my 65 year old grandfather, louis maichel, died of cardiac arrest at his place of work in october, 2009.
three.
my amazing great uncle del died of a heart attack last winter, caused by a long standing heart condition.
two.
a clot in jacob neuhardt's heart traveled to his main chamber one night, causing acute coronary thrombosis. my 24 year old childhood friend died in his sleep.
one.
my dear friend erica nystrom's father had a heart attack upon his arrival to alaska on june 7, 2010.
add to the list:
-my boyfriend had open heart surgery as a baby. he'll live with the effects of this surgery, and his condition, for the rest of his life.
-my good friend's husband, aunt and mother all have unpredictable heart conditions
-another friend's husband recently found out he may as well.
get your attention?
i'm not listing these traumatic events in my life this way in order to preach, gain pity or create some sort of drama. statistics like this are never quite as (negatively) captivating as when they are a consistent focus in your own life, or at least in someone's life that is close to you. we need to WAKE UP and start taking care of ourselves before it's too late.
it's easy to sit on the couch let these facts fly out the other ear:
-every 20 seconds, a person in the United States has a heart attack.
-at least 250,000 people die from these attacks before they reach the hospital
-men suffer heart attacks 10 years earlier in life than women do
-9/10 heart attack sufferers have at least one of these risk factors:
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Cigarette smoking
- Overweight and obesity
- Poor diet
- Physical inactivity
- Alcohol use
People who are sedentary are almost TWICE as likely to suffer heart attacks as are people who exercise regularly.
avoid tobacco, be more active, choose good nutrition.
taking simple steps in your everyday life can save your family so much unnecessary pain. why do we want to even risk ending our precious life too early? so many of my friends are dying young in their twenties, missing out on so much love and opportunity. i will not waste another day, and i encourage everyone i love to consider these things as well.
chubby or thin, stout or athletic, we all need at LEAST 3o minutes of activity on 5 or more days a week to keep us heart-healthy. this also is a known stabilizer for blood-pressure, cholesterol and keeping us at a healthy weight, too.
forget being skinny, i just want to LIVE!!
most importantly: remember that every single day has been graciously given to you, and it can just as easily be taken away. i want to challenge myself to never going another day without telling my family and my friends how much i love them. i encourage everyone to do the same. life is too short to let things go unsaid or leave issues unresolved. we're here to love another, so let's do it loudly.
**
in memorium: Louis Maichel, Michael Whitworth, Amanda Lee Terrink, Jacob Christopher-Kellow Neuhardt, Del Bevers, Dan Nystrom.
