Why do I walk? Well, until my 30s I had no idea what a stent was. So, I had to learn the hard way. My husband had a massive heart attack in 2004. Fortunately, he quickly received three stents, alleviating the clogs in his heart until 2007, when he had another heart attack during a disaster response, when we were volunteering for the Red Cross in NY, causing him to need two more stents...for a total of 5!
While those experiences were certainly enough. Several friends/family have not been so fortunate. In 2024, my aunt Nandini passed away due to a heart attack. The same week, a good friend, Andrea, died of heart conditions she had been battling a long time. They join friends, colleagues and family members; one who died very young and another who is currently battling congestive heart failure and who came dangerously close to dying from multiple heart attacks they never realized had even occurred.
I am taking proactive steps to keep my heart healthy and still careful with diet and exercise and now, even taking statins while I work to prevent potential heart issues, now that I am aware of the risks and I know they are part of who I am.
I have a general mantra that I try to live by....when I can help, I try to do so. Walking is extremely good for both my mind and, yes, my heart. So, I do a few miles a week and--once a year, I do those miles for AHA. So, please join me in supporting the American Heart Association in this year's Heart Walk on the National Mall in Washington, DC on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
