Jul 15, 2019
Learning isn’t always fun, especially when someone keeps throwing statistics and figures at you. I get it, it can be confusing. Infographics aren’t for everyone. What I decided to do was create a realistic atmosphere where people can learn about the affects heart health can have on the body and mind. I’d like to introduce you to a two-part series that I am calling Heart 2 Heart where I will be introducing you to experts in the mental health and fitness fields. It’s free to tune in and you can totally participate. This series will be done through Facebook Live at the Ms. Florida United States Facebook page. Schedule: Friday, July 19th at 6:15pm EST: Licensed Mental Health Counselor Natalie Rosado will be discussing mental health’s impact on the heart. Wednesday, July 24th at 9:00pm EST: Coach Taz of Taz Fitness will be talking about the role of fitness in heart health. I will post the links to the sessions in this post after they have been completed. I hope to see you... read more
Jun 20, 2019
When I was twenty-one, I was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. The doctors in the Emergency Room told me if I walked up a set of stairs I could die. A month later I had the surgery to correct my problem. It may have physically corrected the problem but mentally I was still in shambles. I was experiencing PTSD every time I had to walk up the stairs to my then second floor apartment, and crumbling from anxiety anytime I needed to leave my safe space. Over the years I have connected with other WPW patients over social media and we’ve talked about what we went through. I have still never met someone that had surgery prior to when I did, so I’ve never had anyone to measure my experiences with in that regard. However, the people who I connected with that had their surgeries after me, I could tell exactly where they were at in their recovery. It felt good not to be alone. I participate in a group on Facebook called #GoRedGetFit and I asked the ladies if they had fears when they started working out again and what it was that they began doing. For me, after about 7 years of living in fear, I jumped on a treadmill when nobody was around and ran until I couldn’t run anymore (which was 3/4 of a mile!). Our bodies are such amazing things. My desire to workout and get back to something I enjoyed finally trumped my fear of, “What if something bad happens?” My new mentality became, “What if something good happens?” The women in... read more
Jun 1, 2019
I feel like the best parts of a vacation are sometimes the ones that you don’t plan and happen to stumble across on accident. Being a big baseball fan, it was so exciting for me to catch a game at historic Wrigley Field. I’m still kind of in that “pinch me” stage and it’s been a few weeks. Following the game, my friends and I were hungry and I am a big dessert fan (if you couldn’t already tell), so we walked into Jeni’s. Oh, the flavors. You can’t walk into Jen’s expecting that you’re going to get a normal flavor. I settled on the Gooey Butter Cake in a cup. My friends haggled me because one of the cool things about Jeni’s is that they are making the cones fresh right in front of you. I needed portion control. However, I would have considered a round two for sure because the ice cream was outstanding. It was just the perfect flavoring of sweet and savory and melted in your mouth. There were many additional flavor combinations such as Lemon & Blueberries and Pistachio & Honey. The Wrigleyville location was super cute and trendy. It was a pretty small space but tons of people were able to pack in there because of the way that the seating was set up. While the line was long when we arrived, the staff was patient and kind to all of the customers. I’d totally go back a bazillion more times if I lived in the area. I’m hoping maybe they bring one a little further south for us Floridians. Turns out they... read more
May 11, 2019
May is Mental Health Awareness month so I wanted to take a moment and dive deeper into what I went through, mentally, with my heart diagnosis. I know talking about mental health is still kind of taboo, but let me tell you something, there is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to panic. It’s okay to feel depressed. These are real emotions. We go through hard times and feel real emotions. We are not robots. I didn’t know that after I received my diagnosis of WPW that I was going to almost have a mental breakdown over it. I literally didn’t understand what was going on with my body. I couldn’t breathe. I was gasping for air. I couldn’t sleep. When I did start to fall asleep, I would have recurring dreams of what I was going through that would wake me up. I starting becoming reclusive. It was better to stay in my apartment in case I had an episode of whatever it was going on with me. When I would go out I had a routine of things I would bring with me. When I would arrive back to my apartment, I would stand at the bottom of stairs staring up at my second floor door. All I could hear in the back of my mind was the doctor telling me if I walked up a flight of stairs I could die. My heart was unpredictable. I became a shell of the Megan that I had been. I started wearing all black. I felt very alone and like nobody understood me... read more
Mar 31, 2019
