Surviving a Heart Attack

Almost exactly three years after my heart attacks in May 2005, a mammogram revealed something suspicious in my breast. Sarah was in kindergarten. Additional tests confirmed breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy to remove the tumor, and then I had radiation and chemotherapy. All through my breast cancer treatment, my nurses paid close attention to my heart health. My history of heart attacks made my treatment more complicated because chemotherapy can affect your heart.

Now, I speak locally off and on to different groups—primarily to teens about not smoking. I hope that maybe just one word I share might make them think about their own health and help them speak up about it. Every day, I join Sarah, now a fourth-grader, as a volunteer playground and cafeteria supervisor for a few hours. It gets me out of the house, and it's nice to be part of her life at school.

I also volunteer with a local affiliate for Relay For Life. I know so many women around my town who have had heart attacks or who have had breast cancer. Many don't share their health issues. It's their decision, I guess. But, you don't get the support if you don't share. For me, it's another day to tell my story, and I feel so much better about telling it than hiding it.