Why am I so WIRED today? Well, it wasn’t from too much coffee. It definitely wasn’t from energy drinks (NEVER!!!!). It wasn’t even from a rush of adrenaline… It was in fact, literally being wired-up to check my heart health!
This wasn’t the topic I was going to write about this week, but after I left my doctor’s office today I was thinking about how often I’ve seen posts & articles about how women often miss the signs of serious health issues. I’m not gonna lie… I’ve pulled the old “oh, I’m sure it’s nothing,” or “it will pass,” routine more than once in my lifetime.
But I want to set a good example for other women, especially other busy moms. I want to show my kids that my health & well-being really matter just like their health & well-being really matters.
I have a congenital heart condition. Shortly after I turned 40 we discovered that my hear, for lack of a better description, was put together a bit differently than most people’s hearts. Not really a big deal, but something that ought to be monitored. So for the past 8 years I’ve had my annual EKG and there’s never been any change in my condition (YAY!), in fact, I’m healthier than I’ve EVER been (double YAY & a big shout out to Yoga, Thrive, and my love of the great outdoors!). That said, about a month ago I had some different symptoms, nothing that had me thinking I ought to go to the Emergency Room, but I noticed them and they happened more than once. It’s been a super busy couple months and I may have been right on the verge of ignoring them completely, but then I remembered reading something about how heart issues present themselves differently in women than in men and that spurred me on to go see my GP. He didn’t find anything out of the ordinary when I saw him and we both figure it was extreme stress (’cause that can still happen in my solo-mom life) but to be extra sure he had me wired up for a 24-hour ECG to monitor things.
I feel great. I’m confident that it will turn out that there’s been no adverse changes to my heart health. But I want to be around for a long time so I chose to check it out to put my mind at ease. Now, I’m not saying we should completely freak out every time we have a twinge or sniffle, but we would do well to listen to our bodies and take note when something seems off. Not just for ourselves, but for our loved ones too.
Make your health & well-being a PRIORITY in your life.
Here’s a heart healthy salad that can be a side dish or a main meal! Enjoy!
Greek Salad
(4 side salads or 2 main meal size)
2-3 large, ripe tomatoes cut into wedges
1 large cucumber, cubed
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced or chopped
2-3 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
handful of Greek olives (I use Kalamata olives
1 tsp dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl, toss well, and serve.
Resources:
https://www.bustle.com/p/11-health-concerns-women-typically-ignore-but-shouldnt-7917648
https://greekcitytimes.com/2018/07/02/why-greek-salad-is-ever-so-good-for-you/
https://www.heartandstroke.ca/heart/risk-and-prevention/womens-unique-risk-factors
Breeze Wellness 
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