TOWN OF WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Friday is National Wear Red Day – a day set aside to raise awareness of heart disease in women. One survivor shares her story of recognizing the symptoms in the nick of time.
Cathy Chrisman has lived a healthy lifestyle for years. She practices tai chi, worked in cardiac rehab for 19 years, and walks every day. So, she was surprised to learn she was suffering from heart disease last year.
“I began having some unusual discomforts in my neck when I was walking. I’m a regular exerciser and it started out of the blue one day,” said Chrisman.
She went to the doctor just in time.
“They determined that I had an 80 percent narrowing in my main coronary artery, which is often called the widow maker, and a 100 percent blockage beyond that,” said Chrisman.
Doctors were able to remedy the clot. But, Chrisman’s lifestyle was also a savior.
“Because of my regular physical activity and healthy lifestyle, my body grew a natural bypass from my right coronary artery to my left ventricle, and that’s what was keeping me from having a heart attack and dying suddenly,” she said.
Her story is not uncommon. One in three women will experience heart disease, and it’s the leading killer of women in the nation.
Chrisman is grateful she knew the signs and symptoms, which can be more subtle in women.
“We basically say, anything from your nose to your belly button, in either arm, in your jaw, in your ear, in your neck, upper back. Those can be symptoms and they need to be evaluated. Pay attention to your body. Pay attention to what your head is telling you,” she said.
With healthy eating, daily exercise, and regular heart monitoring, Chrisman is a survivor and advocate for the American Heart Association in its mission to research heart disease.
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