Go Red with Dawn.

Dear Tanya S:

Thank you for your kind words. The most important thing that we all can do in our fight against heart disease is to be pro-active in our health care. This includes knowing your numbers, researching information that is presented to you by your doctors and knowing your body well enough to know when things don’t feel right. Most women can tell you their dress and shoe size but they don’t know their cholesterol levels or blood pressure. We also need to know our family history. Because of this web site, I was very fortunate to hear from my husbands cousin who filled me in on his family’s heart history. I am involved with every decision made about my heart care and find myself researching information that is presented to me by my doctors. Establishing a good partnership with my cardiologist has also been very beneficial for me.  I know my body well enough to know when things don’t feel right.  Seek medical care un til you do feel right.  I exercise regularly. Walking is my passion as I not only use it for physical fitness but also as a great mental escape. Who can feel bad when their outside enjoying the fresh air?  My diet consist of almost everything in moderation. I don’t drink alcohol or caffeine just as a personal choice not heart related  My weakness is sweets. The American Heart Association publishes many books and the AHA web site is a great resource for information on eating and exercising.  Good Luck to you and Stay Healthy

Dear Anna Brinkmann:

Your letter is one that brought tears to my eyes.  I also laughed my tail off at your response to people asking about your scar.  I never really thought of myself as flaunting my scar as much as a form of “Self Liberation”.  For the first few years after each surgery I wore only clothes that would hide my “Life Line” and I will admit that I do wear a lot of necklaces that cover my scar when I wear low neck blouses. I realize that it depends on my mood. On some days especially on days when I’m not particularly feeling well  it’s much easier to cover up than give people my health history and as you know the scar is a fabulous conversation starter :) I guess a lot of “flaunting” my scar has to do with feeling good about how I look and feel after all my poor body has been through.  I applaud you and all that you have been through.  I wish you Great Health!!

Dear Judy:

Congratulations Judy.  I totally have a whole new respect for people starting a work out program and those that make the decision to lose weight.  I get so frustrated when my body gets so tired after walking such short distances.  I applaud you for not only losing so much weight but also for keeping it off and for continuing to exercise.  My dream has always been to complete a triathlon.  I just can’t imaging doggy padding the swimming distance I’m a horrible swimmer.  Please continue to encourage your friends and family to work out and wear red.  Because of you I just put swimming lessons on my list of things to do this year.  Thanks for inspiring me.

Dear Debbie:

Thank you for remembering those ads.  It was a very emotional shoot for me as right up until the shoot I was still wearing high neck shirts hiding my scar.  Amazingly enough some of the affiliates chose not to use the ads because they were too “Controversial”.  I feel so privileged that I was asked to do the new ads.  Copies of the earlier photos are on my web page.  Please let April Somboun at the AHA Seattle office know if you can’t pull them up.  As the Director of Research I wanted to you know how much I appreciate what you do.  Again I was on the receiving line of a procedure that the research was funded by AHA grants, a heart ablation.  I really am AHA Research dollars at work   Thank you.

Dear Barb:

Macy’s has been an incredible sponsor of the Go Red campaign. The exposure that they have given this campaign is priceless.  Please continue to let your senators and congressmen hear from you.  The proposed health care funding cuts especially the ones related to heart disease are ridiculous. I wish you the best when you do have surgery and I’ll welcome you to the Life Line” Club   Let’s talk kidney stones. For the record, I’ve given birth to a child, had two jaw surgeries and two open heart surgeries and personally I’d rather give birth to a giant octopus rather than have another kidney stone. Please take care of yourself.  I hope that you have heard from other women out there experiencing what you are going through.  Here’s to great beginnings….