239th Army Birthday Ball!

What a great night it was! Ok, being a pageant lady, I was so happy to see SGT Theresa Vail as one of the emcees. She was Miss Kansas America 2013 and made top 10 at Miss America and rocked it but last night she was just who she said she was when she competed at Miss America. Service first and it showed. Just a big kudos for truly walking the walk.

The show was great an extremely entertaining. The Soldiers Chorus, US Army Soldiers Show and ALL of the speakers were engaging. The sacrifices, the service, the loyalty, I was in a room of heroes and just humbled to be there.

So the Secretary of the Army gave the best speech ever. He said he met a lady and asked why she joined the Army. She said that her Father said if you want to learn the most, have a future, get a great education and thrive (not verbatim but you get the drift:) you should go into the Army. He asked her, what does your Dad do? She replied, He's in the Navy.

Go Army, Beat Navy!

My heart truth~

Lawyers Have Heart 10K/5K/Walk/Run

I have to admit that waking up at 4 am on a Saturday morning can be rough. As my alarm went off I was reminded that I needed to get up and start my Saturday off by doing something good. So I put my big girl pants on (aka workout wear) and headed to Georgetown to help out with the American Heart Associations Lawyers Have Heart 10K/5K/ run walk event. I parked at the Kennedy Center and headed over. I was accompanied by a Lawyer who was also heading to the race and he shared his story. He too was a survivor and had made many changes to his lifestyle. A partner at his firm has passed recently so there were 60 participants from his firm alone involved with the race. I really don't think we could have asked for better weather and the walk from the Kennedy Center to the event site was picturesque along the water way. You could sense the hustle and bustle and I loved seeing all the team shirts.

I arrived and starting helping out. There are some seriously dedicated volunteers and advocates so it was great to see so many familiar faces amongst the crowd of 10000 plus. Lawyers Have Heart is the largest run/walk in the Greater Washington Region. I had fun handing out medals and was so impressed by the commitment of so many runners. The winner came in in under 16 minutes and not far behind him was a little man who was FOUR who RAN the 10K. It stole my heart for sure and one of my favorite medal moments. There were families, firms, dogs (I did medal them too:) and all for the amazing cause of saving lives with the American Heart Association.

I am glad I got out of bed!

Do Lawyers Have Heart!

They absolutely do! I am looking forward to helping out with the Lawyers Have Heart run/ walk again this year. (Last year I was honored to sing the National Anthem.) Its going to be a beautiful day for an amazing cause! Its not to late to get involved! www.lawyershaveheartDC.org. (psst...you don't have to be a lawyer to participate!)

Lawyers Have Heart 10K, 5K & Fun Walk
	Saturday, June 14, 2014 --- Washington Harbour at Georgetown 10K 7:30a / 5K 7:00a / Fun Walk 7:45a RRCA Regional 10K Championship   My heart truth~

The greatest man I never knew

Its hard to believe its been 14 years. It seems like yesterday. I got the message. Then, they gave families a beeper and mine went off a lot. My Dad cut his fingers off and drove himself to the hospital a year prior but with his heart, it just gave out. It was a two week journey from admittance and he never woke up. They put him in a self induced coma because he extubated himself at admittance. My Dad was so stubborn. I knew he loved me but he was such a workaholic,  dreamer but he pushed me in the best way he could.

I got the beeper and was first to arrive. I was there everday but it was late. When I got there after driving across the wrong bridge because I was so lost in heart (we lived in Florida), I just sat there with his blood gasses dropping and there was nothing they could do. My heart died that night. He was buried on July 13.  He was 54. He passed on June 7, 2000 at 11:18pm.

I took my last breath of faith on June 2 when I walked outside and thought he would be ok. After his heart surgery, I truly thought he would be.

To my Father~ Harold Thomas Pemberton~

I wanted to share this article from the American Heart Association. My sister is a breast cancer survivor and my Grandmother is currently undergoing chemo for stomach and ovarian cancer after a previous battle with colon cancer and heart surgery. People often don't realize that unfortunately cancer treatment effects your heart.

