It's a late entry because I was on those crazy Alexander roads this morning!
Let me tell you, TGI-a three day weekend because I'm pooped! Today is the first, and ONLY, time I will ever suggest that you take a breather from your heart healthy eating and exercising to watch some good TV.
But first things first!
I’m running a little raffle all next week, and you could win one of several pieces of jewelry from Micah Marie Jewelry! This is a great charity out of Billings. Micah Marie is a Type 1 diabetes sufferer who collects insulin pump caps and makes beautiful, hand-crafted jewelry out of them. 5% of the purchase goes to one of three diabetes organizations! Check back next week for a blog about cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Check out their website this week and see what you can win!
What do you have to do?
All you have to do is e-mail me at slachapelle@richland.org or comment on the blog between Sunday, February 20 and Saturday, February 26 and tell me how you are committing to prevent heart disease in your life. You can commit to eating less salt, watching your cholesterol, exercising more often, or whatever you are willing to commit to! Anyone who commits will be entered to win one of five pieces of Micah Marie jewelry!
Second, the producers of Grey's Anatomy threw me a bone this week and gave me the PERFECT episode to pass on to you guys! Click here!
Without giving any important details of the show's drama away, this week's episode features Meridith in charge of the ER. In one hour, she gets a patient who is having a stroke, and a patient who is convinced that he doesn't have a fatal heart condition despite having chest pains.
This episode teaches:
1. The signs of a stroke. The patient comes into the ER with a "glorified migraine", as his heinious girlfriend puts it, and is later diagnosed with a stroke after Meridith notices the difference in his signatures pre- and post- discharge. So what happens? Meridith gives his a quick stroke exam (I made that name up, but keep reading) where she asks him to try to smile, to raise both hands above his head, to repeat a simple phrase. He can't do it. These are classic symptoms of a stroke. Here is a rundown of the signs and symptoms:
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Why is this important? The only reason this guy was saved was because Meridith recognized the stroke symptoms early enough for him to be treated appropriately. After about an hour, you may have permanent damage. Study these signs so you can recognize if you or someone you know is having a stroke!
2. This episode gives a PERFECT depiction of why cardiovascular conditions are silent killers. The chest pain patient was adamant about getting to the ball game and tried to convince doctors that he was fine. He was actually having a problem with his aorta (a giant vessel in your heart), and he does from the condition, despite looking otherwise "fine". What does this tell you? Your chest pains are a big deal! And you need to seek treatment ASAP!
Thanks, Grey's Anatomy producers, for doing my job for me!
Check out the Flickr site for pictures of the Micah Marie jewelry available for you to win!
From my heart to yours,
Red in Richland County
Hi Stephnie, Read about your blog in The Herald and about the February event in the paper, and have seen information around town. Way to get information to the public! And a great effort on your part to help educate the folks in this area about heart disease. As you say, it's preventable by just a few minor changes in lifestyle. It starts with a check up with your doc to see what baseline readings you have for blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels. You don't even need an appt. with your doctor to get the tests. SHC offers birthday month labs at a very discouted price for these tests and you can go online for an explanation of their meaning. The simple changes that have helped me: cutting down on portions at meal times; cutting down on alcohol intake; when feeling stressed I pay attention to my breathing and slow it down and take deeper breaths (you can also do mini-relaxation sessions); I walk to work and the grocery store as often as I can; I've really cut back on soda intake and have replaced both a soda and alcohol drink with a 12oz glass of water. Lots more suggestions but too many at one time becomes overwhelming. Good luck with the site and good health to all who visit!
ReplyDelete