Please share

Repeat after me … 

My heart is perfect. My mind is open. My life is precious. 

Repeat twice more. Thank you.

I ask you to do this in honor of broken hearts of every kind, everywhere. My recent heart attack was just one variety of broken heart. It's funny how challenging it is to use the word "broken" in reference to one's anatomical heart. But, let's face it, when a part of your heart dies, either physically or emotionally, that constitutes a broken heart. In my mind, broken implies fixable. So, while my broken anatomical heart is on the mend I am listening carefully to the wisdom provided by my emotional heart. Today it whispered, "My heart is perfect. My mind is open. My life is precious. Share." Sharing is the topic of today's post because it can be ridiculously difficult, especially when it is most critical.

In my last post I shared my experience of having a heart attack. Those words, heart attack, still fall reluctantly from my fingers to the page. I hesitate to admit it but I am aware of a slight embarrassment about the whole thing. No need to go into why … it's probably self evident. In fact, I'll bet if you search your own heart you will easily find little embarrassments that you've most likely kept secret. But, here's the thing … it turns out that embarrassment can be a killer. When embarrassment keeps us from sharing critical information (such as, "I think I might be having a heart attack.") the result can be deadly.

Here's an excerpt of an e-mail from a dear friend who read my last blog post:

After I read your post, I was remembering twice when I went to the doctor because I thought I was having a heart attack.  The first time I woke up during the night with pain going down my arm.  Like you, I looked it up on the internet and tried not to wake my husband.  I stayed awake all night monitoring it.  I finally did wake him at 5:00 am and he told me it was just a pinched nerve and to go back to sleep.  He went back to sleep.  The doctor confirmed that it was indeed a pinched nerve.  The next time, I needed encouragement from a coworker to go to the doctor.  Turned out that time I had shingles which were along the nerve from the heart to my hand.  :)  It is embarrassing to be wrong about thinking you're having a heart attack.  I'm so glad you took yours seriously.  And, it does encourage me to again go for medical treatment when I think I'm having a heart attack even if I might be wrong, because I might be right.

Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women age 20 and over in the United States? Are you surprised to learn that more women die of heart disease than all the cancers combined and that heart disease causes 1 in 3 women's deaths each year? How can it be? I'm guessing that it's a combination of factors but I can speak from my own experience that hesitancy about sharing (e.g., wishing to not bother or worry others; embarrassment; disbelief or denial) is a huge factor. The American Heart Association offers, "If you think you are having a heart attack wait no more than 5 minutes to seek help." Now, I'm not sure if it's true that more women are prone to hesitancy when it comes to sharing symptoms and seeking help. I'm not sure that it matters. The point is, male or female, young or old … 

sharing can save your precious life.   
Thank you for letting me share with you. Thank you for sharing with me and with each other. There is so much to learn about heart disease. Learning it and sharing it will save lives! I am so grateful to be living this precious life. I am so grateful to be able to open my mind to the facts about heart disease and to the subtle whisperings of my perfect heart. I can't encourage you enough to do the same, then tell two friends who will tell two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on … 

My beautiful daughter and mother are both sharing!

Please share your comments with me and others below. Thank you! ~ Namaste, Dee