New dimensions
Troy woman tells inspiring heart transplant story in new book
Kristy Sidlar was flying high in life, working as a popular young professional and fitness instructor. But, after collapsing during an aerobics class, everything changed. After a long series of tests and continued incidents, Sidlar found out she would eventually need a new heart.
“The doctors said it was going to get worse over time, and the more you exercise, the worse it will get,” says the longtime Troy resident. “Try telling someone very active that you can basically just walk and do some yoga! So, I had to make adjustments. But, I knew that over time, I would need to get a heart transplant.”
The opportunity for a new heart came in 2020, just in time. Sidlar says what got her through it was her strong social network of friends and family, as well as emotional wellness.
“I put together this Wellness Widget, which is six dimensions of wellness,” she said. “I really focused on my life, and I believe that helped me.”
Now, Sidlar has put all of those experiences
into her debut memoir, “Change of Heart: My Journey of Transplantation, Revelation & Transformation.” The book, which has topped Amazon’s charts, offers an up-close look at her incredible survival story, as well as the tools that she used to mentally and emotionally cope.
“In addition to telling my story, I focus on wellness,” she says. “The last two chapters are on my Wellness Widget.”
The six dimensions of the Wellness Widget are physical, emotional, social, spiritual, financial and vocational. They’ll also form the basis for book No. 2, which is in the works.
“I believe we all pay attention to those dimensions (in) different ways at different times, but I think we can all do better in all areas,” she says. “We’re all going to go through some kind of trauma in life, and I think if we take care of ourselves in advance, then we’ll be able to weather those storms better.”
Sidlar says she has always loved writing, so doing a memoir was a natural fit.
“After I got home from the hospital, I thought about the old guy next to me in the hospital,” she said. “While I was recovering, I was thinking about my hobbies, my job that was waiting for me, my family and more and started thinking about what he had waiting for him. Also, would he not want to do rehab? Would he not be well enough to take his 200 pills a week? I wished I could help him prepare, so I wrote this book, and I hope it helps many.”