A Change of Heart: I got into the WomenHeart Symposium!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

I got into the WomenHeart Symposium!

Great news--I've been accepted into the WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium!

http://www.womenheart.org/programsEvents/programs/national.cfm

It's four days at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and is a fantastic opportunity not only to train to become a champion spokeswoman for women with heart disease but to connect with other women who've been through similar things. I'm really excited. :) I sent my application off, then tried to just put it out of my mind, because at that point the decision was out of my hands.

I was a little nervous opening the big envelope from WomenHeart last night; I cracked it open and peeked in cautiously, saw the word "congratulations," grinned, and only then opened it the rest of the way.

2 comments:

AnonymousAugust 23, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Great news, Laura! Prepare to be amazed - by the experience, by the Heart Sisters you will meet there, by Mayo Clinic, by the fabulous (heart-smart) food every day, by the delightful surprises every day.

CONGRATS!
Carolyn Thomas
Mayo grad, 2008
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LauraAugust 23, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Thanks--I'm really looking forward to it, excited, thrilled, a little bit nervous. :)
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Why am I doing this?

In March of 2009 I had a heart attack. It was as much a surprise to me as it was to the doctors; I don't have any risk factors--no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no clogged arteries, no family history; plus I'm a young (in cardiac terms) female who exercises. Definitely NOT the usual suspect for a heart attack.

But tell that to my body--I had one anyway. Turns out that I experienced a rare thing called a Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection. Don't google the term unless you're prepared to be depressed by mortality rates and statistics, and the fact that doctors really have no clue about what causes some people to have them.

The bright side is that my toast landed butter side up, and I'm still here. In 2009 I put together a one-shot fanzine called A Change of Heart; you can get a PDF copy of it from efanzines.com here. This blog is an extension of that fanzine and an effort to reach more people, both in and out of of the fannish science fiction community.

If you want to read my story from the beginning, I suggest starting with this link to my wonderful husband Paul's journal:

Laura Had A Heart Attack Monday Morning.

He kept up a pretty good running commentary of what was happening while I was still in the hospital, and it starts there. The "Next" and "Previous" links move to later and earlier entries, detailing our experiences.

In October, 2010, I competed in and finished the Chapel Hill Ramblin' Rose Triathlon. These are pictures Paul took of me riding my bike and running (he couldn't get into the pool).