Avacado Veggie Wrap
This is a very quick simple wrap:
Medium size Mediterranean pita bread
1 fresh avocado sliced
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 tomato sliced
2 cloves of fresh garlic
lettuce rough chopped
2 Tbls of Kalamata olives
1 tsp. olive oil
Tzatziki sauce
Slice the garlic, onions, and peppers and stir-fry them with a little olive oil until tender then in the same pan warm your pita bread until it’s a little crispy on both sides. Remove it from the pan and begin to add your ingredients. Finish it off with the olives and Tzatziki sauce or whatever sauce you prefer and enjoy.
Great Northern Beans
Let’s start with the following ingredients:
1 bag of Great Northern Beans - open and soak overnight in water
3-4 carrots cut into a medium size bites
3-4 starks of celery cut into medium size bites
4 cloves of fresh garlic chopped
1 large white onion chopped
4-5 smoked turkey tails cut into 3 pieces
Chicken or veggie broth
salt, pepper, and the seasonings of your choice
2 TBL spoons of Olive oil
If you have a Dutch oven pot which is great for this meal…. add the olive oil in the pot heat it on a medium flame add the carrots, garlic, onions, and celery allow to cook but remain crunchy add the cut up turkey tails and then add the container of chicken or veggie broth and allow to slow cook for about 20-25 mins. Then take your beans that have soaked overnight and been rinsed put them in the pot with the veggies and smoked turkey tails and stir to combine everything add about 11/2 cups of water and cover the pot and allow the beans to cook for about 45min - 1hr. or until they are tender. Check the beans while cooking and be sure to stir occasionally to be sure they don’t stick, when they reach the tenderness of your desire turn them off and serve with cornbread or biscuts. I love them plain with no bread at all. Awesome filling healthy mean. Full of protean and fiber.
Great Northern Beans
Triple Bypass Surgery or CABGS 3x
Triple Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
I know when I say Triple bypass surgery lots of people don’t quite understand the full details of this surgery. So what I’ve done is I have gone to our very famous YouTube University and found several videos to help bring a very clear understanding of what has happened to me. I hope that you are able to watch them… I will do some that are animated and some that are real literal surgeries. Let’s take a look and get some knowledge. So you know I had a on pump bypass… meaning I was placed on a heart and lung machine while my heart was stopped to perform the surgery. I was the very first heart surgery of the day. The Staff and JHH was and still is amazing!
Let’s talk about Hair
Now you guys know for sure that what happens on the inside of your body will begin to effect what’s happening on the outside.. i.e. Hair, Nails, Skin, you name it.. I had no idea of the lack of blood flow that my body was receiving in the entire process. With the lack of blood circulation I began to shed a whole lot more hair then the daily natural amount of hair the body sheds…. Let’s take it back a bit.. hair was pretty simple for me as I wore a short platinum blonde natural cut… did a mohawk for a while and a few other cuts but mostly natural other than the chemical from the color… I loved it! Keep it moisturized and cut close wash and go until it’s time for color. during the winter months I noticed my hair starting to really shed a lot at night after a shower and shampoo and conditioner, I’m wondering what’s going on why does it look like my hair is falling out…. Well because it was! The edges were getting thinner and thinner as well as the crown of my head… I was starting to look like my dad when his hair began to fall out and that was a big NO for me! Well after my surgery my cousin who has been doing my hair since I was a kid said to me… cuzo after all the medicine and anesthesia you’ve had your hair is really going to shed… guys when I post the pictures of what my head looked like you won’t believe it… I will post what it looked like prior during and after or should I say right now. She has done so many different hair growth solutions for me and my hair is growing like a weed… Even though I like to cut it and keep it short it has began to get thicker and it is one thousand time more healthy.. The big question in your head is probably Ok Errica what is she using? Perfect Choice Hair Growth Products… I have a video that she and I recorded talking about it. Please watch the entire video and if you are interest in the treatments please contact my cousin Wyvonnie Gilbert at Stylistics Hair Salon @ 443-985-9069 or 410-496-3113. I will also post pictures and if you guys have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to send me a message or text. Love you guys and Remember your heart matters so again put your hands on your chest and tell me How’s your heart!
Hair Loss and Regrowth after surgery.
Here are the pictures as promised: All the photos with blonde are prior to my surgery and hair loss if you look carefully you can see where all of my hair was thinning dramatically and even with the braids you can see every area my hair was gone. Now you can see the major difference with the red hair it has gotten much thicker and growing weekly. Below the pictures you will see the information for Perfect Choice Hair.
Heart Healthy Callaloo!
