heart WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION know your body! your life may depend on it A Survivor s Story: Patricia Henderson Photo of Patricia Henderson February in St. Louis, Missouri, nine years ago Patricia Henderson was only 44 and seemingly in perfect health. Yes, it was very cold out, and maybe that was why she had a hard time catching her breath but as a golfer and an aerobics instructor, Patricia realized something was wrong when she felt a shortness of breath and a burning sensation in the center of her chest. She was smart; she called her doctor. Patricia ended up in the ER. It wasn t until the last test results came back that they discovered Patricia s left coronary artery was 85 percent blocked. How could this happen to someone with no family history of heart disease, who exercised regularly, ate right and The editorial content in this special advertising section was written in association with the American Heart Association. The sponsors in this section were not selected by the American Heart Association and the placement of sponsor ads in this section does not mean that the American Heart Association endorses or recommends these products or services.
didn t even smoke? No one really knew. But Patricia needed corrective surgery to open the blockage, and needed it quickly. The day after her operation while still in the hospital, Patricia felt faint while eating soup. She had no recollection of the next two days. That s because she suffered a heart attack and then went into cardiac arrest. Medically, I was dead for one hour, she said. According to Patricia, the surgeon manually manipulated my heart to bring me back to life. Neither her husband nor her son had any idea how close they had come to losing their wife and mother. Her doctor told her that because she was too young to die, he wouldn t stop working on her heart. Because Patricia wanted to live and be as active as she was in the past, she was the model patient. Thirteen days later Patricia was discharged from the hospital. She was alive but not living, at least not her kind of life. For the first time, this fearless, energetic, successful employment manager for St. Louis Community College was afraid. She kept taking her pulse just to make sure that her heart was beating, telling everyone around her that she was a cardiac patient just in case, and was terrified of having another heart attack. help! There s one problem that most strong women have: It s saying, Help. Patricia was different than most of us. The first day she came home she called the support number that her insurance company had provided and was talked off that scary ledge. The fear didn t go away, so several weeks later Patricia made an appointment with a psychologist to talk about all the what ifs? It wasn t until eight years later, and at the strong urging of her cousin, that Patricia decided to go public about her experience and share her story with the American Heart Association. For all those years, Patricia wouldn t talk about what she d been through. Only if her family or friends initiated the conversation would Patricia discuss her ordeal. Finally, in 2008, when she sat down and met the other national spokeswomen for the Go Red For Women campaign, Patricia realized that she was far from being alone. A few of the women confessed to taking their pulse just to make sure that their hearts were beating, too. Instantly, Patricia knew she could do something that needed to be done: TALK. So, this once reluctant speaker would start her presentation by referring to herself in the third person. I met this lady nine years ago who had a heart attack. and end up saying, That lady is me, and I m here today. Patricia said, At first, that was the only way I could talk about my horrific experience without crying. However, as time went on, she began to recognize how she was helping women who had experienced a heart attack and, perhaps just as important, help others avoid going through the ordeal. Patricia also let them know that there was someone who they could talk to, someone who is a wife,
mother, nana, cousin and/or colleague. life or death? In one of her presentations, Patricia s advice of knowing your body and doing everything to become more hearthealthy was so motivating that a few weeks later a woman wrote her an email and said, I joined a weight loss group because of you. I felt if heart disease affected someone who is active and health conscious, it would definitely impact me since I am overweight and sedentary. Patricia is convinced that doing the right things made me able to survive the trauma. She urges each and every one of you to take care of yourself, and if something feels wrong, do not do that last load of laundry or make that school lunch it might be the difference between life and death. what scar? With so many of us focused on blemish-free beauty, Patricia tells women and anyone who asks, that open-heart surgery scar is my lifeline. I am here. I can see my grandsons. Today, you can find Patricia playing in golf tournaments, as well as spending lots of quality time with her family, exercising at the gym, walking on one of the college campuses and doing things to stay heart healthy. Patricia suggests, For more information about heart disease, visit www.go redforwomen.org. Know your numbers, have regular checkups and live each day to its fullest. simple steps to benefit your heart from the American Heart Association A healthy diet and lifestyle are your best weapons to fight cardiovascular disease. It s not as hard as you may think! Make the simple steps below part of your life for long-term benefits to your health and your heart. Use up at least as many calories as you take in. Start by knowing how many calories you need to maintain your weight. Increase the amount and intensity of your physical activity to match the number of calories you take in. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week or best of all at least 30 minutes every day. Eat a variety of nutritious foods from all the food groups. You may be eating plenty of food, but your body may not be getting the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Nutrient-rich foods have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients but are lower in calories. To get the nutrients you need, choose foods like vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products and fat-free or low-fat dairy products most often. Don t smoke tobacco and stay away from tobacco smoke.
when something feels wrong Some heart attacks are sudden and intense the movie heart attack, where no one doubts what s happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren t sure what s wrong and wait too long before getting help. warning signs Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening: Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort. Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. Cardiac arrest also strikes immediately and without warning. Here are the signs: Sudden loss of responsiveness (no response to tapping on shoulders). No normal breathing (the victim does not take a normal breath when you tilt the head up and check for at least five seconds). dial 9-1-1 fast Even if you re not sure it s a heart attack or cardiac arrest, have it checked out (tell a doctor about your symptoms). Minutes matter! Don t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1 or your emergency response number.
If you witness an adult s sudden collapse, call 9-1-1 and start Hands-Only CPR. Push hard and fast in the middle of the victim s chest without stopping until emergency medical services responders arrive. Look for more information at www.americanheart.org/handsonlycpr women and heart attacks As with men, women s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/ vomiting, and back or jaw pain. ENTER TO WIN THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION HEALTHY FAMILY MEALS COOKBOOK Delivering nourishing, flavorful recipes to please family members of all ages, Healthy Family Meals will be awarded to 5 lucky readers. Enter online today at www.guideposts.com/ hearthealthcontest NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Visit www.guideposts.com/hearthealthcontest for entry instructions, official rules, eligibility and prizing description. All sweepstakes entries must be received by 3/1/10.