Category: Health

A Healthy Heart

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23 ESV)

February is American Heart Month. I’ve long been aware of the heart problems that run in my family. My grandma had a heart attack and bypass surgery when I was fourteen, and my grandpa followed with quadruple bypass surgery a few years after that. Almost all my mom’s siblings have (or had) high blood pressure, stents, or other heart issues.

In late 2024, my family history caught up with me, and I joined the high blood pressure club. As I’ve written about before, I had gone to the doctor for a regular checkup, and everything was fine. Then two weeks later, I had a dizzy spell, my blood pressure spiked, and it didn’t come down for three days, resulting in a trip to the ER and a follow up with my doctor. After numerous tests to determine if there was an underlying cause, and then a referral to a cardiologist, the cardiologist determined that there was no underlying cause, just a long family history of hypertension. Continue reading “A Healthy Heart” →

A Limp and a Prayer

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. (Jeremiah 17:14)

The past year has been rough on my health. Last September, my blood pressure, which had always been normal, suddenly spiked after a dizzy spell and didn’t go down for three days, prompting only my second ever trip to the ER. While in the ER, my blood pressure went up to 164/117—definitely scary territory, especially because I didn’t feel any differently. Months of appointments and tests followed that trip to the ER—appointments and tests that didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary. Eventually, I was referred to a cardiologist who determined that my family history, rather than an underlying issue, had caught up with me. The good news is that with medication, my blood pressure is back under control. The bad news is that the medication zaps my energy and took months to adjust to, and there are still days that I struggle.

Continue reading “A Limp and a Prayer” →

The Heart: What Makes Us Who We Are

Posted on by Staci Mauney

This post appeared previously on February 28, 2021.

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” (Mt. 22:37)

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first proclamation to make February American Heart Month. With the ongoing, global COVID pandemic, paying attention to our heart health carries even more importance since the virus impacts the heart. Continue reading “The Heart: What Makes Us Who We Are” →

Fighting Burnout

Posted on by Staci Mauney

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. (Matt. 8:18)

Merriam Webster’s defines burnout as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.” In January 2022, the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that burnout and stress were at all-time highs across all professions, and statistics show that just 51 percent of small businesses make it past five years.

None of these statistics are in my favor as a small business owner coming out of the pandemic. I’ve run Prestige Prose for almost eight years now. The good news is, my business has survived the pandemic while many others have not. Continue reading “Fighting Burnout” →

Finding Freedom from Migraines

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. (3 John 2)

Many of my long-time blog readers know that I’ve dealt with migraines for many years—25 years, to be precise. For almost two decades, I was considered a chronic sufferer, meaning I had at least 15 days of migraine pain per month. Usually, I had around 25 migraine days per month, and I took daily medication to reduce the frequency and severity of those migraines. While the medication reduced the severity, I didn’t see a decrease in frequency for a long time. Even so, a reduction in severity meant I could function—albeit, not very well much of the time. Continue reading “Finding Freedom from Migraines” →