I *heart* my heart!

First of all, can I just say how nice it is to be missed. Thanks so much BlogHeroStacy.

I have been monitoring the parents a lot since Mom's heart attack. When they first arrived home, my father was stepping in to do laundry, dishes, vacuuming, yardwork, etc. They were steaming vegetables, grilling chicken breasts, walking Mom's 5-minutes around the neighborhood, and avoiding alcohol like the plague. It was very Beaver Cleaver-like for them. Clean, healthy, and cheery...until I got a call from Mom last week. Let me just say the whole heart-health thing is a huge adjustment for the P's. Not that they were UN-healthy...they were just very relaxed in their retirement. They were having fun exploring new lunch spots, reading, cooking up a storm, and enjoying their afternoon cocktail hour. That darn heart attack really threw a wrench in their whole swing of things. And, it scared the living crap out of them.

So Mom calls me:

WTC: Hi Mom, how are you feeling?
Mom: Oh, ok...you know, this is really hard on your father.
(Mind you, SHE was the one who suffered the heart attack)
WTC: What is wrong with Dad?
Mom: He is fine! He just ran to the store for more chicken breasts.
WTC: How are YOU?
Mom: Your father is really trying to adjust. He'll be fine.
WTC: WHAT is WRONG?
Mom: We..llll, he just said that he is "sick of The Sick"
WTC: What the hell does THAT mean?
Mom: I think he needs to eat some red meat and have a few beers.

This week Mom went to the local cardiologist for a followup visit. It so happened there was a *heart healthy diet class* scheduled for that very day! Reluctantly, Dad went with her so he could hear about all of the benefits of grilled chicken, skim milk, and steamed veggies. Now he would be forced to learn the importance of this new phase of eating and living.

Mom called me after class:

Mom: This is W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L!!!
WTC: What is wonderful? Did Dad go with you to class?
Mom: Oh ya! He is just getting ready to run to the store. Did you know we can eat THREE EGGS A WEEK? And bread! ...and we can have jam on the bread! Potatoes are ok and we can have red meat! Limited red meat, but it is so wonderful! Your father is thrilled!

Geez, no wonder Dad was sick of The Sick. The two of them were terrified. They were sure if they ate one ounce of saturated fat or salt Mom was going straight into cardiac arrest. Poor Dad was like a trapped animal. They had practically been starving themselves and suddenly they were liberated.

I am ready to present an award to the heart healthy class instructor. Whatever it is they teach in that class sure put the P's at ease. They are on a wonderful new path of adventure! They are excited about salt substitutes, simply fruit jam, and low-sodium chicken broth. Who knew it would be the cure for being sick of The Sick. Now they are Heart Smart and loving it!