Alright now for my friends the love Caribbean Food here’s something a little healthy for you… I love Jamaican Callaloo, but I most certainly can not have all of the fatty oil that typically come in it, so I make my own Mitchener’s Delectables Callaloo and it very simple to make. Here we go:
Fresh Collard Greens Clean and shred them
Colorful mini bell peppers or normal size Cut into small rings or slices
Large White Onion cut into chunks
4-5 fresh cloves of garlic chopped or minced
small piece of ginger chopped or minced
Crushed Red Pepper
Seasonings to your taste
EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Add olive oil to a large hot frying pan or WOK stir fry the onions, peppers, ginger, garlic and any other veggie that you would like to add. Cook till crunchy add some seasoning then begin to add your shredded collards a little at a time and stir fry until they begin to get tender but still crunchy do not cook all of the life out of the food. Continue to flip and add more until you are done cover with a lid for about 3-4 mins. then remove from the pan and prepare to eat until your hearts desire.
Those Famous Lamb Chops
As promised in my last blog here are a few pictures of my Amazing Lamb Chops! Now of course I can not eat them any more because I no longer eat red meat or anything high in fat because I eat Heart Healthy but I do still cook them for others and let me just tell you the original flavor, the Honey Jerk, the Jerk, the Curry, and the spicy bar-b-que grilled are the truth!
How it all started Two Weeks Before Surgery
We are getting closer and closer to the surgery day I have been going back and forth to the doctors getting all test and pre-op done so now it’s time to call a zoom meeting to let all the rest of my family know what’s going on. So I set a date for a Family Zoom Meeting on July 24, 2023 at about 5:00 pm so I could give both my mom and my Dad’s family all of the info at once so that I would not have to keep repeating myself over and over again. I wanted to do this on purpose because there were so many appointments and I wanted to be sure I could give all the facts and no speculation. While all of this was going on I received some disturbing news that my 3rd oldest brother Terrell Weaver passed away…. He was fighting cancer for quite a while and my baby sister Claudette (Tiny) and I would both talk to his wife throughout the day to get updates on him… I wanted to go to the hospital so bad to see him but I wasn’t allowed to drive much because of my health but all those that know me know that I am a woman of prayer so I would call and have prayer with him and his wife as much as I could, I would send prayers via text through FB messenger any way that I could, I would reach out and let him know that I loved him and that I was there. It got to the point that he couldn’t talk to me anymore because of the throat cancer and I could only relay messages and prayers to him through his wife Lisa… I tried my best to get to that hospital before my brother passed but I didn’t make it.. a few days later he passed away and my heart was sad only because I didn’t get to hug him and give him a farewell, or one of those famous big hugs he would give me, but the joy of my heart is that he was a born-again believer and I know for sure that I will see him again! I am so grateful for the promise of eternal life as a born-again believer of the finished work of Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!! I will miss him being here in a place where I could just randomly drop by his house and get a big hug and that huge smile he wore so well, but I am immensely overjoyed that he is in the presence of The King!! Where he has no more pain, no more sorrow, no more sickness, but he has eternal Joy and peace forever more! So my brothers service was on Wednesday July 26, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. and boy did my brothers and sisters show up to support him and his family! No matter what I was enduring with my own health nothing and no one was going to stop me from being there for my brother. My youngest sister Tiny and I stood and spoke on behalf of our siblings and shared some Mitchener love. In all this God is so good! We got to meet some of his family on his mom’s side and introduce ourselves because they had never met us... Lot’s of things were confirmed for some of my other nieces and nephews on my brothers’ side of the family and we were able to put truth to rest to a lot of issues, lies, and rumors that were floating through the family. Look at how God was working out a few spiritual heart issues before He handled the physical heart issues. After the funeral and the burial, I went home to get a little rest because my body was extremely tired. The levels of fatigue were now at a all time high, basically I would get up every morning do my assigned work task, because I’m still working from home as much as possible and fall off to sleep. Because of the stroke my memory would come and go I can’t even tell you some of the things I missed throughout the day but I’m sure it was a lot however, I kept pushing because that’s all I know how to do I am not a quitter. Never can quit and I never will quit! So back to my zoom meeting with my family the time was set and I went to my Aunt Dora and Uncle Maurice’s house to have the meeting. I logged in and waited for the family to start to chime in... my aunt and uncle were out sitting by the pool using their iPad for the meeting, my mom comes in from work and she sits at the kitchen table next to me but she also has my sister on her phone listening in… for some reason she was unable to connect to the zoom, meanwhile all my aunts and uncles, cousins, all my brothers and sisters on my mom and my dad’s side are all online. They had no idea what I was going to say, they were thinking OMG does she have cancer (we have lost a few family members on both sides to cancer, but NOPE that was not the case) like you could just see all the worry on their faces. So how did I start the meeting? I opened the meeting with prayer of course and began to address my family. Here is a run down of all that was given to my family:
Medical Notes
Cardiac Cauterization - Jon Rodney Resar, MD 410-614-1132
Primary Care Provider - Daljeet S. Saluja, MD 410-358-6450
Dr. Valeria Fomitcheva, MD - general physician at Salujah Medical Associates 410-358-6450
Cardiologist - Dr. Sirisha Donekal at Maiden Choice Cardiology 410-680-2121
Cardiac Surgeon - Dr. Hanza Aziz @ 601 North Caroline St. 7th fl (8 am 7/13/23) 443-927-3345
On Tuesday May 16, 2023, during my routine checkup at Salujah Medical Associates by Dr. Valeria Fomitcheva,MD it was discovered that I previously had a heart attack based on my EKG.
