Heart health has always been dear to me as I was born into a family with heart disease on both sides. On top of that, when I was very young my biological mother (I call her my first mom) died from it as well. When I did my first AHA walk in 2021 it was FREEZING but my husband and I layered up and had a great time walking in memory of all my family members (biological and adopted) that heart disease claimed.
Fast forward to October 2023. I went to my primary physician for my annual and after my EKG the tech said she had to get my provider; I knew this was not a good sign. I was told not to worry, but I needed to get additional testing as the EKG showed possible signs of a cardiac event. A few weeks later I found out I have a bicuspid aortic heart valve. My primary told me there were no indications of an event and briefly explained what a bicuspid aortic heart valve was to me told me and told me not to worry about it too much as I felt fine. I, like a lot of people, took my primary at their word and pushed it away as she told me not to worry and my adopted mom (I call her my 2nd mom) was gravely ill.
When I went back for my annual in 2024, I mentioned to my primary that I made an appointment with a cardiologist due to my family's history and having a bicuspid aortic heart valve. My primary said it couldn't hurt and it was probably wise with my family's history.
A few months later I saw a cardiologist. I mentioned the previous testing I had, and she reviewed the test results and notes in the system. The cardiologist then told me that I have heart disease and explained in detail what a bicuspid aortic heart valve was, and how serious of a condition it can be if not monitored properly. She also advised me based on my test results I will need to have heart valve replacement surgery, most likely in the next 10 years. Also, I will need to have cardiac testing repeated at least every 2 years going forward. Needless to say, I have a different primary now.
While I had started my own journey to health after my second mom died, hearing this was a wake-up call. I had not been taking care of myself as much as I needed to, especially for a woman with heart disease. Unfortunately, this is common. A lot of people think something can't happen to them until it does and even though I have lost family members and have family members living with heart disease, this was my thinking.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for American women. 44% of American women have heart disease and 45% of women were like me; they don't even know they have heart disease. Some heart attack symptoms for women are different than men's symptoms. Many women do not know this, which is why women are less likely to call 911 when they are having a heart attack.
There are so many different types of heart disease, more than I ever imagined. Like a lot of people, I didn't have any symptoms and could have gone on not knowing until something happened.
More research is needed, and accurate information needs to be spread. Please help me to raise both money and awareness.
I am not just walking for myself; I am walking for those who do not know they have heart disease, those who have lost loved ones, and those who continue to fight every day. If you can help me raise funds for the AHA, I would greatly appreciate it.