Many breast cancer patients don’t get heart problems treated

Published: 3:51 pm CDT, June 3, 2014

Only a third of older breast cancer patients saw a cardiologist within 90 days of developing heart problems, in a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research 2014 Scientific Sessions.
Breast cancer patients with heart problems who saw a cardiologist were more likely to receive standard heart failure therapy than those who did not see a heart specialist, the study found.
“The majority of older women who develop heart problems after their breast cancer therapy aren’t treated by a cardiologist, and they had lower quality of care,” said Jersey Chen, M.D., M.P.H., lead author of the study and a research scientist and cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Rockville, Maryland. “This suggests that this is an important area for oncologists and cardiologists to collaborate.”
Researchers used Medicare data to identify women older than 65  who were diagnosed in 2000-09 with stage I-III breast cancer and received cancer treatments previously linked to heart problems. They tracked which patients developed cardiomyopathy or heart failure.
Cardiomyopathy is when the heart becomes weak and has trouble pumping blood. Heart failure occurs when the weakened heart causes symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath.
Among breast cancer patients identified, 1,028 developed heart problems within three years of receiving chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines or a targeted therapy called trastuzumab. Thirty-four percent of them saw a cardiologist within 90 days of their heart diagnosis. Women with heart failure after cancer treatment were more likely to be treated with standard medications if seen by a cardiologist compared to those who did not see a cardiologist, said researchers.
“The bottom line is, if you have breast cancer and you’re treated with anthracyclines or trastuzumab, you should know they have side effects,” Chen said. “And if you have symptoms of heart problems like shortness of breath or swelling in the feet or legs, seek attention quickly, preferably with doctors familiar and comfortable with treating heart failure after cancer therapy.”
“Many cancer patients who develop heart failure or cardiomyopathy aren’t getting the necessary medications, regardless of whether they’re seen by cardiologists,” he said. “So there is work to be done to improve care for all women with cardiac complications after cancer therapy.”
Using Medicare prescription plan data from 2006-11, researchers found that 60 percent of patients with heart problems who saw a cardiologist received ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, versus 44 percent of those who didn’t. For beta-blockers, the figures were 40 percent versus 24 percent. Those drugs are the mainstay of treatment for heart failure, Chen said.
People with other cancers — especially if they are older or have many other health problems — should also be watchful for heart symptoms if they receive anthracyclines or trastuzumab, Chen said.

To learn more log onto www.heart.org

My heart truth~

A card carrier.....

I was going through things in storage yesterday and ran across my Dad's St Jude valve card. It was ironic because it was June 2 that he had the surgery. My Mom had one too and I always thought it was strange. Hers  read like a warranty card. I now carry one too. I actually carry it in front of my license figuring hey if I go down, they should know about my heart before my name:)

Cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer yet we can't see it from the outside. I have a friend who told me they found his Brother in his 50's in bed. He went to sleep and just never woke up. That's how silent it can be.

You're the Cure, an initiative by the American Heart Association, makes huge strides in the political venues on change. The work that is done with our schools, CPR, AED and many many health initiatives truly saves life's. Its so important to get involved. The life you save may be your own.

www.yourethecure.org

www.heart.org

My heart truth~

Special Hero

Like all of us, we have bad weeks. I have amazing friends who keep me in check. You know there are always people who wont be there and there is always a story. I have worked with the Armed Forces Foundation and the American Heart Association for a long time and also the March of Dimes. We lived in the NICU for 165 days and for the first few years of my son's life, we worried what day would be his last. It was a very scary and dark time. I am living with heart disease and surgeries and lost my parents to Cardiovascular Disease far too young. I have a great friend, thank you Trinity, for giving me the fresh kick I needed. The "I" gets exhausting so I certainly would not want to hear about it. This week I started to really look at the we in society. You can not compare one journey to the other but what about our military? Its easy to forget what happens everyday to military families. The VA and medical care? Don't get me started on recent medical reports in the news. I remember when Andy got back from his second deployment he checked a website every night to see if any of his friends passed. I remember when they did. I did not live it  but as a spouse, I remember the call ironically on Fathers Day telling me they had been hit by an IED but he was ok. When we lived in Germany, it was a lookout when deployment happened for the men in uniform.