I had gone for tea with a friend one day and noticed that there was a super cute Easter Bunny wreath on the shop’s front door. I took a picture and sent it to my friend Riley who immediately jumped on the idea to create our own. Riley loves crafting just as much as I do and has some amazing ideas so we put our heads together and came up with a plan. We went to our local craft store to pick up some supplies. You’ll Need: • Hot Glue Gun • Grapevine Wreaths in 2 sizes (head & body) • Grapevine to make bunny ears • Ribbon to create your bow, or buy a pre-made bow • Decorative eggs • Your choice of floral pieces • Crafting Wire • Scissors The Eggs I used about 5 bags for the smaller bunny that I made and about 7 bags for the bunny with the bigger belly. Yes, I made two wreaths–one for myself and one for my nephew. With the wreath for my nephew, I wanted to incorporate some blue so I hand painted the eggs to the specific color that I wanted. I would note to pay attention to the finish on the eggs that you are using if you wish to paint them to meet your needs. I used a matte paint but you may want to use a satin or gloss. There are several different egg packages to pick between at Michael’s craft store but for the one bunny I chose the speckled look and for the other I chose the light solid color look. The... read more
Feb 2, 2019
People often ask me why I care so much or why I choose to volunteer and advocate when there’s “nothing in it,” for me. It may sound crazy saying that I’m lucky to have gone through my experience, but I truly I am. Going through what I did changed pieces of me and gave me an understanding for what it is like to live and what it is like to LIVE. Would I want to go through it again? No. But, that’s the point. I cannot fathom going through another heart related experience. I take everyday as an opportunity to better myself, work hard and try to make a valuable contribution in this world. This year, rather than sharing a list of facts, I want to share my “why.” To me, it’s so important to make sure I am informing people of what I went through–not just physically but mentally too. It’s being open. It’s being vulnerable. It’s knowing it’s okay to cry and still be scared when reflecting back at what happened. It’s about being strong and having the courage to tell others that they don’t have to be a statistic. They don’t need to die from heart disease or stroke. I made myself a promise when I was facing my own uncertainties in the hospital, that if I was going to get up and walk out of there and be okay, that I wanted to lead a fulfilled life and I didn’t want to see anyone else that I love or care about in the same position that I had been in. Going through something heart related... read more
Oct 28, 2018
I haven’t written a post dedicated to sharing music for awhile so I figured what better time than now?! One thing that I have learned is that it is important to have a healthy mindset and to stay inspired because that positivity overflows to all different aspects of your life. Psychology Today points out that for inspiration to flow, start small. So, let’s start with a small list of 4 songs that I’ve been listening to for the last few weeks. 1. “Broken Hallelujah” – The Afters 2. “High Hopes” – Panic! at the Disco 3. “I’ll Find You” – Lecrae featuring Tori Kelly Shoutout to my friend Ricardo for introducing me to this song! 4. “Confidence” – Sanctus... read more
Jun 29, 2018
I just wanted to post all of the information about tickets and how to catch the pageant in a live stream if you’re unable to attend. Tuesday, July 3, 2018 State Costume Runway Competition – 6pm Tickets: $50 Live Stream: $12 (preorder) Thursday, July 5, 2018 Swimsuit Preliminaries – 3pm Tickets: $60 Live Stream: $16 (preorder) Friday, July 6, 2018 Evening Gown Preliminaries – 3pm Tickets: $60 Live Stream: $16 (preorder) Saturday, July 7, 2018 Finals / Crowning – 3pm Tickets: $80 Live Stream: $20 (preorder) All In One Ticket (includes all prelims and finals): $220.00 I do not get any kickbacks from the sale of tickets or the streaming service. The information is provided for those interested. Let’s do... read more
Jun 2, 2018
If you’re like me, you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to control cravings and stay on the right track (during your diet). I had gone to Warped Tour a few years ago and taken a Cookies & Cream flavor bar with me. During the day, from the heat, the cream melted. By the time I got to the protein bar, it was a gooey dream. Now, I may not be the only person who thought of this, but it gave me the idea to test out microwaving the bar in chunks in the microwave to create cookies. You can’t leave the chunks in the microwave too long or they will get hard, but if you leave them in for about 30 seconds (this will depend on your microwave as the each differ depending on your settings) they will puff up and take more of a cookie shape. Here are some photos to inspire your go at... read more
Apr 30, 2018
I was able to do something super special this past weekend. Being a heart survivor myself, I know it seems like you’re all alone when you’re going through your diagnosis. The American Heart Association actually has a Support Network now that is made up of survivors, caregivers, family members and friends whose lives have been changed by cardiovascular issues. I wish they had this back in 2006. I didn’t think anyone understood what I was experiencing. When I joined the network I did a search and found 3 posts relating to the heart complication that I went through. I know what I had was rare. I made a post to let people know that I was okay and they can pull through as well. Within a few hours someone commented and told me they chose to try the medication route and try to avoid having the surgery but they felt comfort in my success. I shared my story with anyone that would listen that came to the table during the luncheon. I passed out information and also heard really inspiring stories from others. Strangers gave me big hugs and thanked me for being brave and sharing what I went through with them. It’s honestly the least that I can do. I don’t want anyone else that I know to be affected by something heart related. It’s life changing–and for some it ends their life. 1 in 3 is too many. If you feel inclined, join the network. The Support Network is free, easy and secure. There aren’t any membership fees and you’ll also gain access to monthly Q&A sessions... read more
