type two - Baked with love. We know it is and we love you for it. Just don't help us! Ordering a salad is not a sin! Instead of pointing out our weight loss or something else on the menu just order your own meal! I know I'm itty bitty. I also know that I have a condition that can take my life if I don't do my best. After 6 months without alfredo sauce I'm actually scared of what that would do to my stomach. I'm soooo not eating that. Ever. While our diets may seem abnormal to you, your diet is now abnormal to us. A healthy heart patient eats 5 or 6 times a day and they eat food loaded in the "good stuff." This means that we're likely eating more then you! No, we don't have an eating disorder. We're healthy. So healthy that the food you would rather us eat would make us sick. I have never in my life encouraged someone to order something else in a restaurant. I promise not to pick on your choices if you don't pick on mine. If anything ask for some pointers! We're absolutely brimming with healthy recipes and secrets. This is weight loss gold people! It's not a punishment but a gift! We've got the tips and tricks to get that pair of skinny jeans!

Now it's not all your fault! Unfortunately, not all heart patients make the right choices. I've met a few of them to. They either don't care or don't believe they will get sick and die from heart disease. I have one thing to say to these fellow heart buddies. Shame on you for eating cheesecake in front of the person that sat by your hospital bed. The agony you give them is not worth the pound of fat you're stuffing in your face. Yes, it's your life, and yes, they look at your salad funny. They don't deserve to bury you. At least try. If not for you, for them.

So there you go! Can you tell it's a bit of a sore subject? Everything is different for heart patients. The lean, little person is mighty! The big guy is weak. Go figure. I'm 5'2 and at my last weigh in I was 108 pounds. That's great! If anything I need a little more muscle mass. I'm not one of those patients that has to lose 50 pounds. Right out of the gate I was a lap ahead. It's a good thing. Now if I could juuuuust convince everyone else!

Oh! On a side note, I'm going to the cardiologist today! Hopefully we'll figure out why my heart has a bad attitude and keeps landing me in the hospital. I'm guessing my medication will be adjusted or he'll send me to a specialist. Cross some fingers and toes for me! I would really, really like to figure out this fatigue thing. I'm tired of being tired! Check back tomorrow! Maybe I'll learn something useful I can pass on.

Goosebumps

Do you remember those stories when you were a kid? They always scared the pants off of us but no one ever died or anything. Old school kiddie horror. My new boat would quality for several Goosebumps stories. It's driving me nuts! Let me illustrate...

The name itself! The Heart Nazi was in love with this boat! He wanted it so bad he spent weeks telling me how great it was. Unconvinced, I went with him to look at it. The FIRST thing I see is the name on the stern. Ms. Linda. My mother's name. She passed away 2 years and many months ago and I still miss her every day. I change my mind, I change my mind! Break out the checkbook, sell the old boat, we ARE buying this boat. Creepy how the thing Corey wanted most came with a name I couldn't say no to.

Awful, awful story ahead! If you don't like them, skip to the next paragraph. You've been warned! Corey wanted new parts to fix our pretty door. After looking everywhere I suggest calling the company on the decorative plaque. Maybe they knew something? A quick Google search told us the company was less then an hour away (amazing!) and still operational. Even better, when we called the guy who answered was the guy who worked on her before! Too good to be true! He remembered the Ms. Linda and her gorgeous unique teak door. Why? ..... Because the original owner had a daughter. Her fingers were cut off when the door slammed shut on her hand. AaaaaaaAAAAAHHHH!!! Holy goodness that's bad! I could have lived my whole life on this boat and not known that! No wonder the door doesn't slide well. It's not SUPPOSED to! Gross, gross, sad, sad. Now I can't bring myself to fix the door without adding a gas cylinder or something. It just creeps me out. I'm choosing to think happy thoughts on this one and believe that the little girl is now a young lady with all of her digits. It's that or nitro and I hate those pills.

I am a brand new shiny football fan. By football I mean the Saints. ONLY the Saints. I was born in New Orleans and most of my family are diehard fans. They've loved the Saints for decades. Most of them, my mother included, are gone now but the Saints finally did it! I decided to root for "her boys" in honor of her. My general disinterest in all things football means that I have no idea what I'm cheering for but if excitement happens, I cheer to. Luckily for me I haven't accidentally cheered for the wrong side yet. I got to watch my first Super Bowl! I settled in with my heart healthy snacks (It's a rule right? Snacks?) and was happily cheering away. The Saints scored a touchdown and I was doing a happy dance when the Heart Nazi intervened.
"You better calm down."
"I'm cheering for the SAINTS!!!"
"If you don't calm down you're going to MEET a saint."
My heart rate was 140. So much for cheering huh? Right then the bathroom door that I know was closed creaked open and slammed shut. Loud. Then the knives clattered to the other side of their galley drawer. Great. The Ms. Linda agreed with the Heart Nazi. Creepy.

Most awesome kid ever.

I'm a sucker for redheaded little kids. I don't know why but I think they're awesome. Maybe it's because they're so darn cute or maybe it's because every one I've ever talked to has been super sassy. Heck maybe as a freckle face myself I just recognize "my people." Whatever it is, they rock.