We are at various military hospitals and children's hospital's and as I look around, I am ashamed of myself. I use the "I" too much. The AFF does monthly dinners and there are very young soldiers just trying to understand why. Really reminds me of just how trivial some worries are. There is no why answer. What you are is a hero and the answer is more why am I not incredible as you. Why don't I have your courage and strength? Do you know how incredible you are?

Special children are given to special people and special people need to just own that even if you don't have a village, you are still just that special! I am blessed for my miracles and being in Mommy groups remind me of just how blessed I am.

In a land of words that some people take FARRRRRR to personally and situations that in the big scheme of things, you allow yourself to get to upset about, walk away, tune it out and remember that everyone has a story and a heartache. No one is more important or less important in this world. Its the grace of how you handle the situation that really matters. Don't forget you may have a lot of "I"'s in your world but there are people out that that really struggle everyday to find hope or a reason. Remember the children we are blessed to have and the children who are lost. Remember the heart and cancer stories and the fear that an ailment brings. Remember our military and their families. Remember that some stupid post by rude people are people who are just too wrapped up in "I" and will never change. I have learned that the hard way. That's why they create block buttons and DELETE! Thank you Facebook and ATT!

There is good in the world and I believe that to be true. Continue to focus on the positive and enjoy your journey.

Did you know that saying hi or smiling at a stranger is good for your heart:)))))

Rock on~my heart truth~

Shoe visitation

There aren't many men who will not get this but I visit a pair of shoes. Yes, it sounds weird but when a pair of shoes exceeds a car payment I have to ask myself, really? Probably twice a week I am at Nordstroms. I walk a lot so I browse a lot and there they are , the shoes. There is only one pair left so I was holding out for the sale rack. I mean how many people can be my size and want to sport a 5 inch heel? So weeks have passed and today I went to check on them. They were gone. I have pictures of them like a family member and yet there it was. GONE. Such a sad day in shoe history.

I wonder who is wearing them. Like a Birken bag, I will now. Please don't walk past me! Saturday shoe sadness.

My heart truth-

Can you imagine a child being hungry?

Its hard for me to imagine any child being without food. We all have seen commercials but it happens in our own back doors. I was speaking at a school and one of the teachers told me that she buys box cereal out of her own money to give to her students. It was heart breaking. Many students only have school to supply them with their meals so they spent a lot of their time hungry. Then with holidays, snow breaks and summer some go without enough food daily.

Obesity is a huge problem in America and it might surprise you to realize that poverty plays a huge role in this epidemic. Processed foods are cheaper so that tends to be the "Go To" food when you need to feed a family. This is why I love initiatives like , "The Teaching Gardens" from the American Heart Association and Kidsgardening.org. They help to bring gardens to schools to teach kids about vegetables and bring an element of ownership and fun. Introduction to a healthy life style at a young age benefits us for the rest of our lives.

I have been privileged to be at a few plantings at some schools and the kids are really excited. It helps them to learn about vegetables, Mother Earth and HEART HEALTH!

To learn more or help log on to www.heart.org and/or kidsgardening.org

My heart truth~

Headache, heartbreak or heartburn?

I have behaviors or patterns in my life. I think we all do. I think there is something to the saying to do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome.  It's kind of fun to be on a different path in my life. I will admit scary, but fun. I'm different. I am hitting things head on and frankly, neither my health or anything or ANYONE else is going to stand in my way. Living and loving. There will ALWAYS be naysayers. Dreaming on!

I am changing my patterns. Listen,  I may not ever win an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy or Mrs International but I/we will enjoy the journey. You don't get me, believe in me or even care, fine. I will always care. One spot I don't want to change.

I will always care.