On Wednesday May 17, 2023, I was referred to Dr. Sirisha Donekal (cardiologist) who confirmed that I actually did have a heart attack based on her review of the EKG.
On Thursday May 18, 2023, I was given an echocardiogram and a heart monitor to wear from May 18-21, 2023.
On Saturday May 27, 2023, When I returned from Punta Cana the monitor was returned.
On Thursday June 1, 2023, the results of the stress test indicated that the heart attack I previously had was massive even though I felt nothing but fatigue during that time.
On Tuesday June 27, 2023, I was scheduled for a cardiac angiogram which was canceled and rescheduled for 2 pm at Johns Hopkins Hospital on July 7, 2023.
On Friday July 7, 2023, I had an angiogram at Johns Hopkins and the results are as follows:
1. Coronary artery disease with blockages in all 3 main arteries left 60%, right 80%, and front 100%.
2. Recommendation for follow up with my primary care doctor, cardiologist, and cardiac surgeon to discuss possible cardiac bypass.
On Tuesday July 11, 2023, I followed up with my primary care doctor in which I informed her of the results of the angiogram. She will contact Hopkins for all other information that she needs. I also followed up with the cardiologist at Maiden Choice cardiology to inform her of the results of the angiogram that was done at Hopkins and to obtain copies of the echocardiogram (similar to a sonogram of my heart) to take with me when I go see the surgeon.
On Thursday July 13, 2023 I had an appointment scheduled to see the cardiac surgeon Dr. Aziz at Johns Hopkins.
1. He recommended a triple bypass due to the level of blockage in the arteries.
2. He explained everything to me in detail and recommended that surgery be done in August.
3. He will contact me in early August with the dates.
4. I will be hospitalized for 5-7 days at Hopkins
5. The First 2 weeks after surgery will be the most challenging.
6. Week 3 will begin the transition to feeling better
7. By Week 4 I should be able to walk a mile.
8. After 1 month I will be due back for a follow up appointment with the surgeon. And he hopes to never see me again.
Possible complications and risk after surgery are as follows:
Bleeding - 3%
Stroke - 1-2%
Wound infection less than 1%
The goal is to get the blood sugars under full control and a A1C of 5.5-6
He also told me that diabetes causes inflammation of the arteries and veins among a host of other things. this is the main cause of the heart disease.
My A1C numbers have been out of control ranging from 13 to now 11 and once they are managed properly and down to normal range of 5-6 . I should never have to visit this ever again… this cannot be controlled just by mere eating but managed by a physician diagnosing the proper medication.
Friday July 14, 2023, I received a call from Megan my surgeon’s nurse practitioner informing me that the surgery has been scheduled for Wednesday August 2, 2023 @ 5:30 am at Johns Hopkins
On Saturday July 21, 2023 for about 1-2 mins I experienced having a stroke spoke to my physician assistant David... all things came right back to normal within a few minutes.
