On the eve of Father's Day weekend I published a piece entitled, "Guardian of Your Heart." In it I shared the harrowing stories of two wonderful fathers who had been taken from their families far too soon. With both men succumbing to complications from heart disease, I implored you, my readers, to take your and those you love's heart health seriously; making it an integral part of your general wellness. I wanted to follow up with you and share my personal account of how heart health has stepped into the forefront of my wellness efforts as a mom. My beautiful boy Joshua came into the world at five minutes after midnight. He was perfect. With huge bright eyes and dark curly hair he held the promises of all of my tomorrows. Then tomorrow came. The dawn ushered in the frightening reality that my sweet boy was born with a hole in his heart. A congenital heart defect. These defects affect the normal flow of blood through the heart. As quickly as it was detected, the conversation surrounding the details were just as swift. It was a one sided explanation armed with a promise of it correcting itself. Nothing more.
My soul held on to those small details. At every wellness visit I would inquire about it. Anytime he'd complain of chest pains it would lead my thoughts. As he's matured and become more active, it looms over my conscious. I've shared my concerns with his primary care physician, along with my personal perspective on the importance of heart health in my family. With his counsel and direction, we've developed a plan of continued monitoring as it regards his heart.
Just this week we had our heart work up with our pediatric cardiologist. Over the course of a few hours, Joshua met and spoke with health professionals who performed an *EKG - An electrocardiograph. A test that measures the heart's electrical activity. and *Echocardiogram - An ultrasound that monitors the blood flow/movement through the heart's chambers and vessels.
Joshua's heart proved to be healthy. This is not a circumstance that any of us take for granted. We will revisit this in a few years as his body matures and his heart grows. As his parents, by taking these simple steps and continuously monitoring, we are stepping ahead of the many possibilities that inaction could create. I would like to continue to encourage you to consider your hearts and all of those in your lives. You are their best advocates. We are losing far too many of our loves to the undetected and undisclosed. Be well.
