Heart Story Part 1

Related to the previous story is that my grandfather died of a heart attack. Early on in my stroke diagnoses, there were many heart tests -  since unhealthy hearts run in my family. The clot that  lodged in my brain is a direct line from my heart - so my neurologist is sure the embolus came from the heart, the cardiologists have just not been able to replicate my hearts antics.  When she heard my story of ending up at a Port Townsend church,  a friend said "your grandfather must be trying to tell you something. " I pondered on that... what would he tell me? He was a driven German, oldest man to climb the Sierra Nevada mountains, world traveler, - he made the gyro that guided Apollo 13 - and the last 25 years of his life he totally changed his life after a bypass surgery.

In January, there was a class on healthy hearts at the church. I signed up, thinking it was medical knowledge- you know...healthy food, exercise equals healthy heart...etc etc.  and could always be useful information. Turns out it was on meditation, opening your heart, and an Eastern medicine approach.  I sat through the class and realized I have a guarded temperament about my heart.   It took some conscious effort in that class to release that closed off part of me, walk a little straighter and think, "open your damn heart, Andrea". (My words, not the gentle-spoken man that taught the class.)  Between the bible verse randomly left on my car about opening your heart, and ending up with my grandfathers minister at my church perhaps I should listen to something that is hard for me to understand.  Or perhaps more appropriate.. hard for me to listen to.

My kids.  The reason to keep voraciously battling these BS health issues. 

s.