Now I know that was a lot of information, every time I read it this takes me back to that day and I am looking at the faces of my family members some are in trucks, cars, and pulled over on the road listening, tears rolling, mute buttons are popping on because they don’t want me to hear them crying. As I look across the screen I see my cousin Lamont’s face (This is my big head cousin who always talks about how big my head is and we crack each other up all the time but now it’s serious) and he’s in tears and it brings me to tears, my cousin PJ is crying, and if any of yall know my oldest and favorite cousin who’s really like my oldest sister… Vonnie (if you know her then you know she is the one that whenever something is going on you will hear her crying first LOL) she is balling she muted the phone and went off camera. When Aunt Dora hears me crying she comes in the house to check on me to be sure I’m ok. Now I can’t talk much because I’m totally choked up with tears and emotion just seeing my family’s reactions… Let me make things a little clearer… The last major loss we had in my family on my mom’s side was the loss of my Grandmother and Grandfather and things didn’t go to well with the family after that… we have not had a lot of death on my mom’s side of the family among our immediate family so yes, the loss of my grandparents was tuff and my situation appeared to be very extreme. So, then the questions start and I answered each question they asked… Most of the family was very loving and caring I had one question by one of my mom’s sisters as to why I waited until now to let everyone know… I simply stated that I was not going to go back and forth with info until I had all of the information to make this a one-time meeting to address every question or concern. One of my older cousins on my dad’s side of the family Desi immediately said Rica (That what she calls me and she loves it LOL) I love you cousin and I want to thank you for giving us all of this information the way that you did it was straight and to the point you have answered every question I had in my mind. We will be there for you and most of all we will be praying, but now I have to get off of this phone and deal with my feelings. My Aunt Pat in NYC said baby you already know I love you and we Mitchener’s are praying and pulling through for you, and then my Aunt Joyce Mitchener and everyone else began to concur. Then the comments came one after the next, I could feel nothing else but love. I told them if they had any other questions don’t hesitate to give me a call but most of all I will be resting. I let them know that I will be spending my 6 months of recovery at Aunt Dora’s house as it was the best place for me to be, it wasn’t possible for me to stay with my mom because she lives on the 3rd floor of her apartment complex and I would not be able to walk up and down all the stairs to do my daily walking once released to walk heck I was only able to walk down 3-5 stairs for the first 6 weeks. But there’s much more to that piece. Not only the place and location my mom and I are like battering rams at this point we are not getting along at all. My Auntie is well aware of our toxic relationship and she sat us down after this meeting and asked one of the most important questions I heard that day…. She had us both sitting in the kitchen and she looked us in our eyes and said, “What are the both of you going to do if she goes into this surgery and dies”? What will be your last words to each other? On the inside I never thought about this, and I am literally sitting there thinking what do I have to say? Why is it so difficult for me to think of what I’m going to say to my mother if this is my last day? I’m not even paying attention to the fact that my mom is a bit quiet as well… Moment of silence and the thought crosses my mind ummmm there’s a problem Scottie. There’s not just a problem with my physical heart but a major problem with my Spiritual Heart! This is most definitely a problem, we are absolutely about to hit some turmoil and issues that I have been holding on to and not even realizing that I’m holding toxicity in my heart that’s cause reflections of hurt, unforgiveness and trauma. Do I want to check out this way? I don’t think so but instead of feeling repentant I immediately get angry. Then I have the nerve to speak out of that anger and say to my mom, “Oh well if this is it for me I hope to see you in heaven one day”. Guys just typing that statement made my heart ache just now… I can’t believe I was even thinking in that way, totally in my feelings and not even considering that my mother is in fear of loosing her daughter… Let me tell you Anger, hurt, and unforgiveness are absolutely horrible demon spirits and if they can run your life and your emotions you are in major trouble. And guess what guys I was in trouble. The next few days were quite critical and we are about to do a little more deep-sea diving… But as always do what you do for me each week, put your hands on your chest and tell me How’s your heart!
PSA: I have posted a few pictures of of Brother Terrell I miss our conversations but I know for sure I will see him again! Continue to enjoy those streets of Gold and the Miraculous Glory of His Presence!
Terrell Weaver I love you to life Big Brother!
This smile will surely make you smile!
CAD Heart Facts
Always be mindful of your health… Never take a symptom for granted, and always be sure to attend your regular doctor appointments.
Here are a Few Simple Facts about Heart Disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as coronary heart disease, is a chronic condition that occurs when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle. This plaque is made up of cholesterol and other substances and can partially or completely block blood flow. CAD is the most common cardiovascular disease.
Symptoms of CAD can range from none to more frequent and intense, including:
· Chest pain, fullness, or pressure (angina)
· Fatigue
· Heart palpitations
· Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
· Swelling in the hands or feet
CAD can be diagnosed by a medical professional using lab tests, ECGs, echocardiograms, or other imaging tests. There is no known cure, but CAD can be managed with lifestyle changes, medications, angioplasty, or surgery to improve symptoms. Some recommended lifestyle changes include:
· High levels of physical activity (200 to 300 minutes per week)
· Low-calorie diet (800 to 1500 kcal/day)
· Weight-loss maintenance programs
· Eating a healthy, balanced diet that's low in fat and high in fiber, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and no more than 6g (0.2oz) of salt per day
· Avoiding tobacco use
·
What Is Coronary Heart Disease? | NHLBI, NIH
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)
·
About Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) - CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC (.gov)
·
Coronary Artery Disease Prevention - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)
· Show all
This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional. Generative AI is experimental.
