On Tuesday, August 27th I climbed up the several flights that take me to my 4th floor office and felt an odd twinge on the right side of my jaw area. I noted it but, went about my day. It was a hot summer day and I remember that I just did not feel well for the rest of the day.
On Wednesday, August 28th I woke up and descended down the stairs, dogs in tow, and fed them. Immediately afterwards I noticed the pain in my jaw was back on both sides…and not going away. Along with feeling of nausea and then…tightness in my mid chest. Time to go to Eagleridge Hospital.
Three hours later and still in Emergency, I didn’t feel horrible as they ran a battery of blood tests and an echo-cardiogram. I was actually stunned when the nurse told me, some 3 hours later, that blood tests showed I was having a heart attack and would be admitted. SHOCKED.
Thanks to our medical system, the care at Eagleridge and the surgeons at Vancouver General Hospital, I received one stent for a 90% blockage and was released from the hospital on Saturday, August 31st. Still SHOCKED. Today…still SHOCKED.
Please take care of your heart, it’s the only one you have…when it’s done…you are done, friends.
This Saturday I attended a service with my daughter Liz for a friend of hers. Beautiful young lady in her 30’s passed away of cancer. I sat and watched her equally beautiful 6 year old son kiss an urn of ashes that was “mommy” before it was placed in the wall, gone forever to him. To say this was heartbreaking is an understatement.
So, I am here…and she is not. This young lady with her whole life yet to be lived. I don’t get it and I know I’m not supposed to.
God has given me an opportunity to treat my heart differently moving forward, to treat it better, and to share the story.
Salt for the earth, light for the world.