Heart Disease and Me.
The women in my family have a history of heart disease.
It sounds innocuous enough when I say it that way. It's a whole lot more real when I say:
"I was three years old when my grandma was babysitting my cousin and me. She was in her fifties. And she had a heart attack. All I remember about that day is that I spilled a gallon of milk. That's long-forgotten, but the day's other events changed the course of my grandmother's health for the remaining 25 years of her life."
My grandma with my cousins and me, just before she got sick.
"My aunt suffered a heart episode that left her comatose for a week. From the middle-of-the-night phone call alerting us all to the situation until one miraculous day in the ICU at UK Med Center, we had no idea if she'd wake up."
My mom with two of her sisters. 2 of these 3 women have life-altering heart conditions.
"My mom has a heart condition that has affected her daily life in small ways, but we always know it's there."
Makes it a little more real, doesn't it?
Heart disease is the number one killer of women in America. Here are some scary-assed statistics from the Go Red for Women foundation:
- Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute.
- 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
- Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease and the gap between men and women’s survival continues to widen.
- The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women vs. men, and are often misunderstood.
- While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies of heart disease.
The Bluegrass State is pretty notorious for poor cardiovascular health. According to the CDC, more than 1 out of 4 deaths in Kentucky are due to heart disease.
These are very real, very sobering statistics. This February, please stop to think about all the heart logos you see -- the Valentine's Day ads and the Go Red for Women events. Wear red for yourself and those you love. If you're out looking for last minute Godiva at the mall today, participate in Macy's Go Red Campaign. But most of all, educate yourself. Talk with your doctor about your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Make healthier choices in your diet and exercise. These are all changes you know you should make anyway.
It's not just for you. It's for everyone on your Valentine's Day list.
"My aunt suffered a heart episode that left her comatose for a week. From the middle-of-the-night phone call alerting us all to the situation until one miraculous day in the ICU at UK Med Center, we had no idea if she'd wake up."
Lilly Pulitzer Patchwork Quilt
An extraordinary quilt made from Lilly Pulitzer fabric.
I think I was thirty years old before I realized that everybody didn't have a huge stack of quilts that their grandmother made for them. I knew that my granny made the prettiest ones, obviously, but I thought everybody else's granny at least tried.
Quilting is an art with deep roots in Kentucky. It's an integral part of my Appalachian childhood, and I want to share the gorgeous quilts my grandmother and great-grandmothers have made for me. So, we're starting a new series here on HerKentucky. Every Thursday, I'll share photos of the gorgeous quilts that my grandmother has made for me and my family. I'm working to live up to her artistry, but I'm not quite there yet!
This one combines my love of preppy, vibrant Lilly Pulitzer fabrics with a simple patchwork quilt pattern. We found some lots of fabric on eBay; my granny said the quilt itself was actually quite easy to make.
Fur Coats and Cabbage Patch Kids
My grandparents taught me that Christmas presents should sparkle. It's a nice tradition to uphold.
My grandparents always gave the greatest Christmas presents.
Now, looking back, most of those gifts were exactly what most kids our age were unwrapping. Toys that matched our interests. I seem to recall a couple of monogrammed sweaters. But, it always seemed like they'd hit the nail on the head. They got us exactly what we wanted, and sometimes things that we didn't even know we wanted. We were always so excited to open them!
There was the year we got Cabbage Patch Kids. That was exciting stuff in the year when EVERYBODY had to have Cabbage Patch Kids. There was the year they had "surprise" presents for us after everything else was unwrapped -- a collector's Scarlett O'Hara doll for me, and a 10 speed bike for my cousin. And then, there was the year of the fur coat.
Yeah, I'd wear the same outfit today.
Oh, y'all. A rabbit fur coat. From Dawahare's. Now, as every good Kentuckian can recall, Dawahare's was just about the best store ever. When you unwrapped a package to find their iconic bugler logo, you just knew that box was going to contain something really good!
As an adult, I try to think about those special Christmases at my grandparents' house as I buy gifts for the people on my own list. I want a present to reflect the recipient's interests and style. I don't want to give generic gloves or socks. I want to see an actual smile of appreciation when the present is opened. Like Mia, the comically saucy secretary in Love, Actually, I try to remember that Christmas isn't for things you need, it's for things you want -- pretty things.
Every year, my goal is to capture the joy of fur coats and Cabbage Patch Kids. That makes for gifts that are amazing to give and (hopefully) to receive.