Join UrbanMoms and some of our other members in the “sandwich generation” as we discuss keeping our hearts healthy in the “Life in the Sandwich” Blog Series. On March 23rd, add a new item to your heart health shopping list and visit your participating Loblaw banner store for a free Healthy Heart Check. It only takes 20 minutes of your time, but you will get a personalized picture of your key heart risk factors. Share your thoughts in the comments below for your chance to win some great prizes and learn some important information about heart health.
“I’m scared.”
When your dad says these words, it’s as if your world is flipped turned upside down. Parents aren’t allowed to get scared.
But my dad had just had his fourth heart attack. He is only 63. He was home alone and called the 911 and crawled outside to meet the ambulance. He thought he was going to die. I thought he was going to die. I spent days on the floor of a hospital room hearing words like prior myocardial infarctions and coumadin and defibrillators and pacemakers and insulin and aortic bulbs and caths and open-heart surgery.
Mostly, I didn’t know what most of that meant. But I did know one thing for very certain. My dad has a bad heart. He is half-bionic now. He has lots of scars. He can’t hold a cell phone on his left ear ever gain. He is diabetic.
And it’s altogether possible that I have a bad heart too. Genetics.
And it’s altogether possible that I have a bad heart too. Genetics.
I hate genetics right now. I am now feeling a little bit thankful that I inherited my mom’s knobby knees and tiny calves. I’ll take my knobby knees and tiny calves any day over a bad heart and type II diabetes. But I decided that I am going to kick my genetics in the tiny calves. I am going to find a regular doctor. I am going to have a physical. I am going to have some blood tests. I am going to have my cholesterol checked. I will have a CT scan to look for calcium.
I will exercise more. Not for my weight; for my heart.
I need to watch my sugars, my carbs, my salt. Not for my weight; for my heart.
I need to fight this. I can fight this. I will fight this.
Just watch me. Because the thought of my three children sitting in a waiting room hearing me say that I’m scared is enough motivation to do my damnedest to fight the genetics.
I need to watch my sugars, my carbs, my salt. Not for my weight; for my heart.
I need to fight this. I can fight this. I will fight this.
Just watch me. Because the thought of my three children sitting in a waiting room hearing me say that I’m scared is enough motivation to do my damnedest to fight the genetics.
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We all know how important healthy eating and activity are for a healthy heart. That’s why we are so excited! Thanks to our supporters, Becel and Loblaw Companies, we are offering one lucky UrbanMoms member a chance to win $500 worth of groceries! All you have to do is comment on this post. Your comment is your entry to win $500 in President’s Choice® gift cards accepted at any Loblaw banner store and coupons for free Becel pro.activ. Be sure to check out the two upcoming posts in this blog series for two more chances to win! The winner will be chosen randomly by random.org. Good luck!
Canadians can get a free Healthy Heart Check brought to you by Becel and participating Loblaw banner stores* on March 23rd from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., or by appointment.
*Participating stores include Loblaws, Zehrs, Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer, Extra Foods, Atlantic Superstore and Dominion in Newfoundland and Labrador only…
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Additional Information:
- Testing is available nationally at the participating stores: Loblaws, Zehrs, Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer, Extra Foods, Atlantic Superstore and Dominion in Newfoundland and Labrador only.
- At 150 select Loblaw banner stores nationally there will be Registered Dietitians in-store to provide customized heart healthy tips.
- Visit www.loveyourheart.ca to find a test location near you.
- Unable to join us on March 23rd? Visit participating pharmacy locations to schedule an appointment.
- Consider bringing along a loved one – your parent, or perhaps an aunt or grandparent. It’s a great way to show how much you care.
- This pharmacist-administered assessment involves answering a few simple lifestyle and family history questions, and a blood pressure and cholesterol test.
- The Healthy Heart Check takes approximately 20 minutes and includes: Pharmacist consultation, blood pressure check, cholesterol test, and customized printout.
- More than 34,000 Canadians that have been tested through this free service since 2009.
- Unable to join us on March 23rd? Visit participating pharmacy locations to schedule an appointment.
- The Healthy Heart Check program is brought to you by the Becel Centre and Loblaw Companies Limited.