Featured snippet from the web
Coronary artery disease, also called CAD, is a condition that affects your heart. It is the most common heart disease in the United States. CAD happens when coronary arteries struggle to supply the heart with enough blood, oxygen and nutrients. Cholesterol deposits, or plaques, are almost always to blame.
How it All Started Part 3
So we are at July 11, 2023, I’m laying in bed, received instructions from Holy Spirit to basically chill girl you are healed now endure the process, and so I close my eyes and go to sleep, cause that’s the one thing I seem to do very well lately. The very next day I have to call my Directors and managers at MSP (Maryland State Police) and let me take a pause right here and say I work for one of the best Departments in the State of Maryland. Once I gave the report of what had happened every single person gave me major support and help in anyway I needed it!! Our Top-ranking officer (The Coronel) personally called me to hear the story and give me support stating that if I needed anything to please let him know, he gave me his contact information and told me to have my family contact him when the surgery was done so that the department knew that I was well and in recovery. That phone call brought me to tear as many more did during this preparation. So I didn’t just get calls to find out if my work was complete, No... I got calls to see if I was ok, if I needed anything, any assistance in preparing for this procedure and most of all Love. Now I don’t know if you get this from your place of employment but let me tell you MSP is the exception! So once the initial phone call to let them know I would not be back in the office and will be working as much as I can from home until the date of my surgery on August 2, 2023. Daily I am making arrangements to prepare for surgery, obtaining all of the items I need for time in the hospital and my six months of recovery. During the third week of July I contacted one of the sisters from my church who is a Notary Republic to get my Living will notarized which was one of the requirements by JHH before having a surgery of this magnitude. (If you need a great Mobile Notary please contact My sister friend Sharon Blakely at: Ms B Notary 4 U) I had to be sure everything was in order so that there would be no question that didn’t have an answer. I remember this was Friday July 20, 2023, this was such a busy weekend, while preparing for surgery I also had a graduation party that I was helping to cater coming up on Sunday July 22, 2023… Now let me back track a little bit, I also had two of my favorites here visiting with me from NYC the last week of June until my surgery week, Talaya and Eden. We were planning to have a little family summer fun until I found out I needed to have surgery, at any rate Talaya was determined to stay and help in any way she could. As always, I thank God everyday for how HE sent help through every step of the way. Now back to the busy weekend… Friday after getting all of my paperwork completed and notarized for the hospital, confirming all preop appointments, ordering husband pillows, socks, pj’s you name it we got it done. The support begin to pour in friends and family begin to purchase items that I had on my amazon list, again the love was starting to flow. Then I needed to hit the stores to shop for the catering event on Sunday, got that done, now we are up to Saturday July 21, 2023 of course all I want to do is rest and sleep in my body but my mind is saying let’s get up and enjoy the weather, it’s hot outside let’s go to the park for a little while. A few of our friend met us and we all went to the park near my house, the kids are having fun on the swings, slides and just running around… everyone starts to get a little hungry so I make a run to Royal Farm and grab some chicken, fries, and rolls and take it back to the park. Royal Farm has some of the best fried chicken oh my goodness... at any rate the kids all eat and it’s back to the park so I’m feeling full of energy and hop up to go get on the swings… I challenge the kids that I can most definitely get higher on the swings then they can… so I get going and I’m up higher and having fun messing with them saying, “Now I’m older than yall and you guys can’t get higher than me on these swings”. I’m laughing and having fun then I start to feel a little funny and I hear a still small voice on the inside of me say Errica, slow down and get off of the swing. Now I know for sure that was the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to me, one thing for sure I can tell you I know HIS voice. So there was not a question, I said ok I slowed the swing down and as soon as my feet were about to hit the ground my body begins to feel numb and all I could see was a golden circle in my vision surrounding my head, for about a minute maybe longer, then I slowly walk toward Talaya and she’s looking at me and grabs my arms and says are you ok? Guys I’m staring at her and in my mind I’m saying yes I’m fine, but I can’t get the words out of my mouth. She stares at me waiting for an answer and I promise you guys I’m saying to her I’m fine in my mind but it is not coming out of my mouth! Then I see her eyes get really big and she holds my arms tighter and says Errica! Are you ok? I finally get out yes I’m ok. Well what happened was she saw the