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.
The time is now. Are you with me? To support my campaign, click the Donate button.
As a triple bypass survivor since December 12, 2019, I know the importance of taking care of one's heart health. One must have awareness of the signals our body is trying to convey to us. If something doesn't feel right, get it checked out.
I experienced what I expressed to my PCP as an insignificant twinge on my left arm. To be on the safe side, my PCP got me an appointment with a cardioligist while I was still in the examination room. The cardiologist ordered a stress test with contrast. Upon completion of the stress test, I was advised to go directly to the cardiologist's office. The cardiologist informed me that I needed to have a heart catherization to confirm potential vessel blockages shown on the images. The catherization procedure confirmed the images were accurate. I had what doctor's refer to as the “widow maker.” As the anesthesia was wearing off, I was informed that I was being scheduled for a 7 a.m. bypass procedure the following day, December 12th.
On the other hand, my wife, Linda, was diagnosed with a skippy heart about 2 years ago. After wearing several heart monitors last year to register her heart's effectiveness, the electrophysiologist suggested that the best option was to perform an ablation. The August 2025 ablation procedure wasn't completed because completing the procedure would have caused more damage to the heart. For now, Linda is on meds to regulate her heartbeat.
As a cautionary tale… Linda never felt any heart flutters or any discomfort. However, one morning in September 2024, she did experience a sudden zap of electricity in her chest. No pain, no discomfort, but to be safe she scheduled an appointment with the cardiologist who then referred her to the electrophysiologist.
Pay attention to anything that seems out of the norm. Wives tend to take care of the family, but many times neglect to take care of themselves.
Thank you.