Category Archives: Heart Health

{Hearts} On 22 ~ Sweet Emma Maurene

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Some of us can go our whole lives without knowing a heart transplant patient. When you do your life is forever changed and you are greatful for the gift.

In 1992 Emma Maurene became the first infant in the state of Minnesota to receive a heart transplant. Emma was born with an under developed heart valve and was admitted to the University of Minnesota Hospital on the day she was born. At three months old she had her heart transplant in St Louis Missouri. Someone had to go first, to prove the odds wrong, and champion the way for other infant heart transplants. There was no better fit than this little girl.

Emma was a beautiful little girl. Full of life, smiles, and laughter. She fought a good fight giving it her all until the bitter end. Shortly after Christmas Emma was admitted to St. Johns Hospital in Red Wing, and like other times she was flown to the University of Minnesota to have her condition cared for. The common cold would prove to be to strong for this little girls body to fight off. Sadly Emma passed away on December 29th, 1995.

The church was packed to the gills, hundreds came to say goodbye to a tiny little girl. Her love and her zest for life is what carries us. Her memory brings peace knowing that in those three short years they gained more knowledge that would allow them to save little girls like Emma all over the world.

Emma fueled my involvement with the American Heart Association and the National Organ Donor Program. My uncle use to have a bumper sticker on his truck that read “Recycle Yourself and Save A Life.” Its true each and every one of us are capable of saving a life by donating our organs. One family had to make a heart wrenching decision when their child died, that child’s heart, gave my uncle and his wife three years with Emma. An now Emma is saving lives. The University of Minnesota is now a leader in pediatric heart transplants, they got this information and learned from our Emma Maurene.

Emma is close to my heart and when I am on stage advocating for heart health I think of her. Her Daddy was robbed of his little girl. Jeffery never got to watch Emma go on her first date, graduate from high school, or walk her down the aisle. Instead he got to say goodbye on a snowy December day. I think of all the Fathers I have met and how they tell me heart disease robbed them of their daughter. Of how hard it was to watch their little girls slip away.

Heart disease is the #1 KILLER of Women in America. If you ask me, we need to stop it in its tracks and put it to bed once and for all. Every woman you meet is someone’s daughter and their Father’s deserve to see their lives unfold.

{Hearts} On 22 ~ Thanks Giving Edition

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The other day I asked my Father: “What are you thankful for?” He looked at me with his teary blue eyes and said “YOU! I am thankful that you are alive. I am thankful that I have my daughter standing next to me and not in a tiny urn I can hold in my hand.” Thats when it hit me, all to often Fathers are losing their daughters to Pulmonary embolism, strokes, and heart disease.

I am thankful to be raised by such a wonderful man and have parents that support my crazy life. They never gave me the option to give up or back down. The day I was lying in the ICU my Mama told me “You can cry about this for 5 minutes and then you’re done feeling sorry for yourself. Ok?” We cried for 5 minutes and then I put my big girl pants on and fought back. Fought for the life that I wanted to lead and I became a thriving survivor. Giving up was never an option. However giving back was.

Over the past two years I have received an out pouring of support from my beautiful friends, family, the American Heart Association, Stop the Clot, and countless others. They cheered me on when I wanted to give up. They kept giving me info, web links, and books so I could live a heart healthy life style. They are the reason I am thriving. An I am forever in debt to all of these wonderful people. Thankful that they believed in me and believed that I would see a better day. Thank you for never giving up on me.

So I pledge…

To not just survive – but thrive. I will learn how to live stronger and longer – for me, my family, and my community. I will join the movement, take action to improve my health and to share information with others to help prevent and overcome stroke.

Please remember that as you sit down at your table full of family and friends…..remember that at someone’s table there is an empty chair that was once filled by their daughter. My heart goes out to the family with an empty chair at their table this Thanks Giving. It is because of you I advocate and educate the public on the #1 killer in America. One day there will be no empty chairs at the Thanks Giving table. There will only be full chairs with Healthy Hearts gathering to give thanks.

{29} Happy Birthday!

