Good Heart - Goodlife!

How's Your Heart?

Goodlife Morningside Health Club, is hosting a 3-day Good Heart - Goodlife! Event! 14-16 February to help raise awareness and much needed funds for this worthy cause. This fundraiser page will stay open until 28 February, so let's get started! More will be revealed so save the event date! 14-16 February.

As a community lets come together and share our stories of hope, of loss, of courage, of overcoming Heart Disease! Please email gfmmorningside@goodlife.com.au 

❤️This charity is very close to my Heart, and yes, pun intended! In 2008 while representing Fitness First, I was a Team Leader who, along with 9 other cycle instructors, rode 100km from Brisbane to Gold Coast (B2GC). This was an annual event where thousands of cycle enthusiasts hit the road to raise awareness and much needed funds for charity. In 2008, teams could choose to raise funds for either Diabetes Australia or The Heart Foundation. My life-partner Ron was also keen to ride, and we discussed which of the charities we would advocate for.  Although neither of us had any connection to familial connection to heart disease that we knew of, we felt drawn to The Heart Foundation. We completed the ride successfully and with it, raised over $5000 for the Heart Foundation that year. We were hooked! We decided it would become an annual event!

On June 6, 2009 while preparing for and looking forward to the ride in October, Ron suddenly passed away from a heart attack. He was 47 years old. I was completely unprepared for his passing. Ron was very active, adventurous and fit, with healthy eating habits. We decided to request an autopsy as his passing was such a shock. The autopsy showed that Ron had Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), a disease that occurs when plaque builds up in the walls of your arteries. 70% of his arteries on the left side of his heart were blocked, and this buildup of plaque narrows the arteries, which can lead to a number of conditions, including heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. We discovered through his family there were concerns when he was born, and when young had been very small for his age, and had a number of health issues.  He was lovingly referred to by his mum as her pound of butter. It was suggested that his healthy positive lifestyle allowed him to live as long as he did. He was an incredible presence. 

When I look back now, I can see more clearly moments of stress which Ron carried, and the number of times that he became very fatigued. These may well have been symptomatic of his condition. 

The year of Ron’s passing, I put together a team, and for a number years thereafter, becoming an advocate for Heart Health, raising awareness and funds for research into Heart Disease. In 2017 I received an award from the Heart Foundation for my fundraising efforts. 

It has been a few years since I have ridden due to my own health issues.  Late in 2021, I had a coughing fit, and noticed a concerning clot of blood in the tissue.  I attended the Emergency Department for tests, and continued to attend for a number of months afterwards for further consultations and tests, and in late 2022 I was diagnosed with aortic valve stenosis and aortic regurgitation. Aortic stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the aorta (the artery from the heart which carries oxygenated blood around the body), and aortic regurgitation is where some of the oxygenated blood passing through the aorta returns to the heart chamber.  This is caused by the inability of the aortic valve to fully close.  It was discovered that 30% of the blood leaving my heart was returning to the left ventricle.

The following year, my condition worsened quickly, with me suffering more and more with fatigue and dizziness. Thankfully, I did not have any other underlying health concerns, and an angiogram revealed my arteries to be crystal clear.  If that had not been the case, bypass surgery would likely have been required.  If we had known, this surgery may very well have saved Rons life.

On 15 April 2024, I had open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve.

I am incredibly grateful to my cardiac team of doctors, specialists, surgeons, nurses, rehab team and my incredible husband and friends who were with me every step of the way. It is now just over 9 months since my aortic valve replacement and I am embracing and loving every aspect of my life. There are a number of factors to be considered as to which type of valve to choose as a replacement; either organic or mechanical.  I opted for an organic valve. There are pros and cons to both, and it is for the individual to research which may be best for you. 

Every morning I place my hand on my heart and say, ‘popongi meitake, tiake pirimou meitaki’ which means ‘good morning my good and close friend’. I respect that this tissue valve is what is literally keeping me alive. It is my daily ceremony. 

If you have any signs that seem out of the norm, or you just are not sure, you need to advocate for yourself.  Do not be silent, and do not accept being told that it is your age, or that it will pass.  Do something about it!