National Wear Red Day

Today is National Wear Red Day, from the American Heart Association. A day that has become so important to my mother and I.

Heart disease is the no. 1 killer of women, taking the life of 1 in 3 women. My mom was almost one of those women.

The mission of National Wear Red Day is the ensure that we never have to deny research that could save a woman’s life. It helps to raise the funds needed for lifesaving educational programs and the development of new treatments to fight heart disease.

Here is my story about how heart disease affected my family:
In July 2010, my mom injured her shoulder after picking up my then 6 month old son. That injury eventually sent her to the doctor. She mentioned just a slight pressure in her throat when she walked. The doctor became concerned and sent her to a cardiologist. I early October, numerous ER trips later, Mom went in for her angiogram. We were told her impending surgery could be this week, or six months from now. There was no way to tell until the angio. We went in, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

The results were frightening.

The doctor was shocked she hadn’t had a heart attack while out and about. He called it a miracle. He refused to release her and decided to do double bypass and valve replacement surgery that week. Again, we had no exact time frame. We only knew it’d be that week, maybe the next. It turned out to be two days later.

The day of the surgery, I went in, told my mom how much I love her, and tried to just keep both of us calm. Then it was time for the surgery. They took Mom, and for the next six hours my uncle and I waited in the surgical waiting room. I prayed, a lot. I had darted praying since her first ER visit and I hadn’t stopped. The doctor came out, and told us she made it. That was the biggest relief I’d ever felt. My strong amazing mommy had survived.

But I was not prepared at all for what I saw in the recovery room. She wasn’t awake yet. A machine was breathing for her. She was hooked up to five different machines. Her skin was white. She looked as though she’d never wake up. There was complications, with her blood sugar, her bleeding, etc.

Her recovery was difficult at first. She slept much of the day, didn’t want to eat. But she eventually sat up, then walked. And six days after her surgery, she was released.

There were many challenges to overcome in her recovery. We had a few scares. but life went on, and she got better. She’s now happy, healthy, and has a new appreciation for life.

We were lucky. Her shoulder injury caught the heart problems. Others aren’t so lucky. Heart disease presents itself differently in women than in men. This has become a cause close to us. We’re a stronger family now. Others don’t have that chance.

If there’s a history of heart disease in your family, make sure you get checked by your doctor. Inform him of anything out of the ordinary. Mom’s was a simple tight feeling in her throat. Make sure you’re informed of the signs.

And support the American Heart Association. Today and every day.