One Birmingham woman had bypass surgery in 2019 + has advice for protecting your heart

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Jan McSpadden is a Birmingham native, an employee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and loves watching live music around The Magic City.

In 2019, Jan had heart bypass surgery. We got to chat with Jan about her journey, and the advice she has about keeping up with our health. Here’s what we learned.

Meet Jan McSpadden

When Jan’s not working in Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s Human Resources department, you can find her enjoying a concert at Avondale Brewing Company or cheering on the Crimson Tide.

Jan knew she had a strong family history of heart disease—her mother had a heart attack at 46 years old, and two of her brothers didn’t live past the age of 50.

For most of Jan’s life, everything felt normal. She kept a check on her health, and she let her cardiologist know if she experienced any shortness of breath or chest pain.

In 2019, she went for a checkup for another surgical procedure and found out that she needed bypass surgery.

Jan was shocked—she had never experienced any standard symptoms of heart trouble. Looking back now, she realized she had some twinges in her back but assumed it was no big deal.

“You might have pain here or there and dismiss it—it was really easy to dismiss the symptoms I had.”

We all have hearts, so it’s important we know how to protect them. Head to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama for some tips.

Birmingham is home to amazing doctors + nurses

Following her surgery at Shelby Baptist, Jan went to cardio rehabilitation at Grandview Medical Center. She raved about how well the staff at each facility treated her during the procedure and recovery process.

“I think there are a lot of fantastic health providers, doctors, nurses and specialists all around Birmingham, and I think we’re in good hands with a lot of the hospitals here.”

Recovering from any surgery—especially a major bypass—can be challenging. Jan told us that although it was scary, she leaned on support from her doctors, family and coworkers.

“I was terrified, but it saved my life. I feel like my healing process went as smoothly as it could have.”

Protect your health with these Birmingham resources

Jan touched on the amazing resources her office has to help keep her in shape (like an onsite gym!) But she also plugged the awesome ways Birmingham can keep you in tip-top shape.

Here are just a few tips from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama:

• Get moving: Visit Railroad Park, Rotary Trail + other Birmingham walking trails
• Find a fitness plan + stick with it: Check out local fitness courts + gyms
• Maintain a healthy diet: Eat healthy around Bham

Jan’s piece of advice

Thanks to the help she got from Birmingham hospital staff, Jan can go on with the things she loves most in life: attending concerts, helping lead worship at her church or eating at Chuy’s with her friends!

Jan’s one piece of advice: It’s never too young to start developing healthy habits.

“I wish that I had started taking better care of my body at a younger age. I’m 53 now, so if you wanna get to my age and beyond, it’s important that you take those steps when you’re younger.

If you can create good habits when life is the busiest, then they will continue.”

Check out Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s heart health resources.

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