I'm proud to be on a team of changemakers making a real impact on the state of women's health.
Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women. The American Heart Association Go Red for Women movement's Woman of Impact campaign is working to change that.
Heart disease unfairly targets women, who have been left out of research, testing, treatment and funding. Women have been underrepresented, undertreated and undercounted. But it doesn't have to be this way. Because there's one source of support women can always count on - each other.
Together, we can engage more women in research. We can fight for access to care and treatments. And we can be a catalyst to create health solutions with women's unique health needs in mind, supporting them through every age, stage and season of life.
It's not just about wearing red. It's not just about sharing heart health facts. It's about all women connecting and committing to stand together against our greatest health threat.
This cause is near and dear to my heart because I'm a survivor.
- In fall 2016, I was an otherwise healthy 33-year-old woman. That fall, at my annual PCP check, I had randomly brought up occasional morning lightheadedness to my *amazing* PCP who decided to order an echocardiogram as a precaution. That echo led to a CT which led to a transesophageal echo and confirmation of a diagnosis of a thoracic aortic aneurysm, cause unknown, but suspected as part of some kind of undifferentiated connective tissue disease.
- Fast forward to June 2017, and I found myself undergoing a (luckily, preventative) thoracic aortic aneurysm repair at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston with an AMAZING surgeon (that story also gives me chills to this day...talk about eerie timing).
- I'm now over 8 years post surgery and am down to annual echos and periodic MRAs for monitoring. I have an almost 6.5 yo daughter whose birth/delivery was uncomplicated bc of my pre-pregnancy repair. And you better believe I've already gotten her heart checked out!
I was very very lucky to have an amazing care team all around - an amazing PCP who listened and ordered testing on vague symptoms that could have easily been dismissed, an amazing local cardiologist, and an amazing cardiologist and surgical team in Boston - and was able to correct this problem before it ruptured and became a life-threatening issue!
YOU are your own best advocate and know your body best. Always trust your gut.
The time is now. Are you with me? To support my campaign, click the Donate button.
Thank you.