Being Well

  World Heart Day Isn’t Just Another Awareness Day for Me | It’s Personal! “ Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women, with nearly 45% of women aged 20+ affected,” according to the American Heart Association . I am one of those statistics. Only about 22% of us survive this surgery . As a survivor of open-heart surgery to repair a descending aortic aneurysm , taking care of my heart keeps me in constant recovery. For me, recovery and heart health are practices I engage in daily. When taking care of my heart, “ whole-person healing ” is involved. This means treating the heart and the human. Although the main portion of my physical recovery was done during my hospital stay, and was measured in vitals , test results , and fitness levels , my emotional recovery is an integral part of maintaining my heart health. My daily recovery goes far beyond physical milestones . It’s not only about getting clearance from a doctor or hitting target numbers . It’s about lea...