While checking out in Publix I met The Most Awesome Kid Ever. There's me, with my groceries, waiting for my total. This kid pulls up with his momma and does this snappy dismount out of his chopping cart. Cool man. Good grief he's cute! He's got curly red hair and he's rockin' itty bitty cargo pants and Diesel tennis shoes. He stands on tiptoe and starts digging through the fruit I'm buying. O-kay? What's up with this?!? How do you shoo a 6 year old?

Kid - "You like fruit huh?"
Me - "Sure do."
Kid - "We have lots of fruit to."
Me - "That's good. It's healthy."
Kid - "Yeah. That's how we roll."

Oh no he didn't! That's how we roll. With apples. I only claim half of what happened next. His mom had that hilarious laugh that ends with a snort. You know the kind... you can't help but crack up when you hear it and Mr. Cutie Pie was getting all gangsta on me. I did what any person with no kids would do. I riled him up!

Me - "That's how you roll huh?"
Kid - "Oooooh yeah." He starts bouncing around.
Me - "I'll bet you got the pimped out swingset."
Kid - "Uh huh!!!!" This yelled in Grover-like voice.
Mom - Snort, snort.
Me - "Got the chromed out seesaw huh?"
The kid starts talking about bling! Holy goodness, he knows what I'm talking about!!! I pay for my stuff, load up my cart, and turn back to my new buddy. I kind of ask for his mom's permission and slip him one of the Snickers I bought for Corey. This kid deserves chocolate.
Me - "Bye little man. I like your outfit by the way. You're big pimpin' in those khakis."

He starts singing the song! If ever a parent needed to know the effect of social media on children, well, come meet this kid. He then walks me to the door and JUMPS to activate the sensor so it opened up. I think him for "opening" the door for me and he told me it wasn't a problem. I was a chick and stuff. Aw!

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to bounce/run back to his mom. I watched till he got safely there and managed to catch him busting his butt on the tile. He popped up and looked around to see if anyone saw it. I scooted out the door before he was busted.

Seriously. Isn't he cute?!?

Sorry!

I'm a murderer. I smashed a bunny on the way home from Publix. Of all the critters running in the roads I had to hit a bunny. Now before you laugh... a little back story.

My mom LOVED bunnies. She collected all things bunny and when she passed away I ended up boxing up well over 100 beautiful ceramic and glass ones. After she died I started seeing bunnies everywhere, even the cemetery where she's buried. I know it's likely just my imagination but it's almost like she's saying hello and checking on me. On my first heart walk out of the hospital I saw two bunnies. One didn't hop off as I got closer. I know it's silly but when you don't feel good and you miss your mom seeing something like that helps.

I saw that bunny on the side of the road and thought hi Mom! The he kamikazed me. He ran right out and I smashed him. I got out hoping I could take it to the vet but there was nothing to be done. It's kinda funny I know but good grief! A bunny?!? Why a bunny? Couldn't it have been an armadillo or something? There's nothing really redeeming about an armoured possum. Does anyone know how to fix bad bunny karma? I know it's silly but I got to redeem myself here! This is a picture of me visiting my mom and grandparents. Those are her actual bunnies around her. It looks like I just earned myself a new heart goal. Once I'm better I'm making a road trip and bringing Mom another bunny. She's due a visit and now I miss her more then ever.

New, new, new!!!

So stinkin' tired!!! Last Saturday was my birthday. I'm a big old 31. Don't be picking on the old either! Anybody rusty enough to be a tinman can use that word. This fatigue thing is kicking my butt. My heart works great... as long as I'm not doing anything. The minute I'm moving my heart rate shoots up. Straightening a headful of hair earned me a heart rate of 140. Now I'm sorry but being out of breath for beauty is beyond ridiculous. It's time to grow up.

What to do? Well, I'm a little tired, a little frustrated, and a whole year older. I gave myself a birthday gift. I broke out the scissors, grabbed a handful of hair, and started chopping! Yes, a headful of long, dark hair is gorgeous. Agreed, but so is being a grown up! I need a break and a short, sassy bob that takes 15 minutes to fix is just the way to start my year.

The only downside was the husband. Man was he PISSED! To be fair he woke up in the morning to find his crafty wife's hair neatly braided on the counter (I'm donating it.) and his scalped wife in bed. NOT a good way to have a hubby find out. I hadn't even had my first cup of coffee and I was already dust. The frantic phone call search for a stylist started on 2 iPhones while he shot me some stink eye.Darn it, I did a good job though! The bob I gave myself I got to keep. Luckily for me sanity set in before I tried to "fix" my handiwork and all I needed was some trimming and evening out. Not bad for a first (And only!) attempt!

So there you go! Yes it was a little extreme to chop it myself but I needed to do it. It's time to let go and start fresh. I said goodbye to the pretty hair that wore me out and hello to the sassy new do! It was the perfect thing to do... I haven't had a bad hair day yet and man is it easy! I'm now an advocate of the extreme lifestyle change. Just don't be crazy and do it yourself. Warn a husband first!