Stop Heart Break
How often do we encounter a cause which touches our hearts and compels us to get involved? Typically we select something which has impacted our lives or the life of someone we hold dear. Sometimes we select a cause which represents something we ourselves would not wish to experience, so we invest in research or assistance to make certain the issue is resolved. Today I followed a link to The Heart of Steel.
Why did this one stand out? On December 11, 2019, I unexpectedly became bionic! When I place my right hand over my heart for the national anthem, I will feel the slight bump of the battery-powered device which replaced the heart break in the electrical system of my heart. It is not a backup system that operates occasionally. A pacemaker is there so that I am here.
Why am I sharing this with you? At first I did not want anyone to know. But the more I read, the more I realized we experience symptoms we would never attribute to a heart problem! And 1 out of 4 of us do have symptoms. ONE...out of...FOUR. Same statistics apply in the UK as in the US. Despite everything, I was pronounced extremely healthy otherwise by my cardiologist. The ultrasound tech said my heart was so easy to view, so clear. I was in shocked disbelief.
How did this happen? Sometimes... it just happens. Even though I exercise regularly and follow a low carb, minimal sugar eating plan, there was nothing I could do to prevent this and nothing I did caused this. My symptoms were extreme exhaustion, despite a week of rest following a busy Thanksgiving trip. At the end of the week, following a wonderful holiday shopping chat on the phone with my daughter, I realized I could not walk across the room without needing to put my head down due to severe dizziness. I knew it was time to pack a bag and Uber to the hospital.
What happened next? Never in my wildest imagination did I suspect I would be home on the 3rd day, with a bandage covering the spot where I had a procedure on my heart! A thin 4-inch line will forever remind me to celebrate my "101 Things I Want to Do in this Lifetime" list, which I continually edit.
How does this affect you? One lesson: If you do not feel well, check your blood pressure as a regular part of your self-care. A thermometer is likely in almost every home, but it is not the only piece of healthcare equipment advised. An at-home blood pressure cuff can be the difference between erroneously waiting to feel better like I did and receiving more timely healthcare.
Side note to my friends in bio-medical graphene research:
- By the time my newly installed battery requires replacement, I am counting on you to have designed an ultra-lightweight, ultra-thin graphene composite pacemaker with an ultra-longevity battery (self-recharging battery would be ideal), and it needs to be readily available. You have approximately 5-10 years to accomplish the task. I'm not asking too much, am I?
- If a prototype exists already, please comment below so that I can follow with great interest!
Back to the story...
How old am I? It doesn't matter. Heart break affects infants, children, young adults and elderly, plus anyone in between. Heart break is quiet, sometimes even silent. Although we all want to be invincible, the human body must have a properly beating heart to get oxygen to the blood. I did not realize how much clarity I was missing until after my procedure!
What can you do to help? I am asking AFAR, Trip Advisor, travel agents, tour guides and other travel organizations to mark a stop at the Meadowhall shopping center, Yorkshire, UK. Everyone on earth who can afford ￡20 ($26.21 USD) can become part of history, by selecting an engraving to add on a steel heart, 2.4 metre-high (that's nearly 8 feet tall) to...
Honour someone you love. Celebrate a milestone. Support an icon. Donate to the Heart of Steel and have a name engraved on a timeless work of art. Be part of history and help fund British Heart Foundation's life saving research.
What if I can't get to the UK to participate? Sign up online to select your engraving!
Who designed this? Artist and sculptor Steve Mehdi. The Heart of Steel is part of the Steel Man future landmark project. Kudos to the Team of Steel who have donated land, materials and funding to support The Steel Man.
"The 1138kg / 2508 lb super alloy heart has been built with the generous support of a group of Yorkshire businesses and will eventually hold 150,000 names,
before being included inside the eagerly awaited Steel Man."
When comes to pass, The Steel Man will overlook Sheffield as a gateway to the region and become a new icon everyone can be proud of - for the region and around the world. Be part of history - stop heart break!
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Thanks to Mike Maddock, Managing Director and Co-Owner of PES Performance team, involved with the project since 2012; member of the board of Trustees for the Steel Man and Heart of Steel regional charity since 2016, who includes a "Supporting the Heart of Steel" logo in his signature line. Please share this article with your network.