WEAR RED for awareness.
GIVE for the mothers, sisters, daughters and friends that you can’t bear to live without.
As many of you know, I suffered a heart attack and went into cardiac arrest on November 6th 2018. I didn't have any of the typical risk factors for a heart attack and subsequently learned that I had a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (aka SCAD) which was essentially a tear in my LAD artery that caused a blood clot to form and cut off 99% of the blood flow to my heart. I had what's known as the "widowmaker heart attack" and through the grace of God and some very good Doctors, I survived and am here to tell the story.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have a heart attack at 46, but it happened and I've come to learn that SCAD typically happens to women under 50 who have none of the classic risk factors for a heart attack. What's been most alarming to me through all of this, has been the lack of awareness within the medical community about SCAD and how to diagnose it properly....and treat it. And yet they are now saying that 30% of all heart attacks in women (and some men) under 50 are SCAD...but many do not make it because of the lack of awareness in how to identify it and treat it. In general, 50% of women have symptoms that are totally different from men (severe jaw pain, back pain, nausea, etc) when having a heart attack but they often don't recognize the symptoms and in some cases are being turned away from the ER, even if they do.
While I'm still recovering and am on my way, I'm asking for your support so that more research can be done, not only into SCAD but for heart disease in women. The statistics today are not good....one in three women will be affected by cardiovascular disease. It’s time to change this and to demand that more be done to support women’s heart health.
WEAR RED for awareness. GIVE for the mothers, sisters and friends that you can’t bear to live without.
