Of Hearts: Bypasses and Attacks
Living gratefully today, I appreciate the low-impact exercise of biking and that we have a stationary bike that will help me through the winter months. I am also grateful for recovery connections in my life.
The HEART challenges I am writing about today weren't mine, they were my father's. Since I turned 54 earlier this year, I have thought more than once that 54 is the age my father was when he needed quadruple bypass surgery. That was in 1978, and that was when they opened your whole chest up. The diagonal scar ran the length of his chest. Something just hit me that I hadn't thought about before. My dad and I both had/have scars on our chests from diseases that can kill--heart disease and breast cancer.
Back in 1978, they called it arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Dad's was discovered somewhat fortuitously, when he was bitten by a sow with a new litter of piglets. The bite didn't heal. Tests were conducted. Clogged arteries discovered.
The surgery was successful and Dad lived for 20 more years before dying of a heart attack at 74. I am forever grateful that he had those 20 years, and forever sad that he died before knowing my family. Sooner or later, each of us will have our final heartbeat. My sister Mary Jo's is still fresh on my heart.
Yet, there is something amazing about waking up and going about our day and our hearts just keep doing their job with barely a notice from us. Today, pause a time or two to feel your heart beating. Consider putting your hand over your heart and feeling the warmth and the life there.
Our hearts can let us down, but my goal is to not let my heart down. I strive for healthy choices. I fail plenty, but I succeed more. My physical heart is strong. My emotional heart has known more struggles, but it is finding its way too.
The HEART challenges I am writing about today weren't mine, they were my father's. Since I turned 54 earlier this year, I have thought more than once that 54 is the age my father was when he needed quadruple bypass surgery. That was in 1978, and that was when they opened your whole chest up. The diagonal scar ran the length of his chest. Something just hit me that I hadn't thought about before. My dad and I both had/have scars on our chests from diseases that can kill--heart disease and breast cancer.
Back in 1978, they called it arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Dad's was discovered somewhat fortuitously, when he was bitten by a sow with a new litter of piglets. The bite didn't heal. Tests were conducted. Clogged arteries discovered.
The surgery was successful and Dad lived for 20 more years before dying of a heart attack at 74. I am forever grateful that he had those 20 years, and forever sad that he died before knowing my family. Sooner or later, each of us will have our final heartbeat. My sister Mary Jo's is still fresh on my heart.
Yet, there is something amazing about waking up and going about our day and our hearts just keep doing their job with barely a notice from us. Today, pause a time or two to feel your heart beating. Consider putting your hand over your heart and feeling the warmth and the life there.
Our hearts can let us down, but my goal is to not let my heart down. I strive for healthy choices. I fail plenty, but I succeed more. My physical heart is strong. My emotional heart has known more struggles, but it is finding its way too.
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