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Me and My Mama at my Birthday Lunch


Wow I can’t believe that I am one year closer to 30. I guess when you have all ready been through a life time of shit it means everything is down hill from here. I may only be 29, however I have lived a life that dreams are made of. Sorrow reminds me that I am human. Each night I ask God to keep my son Alucious close and to make sure Nylan turns out all right. I’ve been a wife, a mother, a best friend, a sister, a paralegal, an advocate, a lobbyist, and now I get to be an auntie to Sophia.

Survivor is a label I wear proudly. I tirelessly advocate for heart health, stroke symptom awareness, and healthy kids. There is one thing I’ve learned : I would trade all of my money in a heart beat if it meant I could have my health back. Money can buy me things that will make me happy. However it cannot buy my health. Wealth is no fun when you do not have health on your side. So take it from me. Take care of yourself. You only have one body, one heart, and in the end money will mean nothing. But your health will mean everything.

I’ve struggled with the fact that my health will never be the same and that this is the body I have to grow old with. My body has brought me to some pretty darn amazing places over the past year. It has brought me to DC, the gulf coast, NYC, and countless other locations. It has allowed me to share my story and save lives. Life is the ultimate gift and I am so very glad God has granted me with one more year upon this earth.

It is my hope that the next year is filled with goodness and big amazing things. If I dare to dream then I can dare live a big meaningful life. People try to knock me down, rip my reputation apart, and spread the words of incapable across the firm. That alone gives me strength to prove that I am 1. a bigger person, 2. a professional, and 3. I will out shine the {redacted}. I have something he will never have and that is class. One can’t lie their way into class. They can only fumble when their lies start to unravel and unravel they will. I may not be there to see it. Yet I will smile silently at his blunder and step over him on my way to the top. The only place I am going is up.

Up. Thats where I am headed. I’ve got two jobs that I love. One requires more effort than the other. A speaking schedule that can’t be beat, a book deal on the table, and well my lawyer tells me we are winning. I’d say that’s some pretty darn awesome sauce. Not to mention this here blog isn’t doing to shabby either. People like to read about my antics, dating blunders, cry with me, and say fuck it. I swear online as I swear in real life. I am nothing but myself and I am human. Humans swear and they like it too!

Fuck it. I am in a relationship with myself. I have no time for dating. I want to but I have no life outside of work. It’s bad my friends have to remind me that we have dinner dates and nights of ninja antics. My goal for year 29 is to work a little less and have what you regular folks call a social life. A social life sounds interesting and wow taking trips for fun sounds like a gosh darn good plan. Who knows maybe there is a man out there who is brave enough to step into my world and take me on. I’m not holding my breath. Thats why I have the muppet to keep me company.

So Ninjas a toast! Goodbye 28 and Hello 29. May year 29 be filled with good friends, endless opportunity, laughter, adventure, and mostly love. Thank you so much for being a part of my life. Each and every one of you means the world to me. Know that I care about you and love you more than you will ever know. Ninjas for ever. May we go down kung fu fighting!

{Hearts} On 22 ~ 2 Year Pulmiversary

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~Only 1 out of 3 people SURVIVE a Pulmonary Embolism~

I thank my lucky stars that I was that 1 who got to walk away and live my life for the other 2 who died

Pulmonary Embolism: Signs and Symptoms:
Blood Clots can break off from a DVT and travel to the lung, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE), which can be fatal

■Sudden shortness of breath
■Chest pain-sharp, stabbing; may get worse with deep breath
■Rapid heart rate
■Unexplained cough, sometimes with bloody mucus
Call an ambulance or 911 immediately for treatment in the ER

350,000—600,000 people in the United States develop blood clots every year. About 100,000 people in the U.S. die each year from blood clots.

Reference: The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism, US Dept of Health and Human Services, 2008.


Life is funny. We are born and then we grow old. So old that we no longer recognize the child on the scrap-book page. Life is truly a gift and a dream worth fighting for.

On October 22nd 2009 my life changed forever. One can say that this was the day my Heart Healthy Lifestyle began. Its true one moment in my life change my path forever. It made me realize just how fragile life is. An it taught me that blood clots and strokes occur in young people. Folks still can’t believe their ears when I say ” I am a Pulmonary embolism / Stroke survivor.” They do a double take and then the look of pity comes.

