What the heck is he doing back there behind the podium muttering to himself in a disgruntled tone? He’s unplugging and plugging-in cords, switching switches, turning dials, moving knobs and pressing buttons. He has the mussed and unkempt hair of a madman. Is he an escape from some locked facility or an idiosyncratic college professor? Nope, it’s Victor the inept and bumbling A/V guy. He’s doing his best to get the power point equipment up and running as the room hums with the sound of participants waiting to hear Dr. Crenshaw’s presentation regarding the heart; its health and wellness. He wipes the sweat from his furrowed brow and in a moment of complete frustration bangs his hand down hard on the console. Something beeps, clicks and then there is a blinding flash from the projector——-it’s come to life and the first power point slide rests majestically on the screen! Victor shyly grins to the audience and scurry’s off to bring down the house lights and then retreats to a remote dark corner to mope. The Heart of the Matter Size: About as big as your fist. Weight: Approximately 11 ounces. Responsibility: Pump fluid through more than 60,000 miles of piping. Amount of fluid pumped during its life span: One hundred million gallons. Number of thumbs in 70 years: Over 2.5 Billion; in one year 35 million; in one day 100,000. Reputed attributes: The seat of human emotion; the receptor and transmitter of love, sadness and joy. Favorite month: February. Favorite things: Flowers and chocolates (in moderation). Disposition: Fragile, easily broken. To be handled with extreme care

Dr. Crenshaw knows hearts. She is an internist with a passion for healing the sick and explaining the mysteries of health and wellness to anyone and everyone who is willing to listen.  On February 4th in honor of the “Go Red for Women, Love Your Heart Month”, she gave a very informative presentation entitled “Evaluate & Reduce Your Risk for Heart Disease.”   Let’s get something straight before I go any further, Dr. Crenshaw is not all “doctory”; she can take all the medical complexities and break it down into laymen terms.  It’s like talking to your hairdresser except she’s really smart and has valuable information to share rather than idle gossip (“Have you noticed that so and so has blah, blah, blah?”  “What a shame, tell me more!”)

She also has a great sense of humor.  The presentation started about five minutes late due to me fumbling around trying to get the AV gear working.  Dr. Crenshaw comically commented to the participants, “Well if he can’t get the A/V working I’ll have to give my other presentation on “sex and aging”.  The comment broke the ice and erased any intimidation the participants might have had about asking future questions.

The average age of the participants I would say was around sixty years old.  I suppose the maladies afflicting a younger person’s heart is more apt to be in the realm of romance rather than failed plumbing.  When we are young we are invincible and careless; age makes us wise and grateful (no, I didn’t say feeble and forgetful!). The audience of twenty-plus individuals appeared very grateful for the information Dr. Crenshaw conveyed.

There was information shared regarding blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol and medications.  Questions arose regarding what is medically normal and what might require a more in-depth examination.  There was discussion on what medical tests should be run and for what purposes.  A considerable amount of time was spent discussing prevention and how to make healthy lifestyle choices.

There are a lot of factors affecting the wellness of a heart and the body it works so hard to keep alive.  There is genetics, disease, nutrition, exercise, stress and lifestyle choice.  The recipe for good health is not that complex; exercise, eat fresh non-processed foods (lots of fruits and veggies), and find ways to integrate joy rather than stress into your day- into your life.  Dr. Crenshaw stated that sometimes by making appropriate lifestyle changes individuals may be able to reduce or even stop the use of some medications.

One of the points that Dr. Crenshaw made that stuck with me was that studies performed on primitive tribes revealed that they do not suffer from high blood pressure and many of the other prevailing cardiovascular ailments found in our modern society.  The doctor indicated that this was due to their eating closer to the earth (fresh non-processed foods) non-sedentary life style (exercise) and absence of stress (not trapped in a cubicle eight hours a day doing something meaningless).  Primitive tribes are close knit social groups that support each other emotionally.   I imagine that such an environment would foster positive mental health as well as physiological wellness.  On my next vacation, I am going to travel to the rainforest to see if a primitive family will adopt me!

So, I’m sitting here thinking about this righteous muscle and how efficient and mighty it is.  It’s almost childlike in its simplicity, yet unimaginably complex in design and function.  It’s the workhorse of the body and if given love and attention it will serve you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  Regular exercise, good nutrition and exercise will make your heart happy and healthy.

Now being the smarmy romantic that I am, I can’t end this blurb without mentioning the hearts primary prerequisite—–yep you guessed it——— LOVE.    Give it, receive it and spread it around like an uncontrolled love pandemic.  That’s right people, Get on board the Luv Train. Expose yourself to the Luv-Fluenza, the Luuuuuuvvvvvvv buuuuuuug, and that crazy Luuuuvvvv Viruuuuusssss!

Happy Valentine’s!
Insert Heart here ________

Thanks Dr. Crenshaw… Great job!

Comments may be emailed to Victor Uriz at vuriz@bartonhealth.org.