Why do I "Go Red"?

Friday, February 7 was Go Red for Women day.  Each year, I wear red for two amazing women in my life who are still here today despite their diagnoses with heart disease thanks to prevention and intervention.

My Mom

Ten years ago, my mom, 47 years old at the time, went to the emergency room with back pain and nausea. She was told she had pulled a muscle in her back and was sent home.  After her symptoms worsened, she went back to the ER to learn that she was having a heart attack.  An otherwise healthy, thin, 47 year old woman with her symptoms was not on the radar of the ER staff as a potential heart attack victim.

My mom had a stent placed, did all of the necessary cardiac rehab, and learned all she could to help prevent future heart issues.  But, heart disease is a disease by definition: "a condition that impairs normal functioning," and continues to surface with issues to this day for my mom.  She does all she does all she can to sustain her health through exercise, medication, and diet, but genetics continue to work against her.  We are grateful for the wonderful care she receives, the medications that sustain her despite the disease, for medical insurance that makes this care possible, and for the increased awareness of cardiac risk in women and the unique symptoms that can accompany it.  Thanks to all of these, my mom is still here today, leading a normal life as wife, mom, and grandma:)

Christmas 2013
Proud Grandma!

My Grandma

Nearly 30 years ago, my grandma (my mom's mom) had double coronary bypass surgery (meaning she had two blocked arteries that were bypassed in her heart with healthy blood vessels used from her leg).  This was a pretty major operation in the 1980s and resulted in my grandma being hospitalized for over a week (which is unheard of today).  She also recovered well thanks to wonderful care, medication, diet, and exercise, but still closely monitors her health with regular doctor visits.

Christmas 2013
My grandparents in their 80s

I am forever grateful for each of these women who have lived many years beyond their heart disease diagnoses!

Three generations

(Please know this post is by no means minimizing the reality of heart disease in men, as our family has also seen its share.  Rather, to increase awareness of a disease that was for many years though to be an issue that mainly effects men and rarely women. The awareness has been growing as more women face heart disease and that the warning signs are often not the same as for men.)