entire left side of my face loose figure it drooped down and then came back to normal. (This is one of the actions that takes place when you have a stroke) I said just let me sit down for a second. So she walks me over to the blanket and I sit down just to shake myself and get myself together, but my mind was in a fog I still felt like I was floating. After I sat there for a few minutes got myself together I said ok guys let’s go home… We loaded up my truck and everyone else loaded up their cars and we went back to my house yes I had a stroke and drove myself back home… (as I sit here and write this shaking my head, I was clearly out of my mind! What in the world was I thinking?) it was about a 5 min ride but when I got home I began to prep my food for the catering event the very next day. Once I get settled and the young ladies are in the kitchen with me while I’m prepping…. I am butchering lamb chops but I am constantly calling the lamb chicken… (WHAT?) Yes yall I’m calling lamb chops chicken… I keep saying to them I have no idea why I’m calling this chicken. So what I didn’t know is that my brain had been effected by the stroke, the reason I kept calling the lamb chops chicken was because my brain kept remembering the last thing I did prior to the stroke, I was in Royal Farms buying chicken for everyone. Now I’m standing in my kitchen saying in my mind, “Girl why are you still calling these lamb chops chicken?” What is wrong with you? Guys I’m walking around acting like I didn’t just have a stroke! SMH! I continue to press through because I have this party tomorrow! Man Oh Man was I crazy! I felt like I was blinking in and out of reality… Now while in the kitchen prepping the girls are offering to help me get things done and I’m saying no no no I got this… I am so use to cooking alone that’s just how I roll so finally I get all the lamb chops butchered and clean then started the marinating process… (By the way my lamb chops are phenomenal! I will add a picture for you guys)… Let me just say I can’t even begin to explain all that was going on in my head, it seemed like there was a huge tornado that shook up everything in my mind and the level of confusion was on a whole new level that I have never experience in my life. It was like I was running around in my brain trying to put everything back in it’s proper order, but I didn’t have enough arms and legs to get all of my thoughts and actions back in the proper places. I sit here and write this for you guys and I am still in awe of how I made it not only through this weekend but the next 2 weeks, as I said it before and I will continue to say it over and over again “It was nothing but the Grace of God that kept me alive through this entire ordeal.” The wonderful, awesome, power of God kept me! Sitting here with tears in my eyes knowing that there are people who have had minor heart attacks, and didn’t live to see the very next second! Nobody could ever tell me that there is no God and I believe them… There is still so much more to tell but my eyes are starting to let me know that it’s time to check out what my eyelids look like for a few hours. LOL!! Now as we ended the convo last week do me a favor and put your hands on your chest and tell me How’s your Heart?
Heart Healthy Meals
Chicken Jerk burger lettuce wrap.. let’s cook smart and eat smart.. Control your heart by controlling what you eat.
Jamaican Style Chicken Jerk Burger
Chicken Jerk Burgers
1-2 lbs. of ground chicken
2 cloves of fresh garlic Chopped
1 Tbsp. of Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 Tbsp. of Spicy Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
2 Tbsp. of light mayo made with olive oil
1Tbsp. of parsley
Mix All ingredients in a medium size bowl until all ingredients are combined well. Scoop out the burger mix and form burgers.
Cook burgers in a frying pan with about 1 Tbs of olive oil or on a grill until done. Should only take about 3-4 mins each side.
Rolls: For the best GMI results use Rye or Pumpernickel rolls or a mix of the two. You can also use lettuce like in the picture above. Toast rolls in a pan with a small amount of Vegan Butter spread until the roll is crispy then add your own condiments.
There are fries in the picture but trust me they are not for you LOL! Unless you make sweet potato fries…
Enjoy!
Chicken Jerk Burger lettuce wrap
Heart Healthy Meals
Curry Chicken and Green Beans
4 Chicken thighs or 4 chicken breast
2-3 Cloves of fresh garlic minced
1 white onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
2 Tbs. Jamaican Curry Powder
1 small bag of fresh green beans
Clean all your chicken properly and then cut into chunks or strips however you prefer. Season your chicken with adobo with cumin, salt, pepper to your liking. Rinse all veggies and chop to prepare for stir-fry.
Prep a large frying pan or wok with olive oil, heat medium to high temperature. Take the seasoned chicken chunks or strips and stir-fry until done add curry powder then add cut veggies and stir-fry together until tender but still snappy and crunchy.
Let simmer for about 3-5 minutes
PSA: Never Cook all of the life out of your veggies.
As you see the picture has it served on white rice… but you can use not brown rice or no rice at all it taste amazing alone just add more green beans and it will fill you up. Light and Heart Healthy.
Enjoy and make me a plate.
