It’s American Heart Month in February. I normally don’t post about such things here, but being aware of how fragile the heart can be is crucial. Here’s why…
In April 2005 I just got back from a trip with my husband to Singapore. The return trip was grueling and took 22 hours. I noticed I couldn’t sleep but marked it off to insomnia. The next day at home I woke up with a severe headache and vomiting. Thinking I had picked up some sort of Asian bug, I took a taxi to the doctor’s.
The doctor put a stethoscope to my heart and immediately called an ambulance. My heart had gone into fibrillation, a kind of spasm. I spent 18 hours in the Emergency room at the hospital.
Here I was a healthy, athletic woman with low to average blood pressure and no weight problem or history of heart problems. I never had a clue that this was a serious sign of heart failure. I thought I had just eaten something funny.
Women experience different heart symptoms than men when having a heart attack. If I had just waited it out at home, it could have been a very different story.
Be sure your heart is healthy with regular check ups, a healthy diet and good exercise! Mama Patsi says so…;-)
If you’d like to contribute to the American Heart Association, here’s a cute red dress pin they’ve created to celebrate the 5th year of their Heart Awareness program for women… The Heart Truth for Women Campaign…