Pitty is something I never asked for nor is it something I want. My life is a gift. I am lucky. Luck has nothing to do with it. Then again if you ask my parents they would tell you “She is working on her third life.” Its true I am. Three separate times death knocked at my door and each time I walked away. I walked away humbled knowing that only God truly knows when my day will be done. But until that moment comes, it is my job to live a life filled with meaning and faith.

Faith is what got me through recovery. It is what allowed me to inject myself with blood thinners, swallow more pills than I could hold in my hand, and got me through therapy. Mostly faith is something I hold on to. Because if I didn’t have faith then heaven wouldn’t exist and my son would be floating around in an abyss. Part of me wonders if I didn’t have faith, would I still be standing here?

Standing up for myself and letting the Drug Company know that one day they will pay for what they did. Anger is something I feel when the God Damn “Ring” commercial comes on TV. I yell back “Bull shit, fucking convenient my ass. Tell that to me now. Tell me how easy it is?” Of course my TV never answers back, yet sitting in an office in Inver Grove are over 1 million pages of expert witness testimony. Those pages are riddled with answers and one day they will speak for me.

The only thing I can do now is speak up. Over the past two years I have criss crossed the country sharing my story. Educating women about the risks of blood clots, stroke, and heart attack associated with hormonal contraceptives. I tell them don’t be a statistic like me, listen to what your body is telling you. Don’t let doctors blow you off. If you have the symptoms for a clot ask them to check your blood. I learned of my clot when it was too late and I am paying the price every day.

Trust me if I could go back and do it again I would leave the ring where I found it. I can’t go back. I can only go forward. Aspirin, Viagra (Yes Viagra. It is a heart medication for women), and anti-inflamitories have become my BFFs. They keep my heart and lung healthy. Mostly they provide me with peace of mind and remind me that I have a life worth fighting for.

My Birthday is on Thursday and the best present you could give me is to live a heart healthy life style. Go to your doctor for a heart check up. You only get one heart and once your heart goes you are done. Learn they symptoms of a blood clot, stroke and heart attack. Heck even learn a little CPR in honor of me. Heart Health is the best present you could ever give to me. Because in 2009 I almost died 5 days before my 27th birthday. I got the best gift that year and that was life. I want you to get life for your birthday as well.

{Hearts} On 22

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I am so proud to be bringing you this feature every month. Hearts on 22 is well as you can guess very close to my heart. This is my way of helping you live the best life you can. I am a firm believer in living life with your heart wide open and taking care of yourself. You only have one body and one heart so please take care of it.

Heart Healthy Recipe of the Month:

for more heart healthy recipes please visit:
Morning Mojito
Dietitian’s tip:
The traditional mojito is created with a sweet syrup flavored with fresh lime juice and crushed fresh mint. This super-citrusy nonalcoholic version also includes orange and grapefruit juices.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Serves 6
Ingredients
1/2 cup dark honey
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves
2 cups fresh grapefruit juice, chilled
2 cups fresh orange juice, chilled
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
1 lime, cut into 6 slices

Directions
In a small saucepan, combine the honey and lime juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the mint leaves and remove from the heat. Steep the honey mixture for 5 minutes, then pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl, pressing down lightly on the leaves with the back of a wooden spoon. Refrigerate the syrup until cold.

In a large pitcher, combine the mint syrup, grapefruit and orange juices, and lime zest. Stir until the syrup is dissolved.

Pour into tall, chilled glasses and garnish each glass with a lime slice.

Heart Healthy Living Tip:

Warning Signs of Stroke

Women may report unique stroke symptoms:

•sudden face and limb pain
•sudden hiccups
•sudden nausea
•sudden general weakness
•sudden chest pain
•sudden shortness of breath
•sudden palpitations
Call 9-1-1 immediately if you have any of these symptoms
Every minute counts for stroke patients and acting F.A.S.T. can lead patients to the stroke treatments they desperately need. The most effective stroke treatments are only available if the stroke is recognized and diagnosed within the first three hours of the first symptoms. Actually, many Americans are not aware that stroke patients may not be eligible for stroke treatments if they arrive at the hospital after the three-hour window.

If you think someone may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T. and do this simple test:
F—FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A—ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S—SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?

T—TIME: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.

For more information on heart health please visit http://www.mayoclinic.com and http://www.heart.org