How it all started Part 2
Ok Guys so let’s jump back into where we left off! So, we are at July 7, 2023 JHH for the Cardiac Angiogram or Cardiac Catherization, this is the test that happens while you are still awake…. SMH! Yes, I said it still awake… you are given a twilight anesthetic so the surgeons are still able to talk to you… but I had to remain very still because my arm is strapped to the procedure table and a very thin catheter being inserted in one of two places…. Either in the right wrist artery (which is where mine was inserted) or the left groin artery. So yall know I am jive listening to the surgeons talk through the meds LOL! I tell them hey guys I can feel a little pressure and they tell the anesthesiologist to give me more. So, now I’m feeling a little dizzier but still trying to ear hustle and find out what’s going on. One of the nurses ask me am I ok and I said sure I’m good. So, the surgeons said you are almost done we are starting to remove the catheter, all the pictures and scans have been taken so I say to the surgeons, “ok guys so what we doing a stint or two”? I get a very swift NO and we will talk to you in recovery. So, I got quiet and said Oh Boy! While in recovery the surgeons said to me it was revealed that severe triple-vessel coronary artery disease, with 100% chronic total occlusion of the mid left anterior descending artery, mid left circumflex with 80% stenosis, ostial to proximal obtuse marginal 1 with 60% stenosis, and right posterior descending artery with ostial 95% stenosis. Okay that was everything in medical terms but in plain text all three of my major cardiac arteries were blocked one 100%, one 80%, and one 60%.... basically, I’m barely getting any blood through this body. The surgeons told me you have been referred for surgical revascularization. I was told to go home and rest, do little or nothing going forward. Very little driving, walking, working, and no exertion at all. So, I was still trying to process all that has happened in my mind and things still seemed to be a little foggy…. Well after leaving the hospital I received a call from my surgeon’s office. His nurse Megan called to get me set up for the surgery. Let me just say that Megan was the best of the best! She was so sweet and helped me with everything I needed to be properly ready for surgery. She immediately did paperwork for my job to prepare for my long-term sick leave as I would be out of work for 6 months, after this call with her she set up a meeting with Dr. Aziz (my surgeon) myself, my aunt, and my mom. When I tell you, he came in the exam room and he took me through this situation from top to bottom! He explained how the blockages happened, he taught me about the dangers of my A1C being a 13 for long periods of time, which means the blood sugar readings were between 300-400 or higher! And I had the nerve to try and brag and say well I got it down to a 11…. SMH! Whoop-D-Do was the look he gave me. LOL!! So, I said okay Doc I got it I must do better than what I’m doing. He looked me in the eyes and he said this to me,” Errica I can fix this problem but you have to get the blood sugars under control, loose some weight, exercise, and eat to live or you will be back here with the same problem if not worst”. I sat there on that exam table and my mom and my auntie were taking notes like crazy. He showed me the pictures of my heart from the stress test and explained everything to me that he was going to do, he told me that he was going to remove the artery from my lower left arm, my right thigh, and from my thoracic area or my chest. He also explained to me that the surgery would take about 12 hours. 6 hours for the procedure and 6 hours in recovery, he also explained that my lungs and my heart will be shut down and I will be on basically the life support assistance machine until my sternum is closed and the process to wake me up from anesthesia. After this meeting I was much more informed about what was about to happen to me. Dr. Aziz informed me that he was leaving for vacation on the next day but my surgery has been scheduled for August 2, 2023 and I will need to be at the hospital at 4 am as I am the first patient on the list for surgery. He also told me to go home and continue to take it easy, if I have any issues like a heart attack, stroke, or anything out of the ordinary call 911 and have them bring me to JHH. This was July 11, 2023 so that means I have about 21 days prior to surgery. As I went home and prepared for bed that night I began to have a conversation with God and I said to Him “ok God what’s going on here?” I heard the voice of Holy Spirit say to me, “By my stripes you are healed…(1Peter 2:24) Now endure the process”. Guys the activities that transpire in the next 10 days prior to surgery are going to cause your mouth to fall open and make you say WTW! Now let me say I was beginning to move pretty slow but I didn’t know that I was moving slow, I thought I was moving at my normal pace; however, I was pretty tired all the time in the morning when I got out of bed I was tired, I was taking naps throughout the day because I was exhausted and didn’t realize it. I had no idea how close I was to death, BUT GOD!
It was nothing but the Grace of God that kept me alive through this entire ordeal. Now as we ended the convo last week do me a favor and put your hands on your chest and tell me How’s your Heart?
