Heart and Mind

I think we’ve established that I’m a big whiner. I complain about needing to eat better and exercise, but so far it hasn’t translated into my doing anything about it! I can psych myself out ’til the cows come home.
But even this Queen of Denial couldn’t ignore some recent hints. Does something ever weigh heavily on your mind, you try to avoid it and then you find yourself running into reminders every time you turn around? Maybe it was my thoughts bouncing back to me in some dynamic universal ping-pong game, or maybe it’s the answer to a prayer. I think somebody up there was trying to kick my butt!
It started last week. I hadn’t been doing my usual 30-minute brisk walk. Not for a while. Let’s just say that the last time I got out and intentionally broke a good sweat just for the health of it, I shared the sidewalk with a bunch of trick-or-treaters.

Anyway, I got an e-mail about a woman who wanted to share her experience of having had a heart attack. Heart problems run in my family, and I’ve had some minor scares myself which turned out to be fixable. (The doctors said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Drink less coffee.” It worked.)
I stored that e-mail away in the same part of my brain where I put things like global warming, but apparently my subconscious was putting the fear of God into me. Alas, not yet to the point of action. ...
So last week I was lounging around the house, and I felt a sudden rise in my temperature on the inside, although my skin felt cold and clammy. I also felt light-headed, like my legs were disconnected, and my feet felt slightly tingly. Then I noticed my heart was racing. I flexed my fingers and toes, dreading the hallmark heart-attack symptom of one side becoming numb or paralyzed. So far I was OK on that one.
But I began to get more and more fearful that I was having “the big one.” And of course that made me increasingly scared – who do I call, is my insurance paid up, all those things you think about when it’s too late to do anything. Pretty soon I wasn’t sure what had come first: my physical feelings or thinking about it so much that I was freaking myself out!

For the next few days, I read some Internet articles (so you know they’re true!), talked to some friends and nailed down what I think was happening: a combination of too much caffeine (again – will I ever learn?!) and anemia from iron deficiency which was causing low blood-pressure.
I immediately lowered my caffeine intake and loaded up on iron-rich foods like potatoes, beef liver, oatmeal and leafy greens. Most importantly, I started walking again. I’ve even broken into a jog a few times. And do you know what? I feel better! No heart palpitations, no sudden dizziness. Equilibrium restored. There’s nothing like a brush with death, real or imagined, to get you back on the right track! Now if I can just keep it up ... Stay tuned!
Soapbox moment: Forget about your bubble butt, fitting into your clothes or looking good for your cousin’s wedding. It’s all about the ticker. Exercise now, and you’ll live to see your grandkid get married! The easiest way is to start walking. And women – Feb. 6 is National Wear Red Day to raise awareness of heart disease. Go to www.heart.org for info. Donate! Participate! Do it!

Playlist:
1. The Sloth – Phish
2. Death on Two Legs – Queen
3. God Trying to Get Your Attention – Keb' Mo'
4. When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer – B.B. King
5. You Gotta Move – The Rolling Stones
6. Walk Hard – John C. Reilly
7. Keep on Moving – Bob Marley & the Wailers
8. I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better – The Byrds
9. Young At Heart – Frank Sinatra
10. We Got The Beat – The Go-Go's