My heart truth

Really fresh air

Have you ever noticed that when you are somewhere, anywhere, you can always find someone staring at you. Looking you up and down and peeling you like a rotten banana. It's judgement yet interesting. I mean, don't we all judge? I am currently traveliing to a part of the country that does not sport 6 inch heels so I look like a crazy fool.  You know what they say, the higher the heel the closer to God!

So I was sitting outside this morning and it is beautiful. I could not hear any cars, the grass was so green and I was greeted by a post it on the back door that said , and  I quote, BIG RACOON Outside. What does that even mean? Will the pups be ok? Will it attack me? This also was preceded by the bear has been visiting the bird feeder again. Bear? I am pretty sure my EPI pen will not help me in this trip to the wilderness.

It is truly beautiful.

It's good to stop the music sometimes, kick off my heels and just put my feet in the grass. No bees of course, thus the EPI pen!

Forever blessed   My heart truth

The stranger who walks alone

I think I stare too much. I am always so curious as to someone's story. This may be why I like biographies! I found myself staring/ following a man the other day. I see him all the time. He looks around 80 and always walks, looks, touches with intention but is always alone. I live in a city world so I frequent the same stores, I walk to them, and restaurants. I do love that about the city and it does make people watching fun. I was walking to Starbucks  and he was there yet no coffee in his hand. Same with the grocery store. His intent is clearly to walk and get out but I wondered is he alone? Does he want coffee? Does he people watch too? I have wanted to walk up to him to say hi but that might make me seem odd to him but he seriously makes me wonder about his story.

How many people do we walk past everyday and never say hi? Who do we say hi to but can't take the time to smile? How many people walk with such conviction yet are so alone? We are all heading somewhere but why not smile and say hi?

I don't believe anyone is better then anyone else. Some people just have different opportunities. Why not just smile?

Story tellers, each and every one of us.

My heart truth. 

Chasing Life

As I sit here on this Saturday night and watching , "the Breakfast Club", I am reminded of prom season long ago and how things change and yet some stay the same. Throw back Thursdays remind me of dreams I had and next Thursday may remind me of what I did not accomplish. Lets face it, we all have a little grey in our dreams of youth but we were so inspired to make them happen at some moment in time. Some do and quite often more then you think. My Dad use to say to me that you are an inch away from success and an inch away from failure. Its your move.

I am a dream chaser and much like a storm chaser we take our chances and just pray we survive.

I am in a few groups. Heart and Stroke Survivors and Mothers of Preemies. As I read other stories I am constantly reminded as to how blessed I am. My story is just weird and this week my doctor reminded me of that. I just have bad genes and no one to talk to about it. Its not a martyr, they passed, my parents. Its a fact and much like my Mother, who was adopted, there is a blank page in my life.

It is stroke month and through heart I have met some amazing survivors. Truly humbling. Heart and stroke is so different from other ailments because it does come with a silence and varying outcomes.

I think chasing life is important. I have no clue as to what tomorrow may hold.

I am going to continue to chase life. Why not, what do I have to loose?

My heart truth~

Streets of Heaven

Mothers Day always comes to me with such a bitter sweetness. I miss my Mom but I am also reminded as to how blessed I am to be a Mom. I cannot recap without sounding like a babbling mess but my journey, like many, to be a Mom was challenging. Before my son, Carter, who was born at 23 weeks, we had 4 previous losses and hard one's. Not that any were easy but a few later in term. We spent 165 days in the NICU with Carter and most days were beyond grim. Everyday I doubted myself as they doubted how much milk I could give and talked about in rounds as I was sitting there already feeling nothing but sadness. Every Mother wants to provide. He just came so early my body could not. I also was not able to hold him for 3 months but I was there EVERYDAY and probably annoyed a few people. I always have said to Carter you fight for me I will ALWAYS fight for you. I think every acronym was thrown at us with a level of fact as if it was. I always made them say his name.

I am so blessed for my family, all my children and my life.

My niece Bella Boo is doing well and turned 9. A milestone. She has cardiac vclcad.