How It Started Part One
As I sit here and evaluate all that has happened to me in the past 12 months the very question comes to mind Who Ever Knew? What do I mean by this question? Like who ever knew that my routine doctors visit on Tuesday May 16, 2023 at the end of my visit as normal Dr. Valeria Fomitcheva would listen to my heart beat as she normally does and typically she would listen to me breathing in and out and then say, “Everything sounds great, I’ll see you in 3 months”. But not this time… she listens and then listens again and says to me your heart beat sounds a little irregular let’s do your EKG (Electro Cardiogram), it’s about time for that test anyway and I said ok let’s get it done. So, she left the exam room to get the EKG equipment and we proceeded… all the electro patches were placed on my chest in several areas and I was laid back chilling on the exam table wanting desperately to take a nap, but of course that didn’t happen the test only takes about 5 minutes. Once the test was complete she read the results and says to me, “Errica this test shows that you’ve had a heart attack”. So, I look at her and say really… ok. She says I need you to come back to the office tomorrow morning the cardiologist will be here she can examine you and check the test results again. I agreed and the very next day Wednesday May 17, 2023 at 9 a.m. I saw Dr. Sirisha Donekal the cardiologist from Maiden Choice Cardiology, and she confirmed that I have indeed had a heart attack. Now I can tell you guys in my mind I’m wondering how have I had a heart attack? I never had any of that left arm pain or numbness, you know how we see people on T.V. shows have heart attacks or even maybe someone we know whose had a heart attack… I had none of these symptoms at all. But they say the test shows I’ve had a heart attack, I never freaked out I just calmly followed the instructions given to me. Dr. Donekal told me that she needed to see me in her office tomorrow to receive a echocardiogram and a heart monitor so that she can gain more data on my heart. I was assigned to wear the heart monitor for 1 week from May 18 – 22, 2023. During this time, I went on vacation to Punta Cana in the DR and let me tell you I had a ball, my doctor was extremely happy that I was going on vacation and she encouraged me to relax as much as possible so you guys know what I did right? Relax, Relate, Release!!! That’s exactly what I did without hesitation! We are going to have to have a whole separate talk about the Punta Cana Girls Trip! But back to the matter at hand… When I returned from the DR on Saturday May 27, 2023 (the day before my birthday I might add) I returned the heart monitor so my cardiologist could obtain all the data for more testing. I was scheduled for a stress test on Thursday June 1, 2023, the doctor needed the stress test to obtain pictures of my heart and to obtain a correct ejection fraction results of my heart rate at different levels of exercise and rest.
Well when the test was over Dr. Donekal told me that it may be at least a week prior to getting the test results back, but she wanted to put a rush on them with a major look of concern on her face. So of course, I smiled at her, I told her ok thanks, and I will wait to hear from you. The very next day while driving home from work on Friday June 2, 2023 I received a call from the doctor’s office and she said to me” Hello Ms. Mitchener I have your test results back! I said wow Doc that was quick! She said “Well Ms. Mitchener I don’t want to scare you but are you sitting down?” Yes, but I’m driving, and trust me Doc you cannot scare me ok just tell me what the results are and let’s move forward. So, I pulled over and told her ok tell me what the results are. She said well what we thought was just a heart attack turned out to be a massive heart attack! She sounded terrified, and All I said was okkkk… so she said let me give you a little more info to help you understand. When you have a heart attack the area that’s been affected changes color and it looks grey… I said alright, and she continued your entire heart is grey… So again, I sat there and I listened and I really honestly had no words guys so I just said ok. So, what do we do next. She stated again I’m not trying to scare you and right at that point I said to her listen Dr. Donekal I said it once and I will say it again you cannot scare me I am not afraid of any of what you are saying to me! Let’s just get the facts and establish a plan so we can take care of this problem. So, she said I need you to make a choice of which Hospital you want to have this procedure you can do St. Agnes Hospital or John’s Hopkins Hospital you need to have a Cardiac Angiogram (Cardiac Catherization) done. This test will show us if there are any blockages in your heart. You guys know I choose Johns Hopkins for sure right! Don’t get it twisted y’all I’m going to the Best of the Best!
So, in a matter of weeks I go from having my normal quarterly doctors visit to finding out that I had a massive heart attack and I’m now being schedule for a cardiac procedure to find out why all of this has happened. Now let me tell you there is so much more to this story that began to unfold in the next few weeks… I’m still amazed that I am alive by the Grace and Power of God to be able to sit here and give you the full story. So, hang in there with me guys from the written blog to the video blogs you will hear, see, learn and grow with me!
As always, I love you guys to Life!
Now put your hands over your chest and tell me How’s Your Heart?
Errica L. Mitchener
Heart Shorts……
Hey guys here you will find a few short videos on some critical and none critical info that I learned as a result of the entire Heart Journey. Sit back and turn your listening skills up to 10.