I’m grateful to the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for not only providing the resources that saved my life, but featuring my story and how Sheila helped.
“The personal training is not really a business. It’s more of a giving back,” said Andy, who also is a reputation management consultant. “There’s so many people that don’t know their own risks, and I just want to be that person that is just gently prodding, ‘Hey, get your cholesterol checked. Watch your blood pressure. Watch for these types of foods. Don’t smoke.'”
Besides eating healthy and working out, Andy maintains his health through a combination of medications and a heart monitor. He and Sheila also check in with each other if they don’t feel right and talk through their options, including whether they should go the emergency room.
Sheila urges people to not be afraid to act.
“Be proactive. Don’t sweep things under the rug,” she said. “I’m glad we erred on the side of caution that morning even though Andy felt perfectly fine. I’m so glad we were in the emergency room when the stroke happened, the big one.”
I’m committed to helping spread the word about stroke and heart attack prevention and the important role family members play.