Heart disease doesn’t get much news coverage unless someone famous dies of it. We don’t wear pink ribbons to bring awareness to it either, but heart disease is still the number one cause of death in the world.
You can have advanced heart disease and be unaware of it. The first sign of heart disease many times is a heart attack.
Heart Attack is a major contributor to heart failure!
It is common for women to develop heart failure within one year of having a heart attack.
Some treatments for heart disease actually contribute to heart failure!
The thousands of patients that I saw over two decades rarely made significant changes in diet and lifestyle before being prescribed drugs, and soon after started experiencing side effects from those drugs.
Many of them had surgery as well.
Much quality of life is lost when health building efforts are abandoned for harsh drugs and traumatic surgeries.
John was a patient I cared for a few years ago.
He was amazed that he had received a diagnosis of asthma.
“I thought asthma was a child-hood disease.”
Right away I noticed John’s pale color, and swollen ankles. So I checked his oxygen level right away.
John’s oxygen saturation was 87% when he answered his front door.
He only walked 10 paces and sat in his favorite chair, but it was several minutes before his blood oxygen level returned to a safe 92%.
As soon as John caught his breath, he insisted on showing me his prized orchid collection.
He took me through a beautiful garden with shades of orchids I had never seen before!
We exited the back of the garden, where he introduced me to the most charming and charismatic flock of birds I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.
By this time I was becoming concerned about John’s labored breathing and pale color, and I had to argue with him to let me pull his oxygen machine out of its corner.
By the time I plugged it in and put him on it, John’s oxygen level was 82%.
As soon as his color returned, John removed the oxygen, and insisted on pushing it back into it’s corner, even though he was gasping by the time he made his way back to his chair.
I gave John my speech about protecting his heart muscle and his quality of life by making sure that his oxygen level was never below 92%.
“My doctor said my heart is fine!” insisted John.
“I am just concerned about your oxygen level when you are caring for your garden and your birds,” I explained.
“If you use oxygen, that activity would be good for you, but without oxygen, you will stress and weaken your heart muscle.”
John smiled and patted me on the back.
“I just had an EKG and my heart is fine, please don’t worry about me.”
“Promise me that you won’t exert yourself, without oxygen?” I plead with him.
He went to patting my back again, “oh don’t you worry about me, I’ll be fine,” he said as he lead me to the door.
I couldn’t reach John for a second appointment for more than 10 months, and when I finally caught up with him he had just returned from the Mayo Clinic where he sought help for his “recurring pneumonia”.
It was at the Mayo Clinic that John received his heart failure diagnosis.
John was very angry, not at all the same person I had met 10 months earlier.
“The medical people on this island are terrible!” he almost shouted at me. “I had to go all the way to California to find out that my heart has been damaged and it is too late to do anything about it!”
I was a little taken back, but tried to calm him down. Though I reminded him that I had expressed concern for his heart when I had given him instructions to use oxygen during my last visit, he seemed to have no memory of that conversation.
“No one ever told me about my heart!” he seethed between clenched teeth.
So, I did my best to tell him what he COULD do to regain and protect his quality of life, but he was just too angry to listen. John just couldn’t get past his resentment so that he could find a positive place to begin making the changes he needed to make.
John was on a slippery slope until his death.
I have always felt that his anger and resentment did him in.
John had plenty of good years left.
Heart disease CAN lead to heart failure
Heart Failure is the devastating weakening that results in your heart enlarging.
It isn’t a heart attack, but it IS end stage heart disease!
If you listen to the organizations chasing the almighty dollar, they will give you minimal materials and support on diet and lifestyle before they lead you down a dangerous path of drugs and surgery.
Drugs and surgery are NOT an answer to ANYTHING!
The American Heart Association released a statement in January,2008 stating that they had reached their goal of reducing the number of deaths from coronary heart disease.
They go on to say “we are pleased with the progress this new data shows, but we know we can do much more”.
They also have a report on their site boasting that drugs and surgical procedures had reduced the number of deaths from “acute heart failure”.
Nowhere on their site could I find anything about the CLIMBING death toll for Heart Failure!
They do talk about the need to reduce risk factors, and they say “we must make it a priority to institute lifestyle and behavior changes”.
Yet on their site drugs and surgery get all the attention. Diet and lifestyle are mentioned briefly here and there without much detail, though information about drugs amounts to commercial promotion.
Did you know that The American Heart Association claims to have invested over $543 million in research, professional and public education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans live longer, healthier lives.
Where did this money go?
Are they supplementing food bank programs with fresh whole food? NO.
Are they doing all they can to educate and support the average American to make diet and lifestyle changes? NO
They are not even warning us that Heart Failure is on the rise!
They are claiming victory and watering down the message that change is necessary! WHY?
The truth is NOT good news!
You need to hold this organization accountable or STOP giving them our money.
With $543 million dollars, Heart Failure Solutions and our ethical partners would make the effort to reduce heart disease palpable in EVERY community!
Is there similar waste going on in other organizations that you support?
Check out EVERY organization before you donate!
You can contribute to Heart Failure Solutions in the side bar to your right. There is MUCH work to be done, this CAN’T be about profit!
This is about PEOPLE!
You can only care for others as well as you care for yourself.
Try this acronym to remind yourself of all the nurturing you need each and every day.
BLESS yourself with nurturing and you will BLESS the whole world.
B Breathe
Discover how your breathing makes you sick and what you can do about it.
L Love
Learn how to navigate life from your heart space.
E Eat
Find out why not all food is medicine.
S Sit
The BLESS action plan really begins with cultivating stillness.
However, you will find it very difficult to be Still until you heal enough to face the fire within.
Sit upright in quiet stillness and find your inner strength.
S Speak
Sacred Breathing will give your Voice strength.
Share your story to give others hope!
Will Your Be the Next Blessed Life?
Become a member of the “Life Breath Club” today!
Click on the link below to learn more about member benefits.
Life Breath Club Member Benefits
This is a private membership to protect your medical privacy.
It’s FREE!
Many BLESSings,
Carrie Tucker, RCP
The Life Breath Coach
Heart Failure Solutions
PS– Remember everyday:
- Relax and Release tension
- Exhale Slowly
- Be active in a way that adds Joy to your life
Plus pure water ~whole foods~sunshine~and laughter
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