And now for something more serious. With more people in the western world having heart attacks, it doesn't make sense to me of why we still eat so unhealthily. There's a real long list of things that potentially can clog arteries which directly supply and valves that work within the heart muscle, yet we still enjoy guilty pleasures.
Yes this is personal because my dad had a fourth heart attack last week and I didn't feel like writing much because I was too worried about him. And too far away to be of any help while he was laid up at the hospital.
Back-tracking six years, a neighbour had to drive my dad to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing. Turned out my dad's heart had murmurs. No it's not like murmle murmle murmle by Robert Munch. It's when a heart beat is irregular. No biggie, just a tattle-tale heart-beat that Poe would have loved to have learned about -- heart attack imminent.
Three years later, ice cream, nachos and greasy food without much exercise in the balance caught up to my poor father. He was down for the count as my poor sister put her CPR skills to use. She very calmly broke a couple of ribs, which is a side-effect but kept dad going until the impressed paramedics arrived. Turns out she'll make a fine nurse when she's done her program. My heroine.
So my dad recovered and walked 5km a day, not an easy task to work up to from sedentary life. However he was on track, having given up smoking long ago, given up most of the greasy foods and ice cream and even the weekend bottle of wine & cheese. He actually listens to his doctor and even went to acupuncture for detoxification of kidneys and lungs. Dropped 30lbs and was feeling quite well.
This Christmas... we were really good and didn't eat too much fattening food. This past week I got a text message from my pastor in Victoria stating, your father had a heart attack again, but he's fine now, thanks to your sister's CPR skills and in stable condition. Oh good....
Turned out that a random fat particle got dislodged and carried up and into the heart, causing blockage. Turned out to be a bad thing requiring a stet to shore up the heart's artery. Healthier than he had been in years and still, attack on the heart like lightning. My dad cheated death yet another time, and continues to help support my sister's nursing schooling.
Knowing my dad gets that much exercise, I had a good heart to heart with my sweetie who is also in nursing and with my diet. Decided that I'm doing okay for diet mostly, doing yoga and walks. That said, needed to hit the gym and get back on a bike, drink more water, less of the missing hours of sleep.
Learned a lot about going to the trainer and getting my body composite. With textbook heart rate 130/80 & 60 bpm, I'm have 17% fat which was a few percentages above the limit for my age, but on the fluids end of things, i have 50% water -- right on target for freeing up toxins out of the body.
My sweet girl and my dad as well are very happy to see that I had taking pro-active measures on my health. As for my dad, he was up and about flirting with nurses the day after and recovering while watching the hockey games. So what did I have to eat for supper? Creamy beef stroganoff. However, by draining off the excess cup of grease after browning the pound of beef, it wasn't too bad for me.
Now my dad gets a heart monitor embedded up under the left side of his collar bone and mini defibrillator leads connected to his heart to restart heart and activate an early warning to call 911 if his heart tries to stop again. A bit cyborg rebuilt stronger with the technology, but I'm muchly relieved for this amazing sounding invention. Guess what didn't make the cut on my latest grocery shopping trip? Ice cream.
Yes this is personal because my dad had a fourth heart attack last week and I didn't feel like writing much because I was too worried about him. And too far away to be of any help while he was laid up at the hospital.
Back-tracking six years, a neighbour had to drive my dad to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing. Turned out my dad's heart had murmurs. No it's not like murmle murmle murmle by Robert Munch. It's when a heart beat is irregular. No biggie, just a tattle-tale heart-beat that Poe would have loved to have learned about -- heart attack imminent.
Three years later, ice cream, nachos and greasy food without much exercise in the balance caught up to my poor father. He was down for the count as my poor sister put her CPR skills to use. She very calmly broke a couple of ribs, which is a side-effect but kept dad going until the impressed paramedics arrived. Turns out she'll make a fine nurse when she's done her program. My heroine.
So my dad recovered and walked 5km a day, not an easy task to work up to from sedentary life. However he was on track, having given up smoking long ago, given up most of the greasy foods and ice cream and even the weekend bottle of wine & cheese. He actually listens to his doctor and even went to acupuncture for detoxification of kidneys and lungs. Dropped 30lbs and was feeling quite well.
This Christmas... we were really good and didn't eat too much fattening food. This past week I got a text message from my pastor in Victoria stating, your father had a heart attack again, but he's fine now, thanks to your sister's CPR skills and in stable condition. Oh good....
Turned out that a random fat particle got dislodged and carried up and into the heart, causing blockage. Turned out to be a bad thing requiring a stet to shore up the heart's artery. Healthier than he had been in years and still, attack on the heart like lightning. My dad cheated death yet another time, and continues to help support my sister's nursing schooling.
Knowing my dad gets that much exercise, I had a good heart to heart with my sweetie who is also in nursing and with my diet. Decided that I'm doing okay for diet mostly, doing yoga and walks. That said, needed to hit the gym and get back on a bike, drink more water, less of the missing hours of sleep.
Learned a lot about going to the trainer and getting my body composite. With textbook heart rate 130/80 & 60 bpm, I'm have 17% fat which was a few percentages above the limit for my age, but on the fluids end of things, i have 50% water -- right on target for freeing up toxins out of the body.
My sweet girl and my dad as well are very happy to see that I had taking pro-active measures on my health. As for my dad, he was up and about flirting with nurses the day after and recovering while watching the hockey games. So what did I have to eat for supper? Creamy beef stroganoff. However, by draining off the excess cup of grease after browning the pound of beef, it wasn't too bad for me.
Now my dad gets a heart monitor embedded up under the left side of his collar bone and mini defibrillator leads connected to his heart to restart heart and activate an early warning to call 911 if his heart tries to stop again. A bit cyborg rebuilt stronger with the technology, but I'm muchly relieved for this amazing sounding invention. Guess what didn't make the cut on my latest grocery shopping trip? Ice cream.
The point is, changes to diet and establishing exercise routines can do a heck of a lot of good when the crucial time comes. I don't want to think about the alternatives, but am proud of my dad for dropping the weight and getting back in shape. The ticker might be wearing out, but the mind is still super active so my dear father, thank God above, got another chance with another cat life down. So my mother is renewing her CPR training and I'm trying to cut down more grease from my cooking.
Life goes on. So look after the ones you love and look after yourself.
-- PLR --
-- PLR --
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