Why smart-heart-living.com?

On December 19, 2004 at the age of 51, I was admitted to a critical care bed in the cardiac care unit of our local hospital and the next day transferred to the university hospital for an angiogram and angioplasty.

I had a 90% blockage of the left anterior descending artery.

The location of the blockage, left untreated, would result in a massive heart attack.

I also learned I had a problem with my aortic valve (aortic stenosis) although I didn’t learn until some time later that my valve was bicuspid (two flaps) instead of the normal tricuspid (three flaps).

Based on my age and fitness level I should have bounced back from the angioplasty quickly – requiring approximately a month to recover. Instead, I experienced a rocky recovery - five stays in hospital, four angiograms, two angioplasties (I re-blocked), and six months off work.

I had to come to grips with the realization that I had heart disease.

Before this I considered myself very healthy. I was rarely sick. I golfed, walked, ran, hiked, danced, cycled, snowboarded, and more. I took the stairs instead of the elevator; I ordered the salad instead of the fries; I had oodles of energy and led a fast paced life with a demanding career. I didn’t fit the profile!

This unexpected shift in my life shook me to the core.

With the help of my medical team, a great rehab program, the support of family and dear friends, and a drive to get back to my life, I’m happy to say I'm once again leading an active and fulfilling life.

But this experience changed my life forever.

I recognize the need to manage my health to get the most out of life and, because heart disease is the number one killer in North America, I know there are many people out there in the same situation. I understand what it's like to have to change your thinking and your lifestyle - because I've been there.

While recuperating I found many good resources for medical information, and I was lucky enough to participate in an excellent cardiac rehab program (not everyone has the opportunity), but once the rehab program was over, I was on my own.

I searched for a single source of information and resources that would help me make and maintain the necessary changes in my life.

Not finding it, I’ve created this web site for all of us to fill that gap and to provide and share information, motivation, and resources for smart heart living.

I hope you find it helpful!

Sandra Thornton

Check out my blog - Sandra Thornton's Heart Beats On

Sandra is a professional communicator who has worked in communications, marketing, and management for over 25 years. Educated at the Ontario College of Art, with a degree from Athabasca University, and accredited by the Canadian Public Relations Society, Sandra has won numerous awards for her work.

Sandra served on the national board of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada from 2000 until 2002. She was on the board of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT, and Nunavut from 1995 through 2005, including serving as the first female president of the foundation from 2000 to 2002.

Sandra currently sits on the Strategy Council of the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and is involved with The Heart Truth, a national awareness campaign to educate Canadian women about their risk of heart disease and stroke.

Read about Sandra in this article in Edmonton Women magazine, reproduced with permission of the publisher.

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