My Heart is Full of Love : part 2

Young Physiotherapist comes into my hospital room a few days ago.

 I am on my phone. She says what are you doing?

I said looking at a video on how to breathe.

I should have said. Learning how to breathe properly, as I have not learn to do so so far in my life.

She kind of rolled her eyes in full on millennial scoff.

Well, here’s a video we have made for aftercare.

Ok.

I am making these blog posts to educate myself and others while talking myself through the emotions.

About 1 in 12 Canadians over the age of 20 live with some form of heart disease.

12 Canadians die every hour from diagnosed heart .

Mortality is 3x higher among adults age 20+ with diagnosed heart disease vs those without.

Death is 4x higher among adults age 20+ who had a heart attack vs those without

Death is 6x higher among adults age 40+ with diagnosed heart failure vs those without

HOW HEART DISEASE AFFECTS MEN AND WOMEN DIFFERENTLY

MEN are 2 times more likely to suffer a heart attack than WOMEN

MEN are newly diagnosed with heart disease about 10 years younger than WOMEN 65 to 74 years

When I was having my bypass surgery I was struck by the contrast of the many young  nurses 25-35, and the almost 95% male patients ranging from my age to 80 plus.  There were white guys, and Asian man, a south Asian man.  Probably a range of religions, and monetary status in life.

What was the leveller?  We will get into that. 

So what can you do to protect yourself?

#1. Be smoke free

This is #1.  QUIT SMOKING. I am not a smoker.  A few cigars in the 90’s. a pack of Gitanes that I bought after treating myself to a French meal on my 19 years old first salary.  Infamously, the waiter was called over to the table of a diner who was having the Creme de tomates. 

Diner: this soup tastes like Campbell’s Tomato Soup!

Waiter: Yes Monsieur,  it is Campbells.

The chef thinks Campbell’s makes a very fine soup!

Also dope is still smoking without filters, and no, the used card from the Zig zag papers is not a real filter.

#2 Stay physically active    This advise from a guy who ran only for the bus or theoretically if being chased by a bear.  Active can mean walking, which besides being good for your physical Health, walking is also great for you mental health. 20 minutes a day or 150 minutes weekly. That should not be hard. 

#3.  Don’t eat the bear, instead choose to eat a healthy diet. What is healthy? We’ll get there. Without lots of details, healthy eating is eating better food, but less of it.  Lots of vegetables which are also so much cheaper than meat now. I have to state my experience with eating bear is limited.  Now crow? That is a different story.

4#. Maintain a healthy weight  Notice it says maintain. If you are not a healthy weight already, start with portion controls and eliminating the stuff that is crap from your diet. You know it is crap, and yet you still eat it. Specifics? We will get there.

#5.   Limiting alcohol use    I know. Very rich coming from me. But reduction is possible.if you are drinking to get drunk, then you need to look at why you need to be drunk?  Do you it just catches up on you?

Do you eat more and drink more with friends?  Do you regret what you might have said or did the night before. 

EARLY DETECTION:

Effective management of serious medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol can help you reduce your risk of heart disease.

My personal road to recovery and a better life is as follows:

Everything I have ever done before this day is now open to review, reflection, and change if necessary. 

Trust me, change is coming.

DATA SOURCES & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), using CCDSS data files contributed by provinces and territories, as of May 2016. Data from Yukon were not available. These data were made possible through collaboration between PHAC and all Canadian provincial and territorial governments, and expert contribution from the CCDSS Heart Disease Working Group. This infographic was developed by PHAC; no endorsement by the provinces and territories is intended or should be inferred.

Learn more about heart disease by visiting the Public Health Agency of Canadaat www.phac-aspc.gc.ca and Heart and Stroke Foundation at www.heartandstroke.ca