Four years ago today, I found myself in the ER and was told that I had suffered a heart attack. How could this be? Andrea does not get heart attacks. Well, I did and I had two capable cardiologists who helped me through my emergency.
Here are the before and after photos of what my right coronary artery looked like in the space of a couple of seconds after the removal of the clot.
When I tell people my story, their first reaction is, “I’m so sorry.” However, my rejoinder is, “No, it was a gift from God that I decided not to waste.” That investment has paid off.
Because I was motivated to avoid another ER performance, I began a dedicated journey into the areas of health, wellness, and how both relate to faith. Determined to approach my situation with diet and lifestyle changes, I was relentless in learning and applying what I learned. Today, I am pleased to report that I have thus far been successful in keeping off the 50lbs I lost, built up considerable lean muscle mass because of regular exercise, and have some objective test results that confirm my progress. I also have made many new colleagues/friends in the realm of getting and staying healthy.
Thus, I would like to thank God for putting the following great counselors in my life: Dr. Jon S., Dr. Rhett B., Sherri L., Jon C., Oceana B., Laura H., Dr. Filomena T., to name but a few. I also owe a debt of gratitude to the many authors and medical people whose works I researched, read, and watched online. I would also like to thank my husband and youngest daughter who helped me during the initial incident and hung in there with me as I developed my sometimes-unconventional plan for recovery. They are part of any success I have accomplished.
Psalm 139:14 reads, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” I have had many opportunities to know the absolute truth of this statement and inspire others who are struggling with health issues to learn just how well designed God has made the human body. Sure, sin tainted the works a bit, but not enough to overpower God’s creative work. Don’t get me wrong. I know that none of us is going to get out of here alive. However, I do know that we can make the best use of the time God gives us by embracing health and pursuing it.
The Kingdom-Driven Family 