Women and Heart Health

-

February is designated as "American Heart Month" and I am posting this BLOG in Honor of my Mother, Rev. Dr. Essie C. Greene, who died after suffering a major Heart Attack. Mom, was one of many Women who choose not to go to the Doctor, unless she absolutely had to. In her latter years, it was discovered, via Heart Catherization Procedure, that there was a lot of blockage in her heart and multiple Coronary Stents were inserted. 

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and other Medical sources, Heart Disease is the #1 killer of Women in the United States. Several risk factors for women include: Obesity; High Blood Pressure; High Cholesterol; Smoking; Diabetes; Unhealthy Diets; Menopause and more. It is also important to know that Heart Disease symptoms can be different between women and men and in some cases, there are no symptoms at all. This is why regular Medical Care appointments and Preventive Care are crucial.

The term "Heart Disease" actually refers to several issues that effect the Heart's function. Mom had multiple blockages, my oldest Sister had Congestive Heart Failure and I have Mitral Valve Regurgitation, or Mitral Insufficiency. This is when the heart's Mitral Valve does not close tightly/properly and this allows blood to flow backward in the heart. This can last for years or for your lifetime.

Some symptoms of Heart Disease include: dull or sharp pains in the chest; pain in the neck or jaw; abdominal pain; nausea and extreme fatigue. Again, remember you can also have Heart Disease with little to no symptoms.

I vividly remember the final days of Mom's life as she dealt, in her own way, with the death of her Husband of 50 years while battling the horrific grips Alzheimer's Disease. The last day that she was at home she had a Heart Attack. Because she could not verbalize her pain, etc., we have no idea how long she was in pain. As with a lot of women when having a Heart Attack, she vomited and slid out of her chair. When the EMT arrived and placed her in the back of the Ambulance, she was alive still and breathing on her own. Within moments, she went into Cardiac Arrest and stopped breathing. The EMT's worked hard to get her back and then placed her on Life Support. They later explained that there was severe brain damage because she was without oxygen for a very long time. She transitioned the next day a little after 5:00 a.m.

Ladies, again I say, I dedicate this post to her memory, to her loving spirit and generosity. You can help me honor her by getting your check-ups and paying close attention to the risk factors for Heart Disease. There are people in your life who need you, healthy and happy.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Carrying the Promise

-
Image
"And the Angel came to her and said, "Rejoice favored woman! The Lord is with you.....Then the Angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen, you will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus."  St. Luke 1:28-31 (HCSB) On this Christmas day, that Christians refer to as the day that Christ was born, I reflect on a previous conversation that I had with my oldest Son, Byron. We were conversing about various aspects of my Organization, "A Mother's Cry" and some of the challenges of bringing for my goals and visions to support Mothers. In addition, I shared some of the challenges of Motherhood and the weight of responsibility of shaping, molding and nurturing your child. I explained to him that being a Mother, includes experiencing strengths and weaknesses that you did not even realize you possessed. Also, there are fears and uncertainties that arise as you accept this responsibility. In response ...
Read more

Honoring Our Elders

-
For many of our older Black and Brown people, one of the most challenging things to deal with, regarding today's exposure of Racism, Bigotry, Police Brutality and Government Corruption is that today looks just like yesteryear. The Systemic Racism is still the Foundation of the establishment that they call America. Regardless, we must continue to stand against these things and expose them whenever and wherever they are. We will not give up our fight for Justice and Equality. Period. We honor or Elders by continuing to fight. We honor them by letting them know that we value the prices that they have paid for us. We honor them by recognizing and acknowledging that THEY are the shoulders upon which we stand. We honor THEM.
Read more

August ~ Novel Emergence with Divine Purpose

-
Image
  Ever since I can remember, when the Month of August arrives, discussions begin about the #8 and inevitably shouts of "New Horizons" are heard. These conversations are filled with hope, plans for unity and peace and personal balance. The atmosphere becomes sprinkled with Creative Risings and innovative initiatives. Preparing for this Month, I thought of a familiar adage that contains the statement, "As a Phoenix, rising from the ashes" which is often used when talking about next level life experiences. Meditating on this concept, my mind saw a picture of a Crescent moon. Upon further study, I learned that Crescent moons represent Motherhood and Fertility (you know that caught my attention) and that it is also said to be symbolic of development, creative power and manifestation.  The end of the moon's cycle (the waning phase) is leading into a NEW moon. It is the feminine symbol that universally represents the rhythm of time as it embodies the cycle. As we give ...
Read more