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. It's difficult to say this but I was one of those women.
In December 2016, I suffered the first of what would be numerous heart attacks (aka NSTEMI) due to Prinzmetal Angina. At the time, I didn't know about the high rates of cardiovascular disease in women much less about non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) or coronary spasms. On that fateful day, my first response to the severe chest pain was to downplay the possibility of a heart attack. I felt the clenching of my throat, jaw and esophagus yet I thought why would “I” be having a heart attack? Instead of calling 911, I stood there unsure of what to do because I knew I was extremely healthy, had no known cardiac health issues, and never smoked or use drugs. In all honesty, it could have gone very, very badly had I not gone to the emergency room. Fortunately, I was able to get the care I needed in time and now I know it doesn't have to be this way. There are many resources available so women can increase their awareness and better educate themselves on the risks, symptoms, and course of action when time is of utmost importance.
My personal journey has increased my desire to engage women on heart health topics and generate interest and efforts to go toward research. Together 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.
Thank you.