As I awoke this morning, I was reminded that today is called Go Red for Women Day that focuses on the importance of heart health awareness. The symbol of the event is a red dress. Like the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness and the multi-color puzzle piece ribbon for autism awareness, it is a metaphorical image for a real and crucial issue.

According to the American Heart Association, “One in three women die of heart disease or stroke every year. Education and lifestyle changes, however, can prevent 80 percent of cardiac events.”

“This is an important opportunity to raise awareness that heart disease is not just a man’s disease, to stop and honor the many people struggling with heart disease, and to celebrate the advances we’ve seen over the years against heart disease and stroke,” said American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown.

What makes this personal is that I joined the ranks of ‘heart sisterhood’ when one of my arteries decided it needed some mechanical support back in June and a stent was inserted to prop it up. Two generations of my family …my mom and sister are sadly part of that lineage. My mother had bypass surgery a few decades ago and died of CHF- Congestive Heart Failure in 2010 and my sister has had three heart attacks in two years. Never in a million years did I think I would be among those ranks.

Since then, I have engaged in major life changes, that include nutritional revisions ….reducing sodium and cholesterol, attending cardiac rehab, walking regularly, improved sleeping at night and taking naps as needed, slowing my pace dramatically. This former Type A has become Type B+ which is a huge upgrade. I have also learned to say no when I truly don’t want to do something requested of me. I am realizing; and sometimes I am a slow learner, that self care is not synonymous with selfishness. I am more leisurely in nearly every aspect of my life, taking time to just BE.

When I was in the hospital, I had a wee hours of the morning visit from a nurse who came in to take vital signs. As we were speaking, she encouraged, that when I was recovered, I should do cardiac health education for women. That has become a new mission of sorts. I am not a nutritionist or fitness guru. What I AM is a career therapist/coach/writer/speaker on wellness topics. The personal has become the universal as I scatter what I have learned, out into the world.

Today, I shall wear red, roaring and raring to go~