- Contest ends on March 24, 2011.
Click here for contest
Rules and Regulations.UrbanMoms.ca members are eligible to win so don’t forget to sign-in. Not a member yet?
Click here to join!
I hope your dad is better, I know how hard it is, my dad also has type II diabetes & had a quadruple bypass surgery 6 years ago. He is doing great now but the genetics in these cases really do suck! I try my best to eat healthy but I definitely need to exercise more.
“Not for my weight; for my heart.”
A mantra more people should adopt.
Thanks for putting this out there.
Heart disease runs in my family, but I never really thought about how it could affect me. Thanks for the reminder to take care of myself and my heart now, before problems arise.
What a horrible ordeal for you to go through… thanks for sharing. I have printed it up a taped it to my bathroom mirror as inspiration to get out and be active, even on days when I don’t feel like it… not to lose weight, but for my heart!
What a frightening ordeal! Heart health is so important. For most of us, there is so much we can do to make our hearts healthy and strong before problems begin. Thanks for the reminder.
Yes heart attacks are very scary. My dad had his first one when I was just 14. He had quite a few after that so heart disease is definitely in my family. Although he did live until the age of 89, his heart was badly damaged and it caused a lot of health problems in his later years.
It is so important to keep on top of cholesterol levels and blood pressure. There is a lot of heart disease in family but even with diet & exercise I cannot keep my cholesterol levels at a decent level. Having low thyroid output doesn’t help this either. So now I get a total physical once a year and get my cholesterol levels checked every 4 months.
So scary. I am watching my own dad deteriorate through inactivity (both physical and mental) and have resolved to keep up my exercise program, and add on to it, to keep doing crossword puzzles, and most importantly, to show my kids how necessary it is, and also how much fun. May my children never have to watch me wither away as I sit in my armchair waiting for the end.
Thank you for sharing such a powerful message. FOR MY HEART.
I want to keep it posted on a bathroom mirror or front door.
About 8 years ago, I was stunned when my perfectly happy, healthy and fit co-worker had a fatal heart attack at the grocery store on his way home from work. Ever since, I have been an advocate for CPR education to everyone who will listen. It might have saved his life in those precious minutes for the ambulance to arrive.
Recently my very young and long-time friend who is a doctor, had atypical pneumonia. He had a bad feeling about being ill, which at first he thought was a bad flu. Finally his wife dragged him to the hospital. In the emergency, he was ignored, until he collapsed.
We feared for his life. He spent two weeks hospitalized after they figured out he had pneumonia and tried many rounds of different drugs. They missed one big thing.
His heart. He was young and fit so they didn’t notice it. Now months after the pneumonia was cured, he was still winded climbing stairs. And his hunch was right that something was still really wrong. His heart was damaged by the pneumonia infecting that spread to his system.
If they hadn’t overlooked him because of his age and healthy body-type, they might have treated it at the initial stage and spared him the severity of the damage.
Don’t get overlooked because of your ethnicity, age, gender or fitness level.
Trust your instincts if you think something is up.
Lastly, please, consider getting some knowledge of the basics of CPR, even if you just read up on the Canadian Heart and Stroke website for the current technique.
I have a reminder in my calendar to check every six months and keep the latest taped to my cupboard interior that we use the most. http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.6301495/k.940B/CPRguidelines.htm
Knowing about CPR is as sensible as wearing a seatbelt. You hope you never need to use it.
Wishing your all wellness,
Idas
A friends brother just had a heart attack 2 weeks ago (early 50’s) and he has already lost a brother due to a heart attack. Same thing…it runs in the family. It’s a lesson for all of us to stay heart healthy. Hope your dad gets through this ok.
Yes heart attacks can be very scary, but it’s important to live a healthy and active lifestyle by choosing to eat properly and getting enough exercise. We all need to stand up and do more for not only ourselves, but for those around us so we are there to see our children grow up and have grandchildren etc…
Yeesh… You must have been terrified, Ali. I’m so happy your dad is on the mend now though, and your new resolve to care for your own ticker is so very important – this is a good thing.
And what you describe about leaving your kids in a similar situation is my nightmare as well. We all need to remember to take good care…