February Hearts- Not Just For Lovers

When most people think of February, Valentine’s Day candies and cards are what comes to mind. With Liam in our lives, February’s additional role as National Heart Month has taken the spotlight.

This isn’t just about Congenital Heart Defects, even though our family is certainly honed in on that aspect. It’s also about heart health in general. One thing I have recently learned is heart disease is the #1 killer of women- more die of this disease than all types of cancers combined. If I really think about it hard, these are people with whole hearts that go bad for a variety of reasons: genetics, for sure bear some of the weight, but a lot of it is lifestyle- what we eat and how much we move every day. Things that are in our control. I have personally turned over a new leaf in the last week or so (I guess all those Facebook ads are more effective than I previously thought)- becoming more aware of both those things in my life to begin to feel not only better about myself but to also take responsibility for my future. I feel more in control than I have in a while and it is good. I don’t want to instill my bad habits in my children and I absolutely want to be here (and healthy) for my kiddos for as long as I can. It helps that I used to weight train- I can remember what it felt like to feel capable and strong in my body. I am excited to get that thrill back even if the rest of my life is unpredictable and uncontrollable. I owe it to my son who was born with only half a heart to treat my complete one with respect and care.

This month, I hope to post a little more- about National Heart Month, about the facts of heart disease, and about CHDs. I hope you’ll join me. As a bit of an incentive, I’ll be posting photos of Liam and Eliza- if that isn’t click bait I don’t know what is.

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