An organization I am proud to support is the Lollipop Foundation. They do a lot of amazing work and have a new initiative called, "SMILE, don't STARE". Uniqueness is special and should be embraced but it comes with education and awareness. Someone may not look like you, walk like you or talk like you but they are special and a simple smile is a language EVERYONE understands.

Its our universal language.

My heart truth~

What you don't see

I have had this stated to me you look fine.  I have an acyronym to fine but yes,heart survivors can look fine. Stroke not so much. Society looks at it as a moment in time. Other diseases as much worse.

I will never negate anything and certainly not anyone ailment. Ever family is riddled with Cancer, heart, Alzheimer's. We all pass. The journey is so amazingly tough. We all want a cure. We all want a sanctuary. We all pray for less suffering then those before us.

For me it's heart. My sister is a breast cancer survivor and just beyond amazing. Even with Lois Lane it's heart. Why? Cancer is a day by day horrific horrific disease. Heart does not give you a chance to say goodbye. They both strip you, take from you but I never had a chance to say goodbye. With my parents, I did not.

I am afraid everyday. I had heart surgery and look fine. What you don't see is fear.

Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women. More than all cancers combined. You can't see it. I can't either. I feel fine too. I felt fine.

My hearth truth

Would you know how to save a life?

I think almost everyone has seen a scene in a movie or on a TV show of someone administering CPR. Have you ever asked yourself, would you know how to help save a life? It looks easy enough, right? There is a training for CPR and it is simple to learn and a vital part of how you can help to save a life.

As the world leader in CPR, first aid and emergency cardiovascular care (ECC) training and education, the American Heart Association offers a variety of options for you to learn lifesaving skills. Locate a local training center to become an AHA Instructor or to choose courses for family members and friends, employees, or healthcare providers.

I decided to refresh myself on my CPR knowledge and awareness. There are so many tool available and I there is even an APP!

Remember the key to life is STAYING ALIVE!  www.heart.org !

My Heart Truth~

New music downloads.

Bring it home to me....

I love Sam, Gavin and Martina. Just a song worth sharing.

STROKE month!

The bad thing about heart disease is that it effects every organ and every part of your body. Our bodies are like a bunch of highways and side roads that lead to some major destinations. If there is a road block, it just can't get there! Stroke month starts tomorrow. It is a reminder to me of a lot. My Mother, who had her first stroke in her 30's and my own "events". My history is not that remarkable for someone with CVD except my age. Since both my parents passed in their 50's from Cardiovascular disease , it was family history that hit me the hardest. There was no warning to my heart attack in 2010 and who knew I had the blockage? Then 2011 and 2013 happened. There were warning signs, that even after a heart attack and surgery, I ignored and even worked for heart. I had TIA's. They were just quick moments. Vision, confusion. The morning of my stroke I woke up and got out of bed and started my day as everyday. My vision suddenly just blurred. Of course I thought I was just tired, then my words left. I knew I was speaking yet nothing was making sense. I had all these conversations in my head and my husband just did not understand me. No one did.  I ended up in the ICU and given TPA ( a blood thinner). The scarest thing to me was laying there with what I thought were all my capacities and yet I had none. My husband did act FAST. I do kind of have a funny story and also some words of wisdom too. When the EMT's came they asked him what meds I was on. He responded she takes herbs. You cannot imagine their initial thought. I now have all my meds posted on the side of my frig. My doctor got a good laugh. Heart meds and vitamins. VITAMINS!  Lol.

Educate , advocate and take action FAST!

Learn more. wwww.powertoendstroke.com, www.heart.org, www.strokeassociation.com

My heart truth-

The American Heart Association 30th Annual Golf Event!

This was my 5th year of being involved with this event and each year is more impressive than the last! Kara is the Director for this event and we have worked together at heart and I have know her for a while. She just amazes me each year with her passion for heart and just as a person, period! She also has engaged her hubby, as ever hubby should do, to help out! What a team!

Today was a great day and pretty good weather considering we have no idea if it will be 100 degrees or snowing. That's another topic for another day and Mother Nature probably has more to say!

I am always so proud and so honored to be a part of heart!

The heart truth!