February is American Heart Month
MONROE -- Heart Disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some people have a problem and don’t even know it. Take Becky Halliday, a working mother of four who balances a full-time job as a manager for the National Safety Council and running her kids to all of their sports and appointments.
She was taken completely by surprise in May of 2008 while spending a relaxing Sunday home with her family.
“Suddenly I started to feel chest pain, numbness in my arm, pain, shortness of breath and that impending feel of doom,” Halliday says. Halliday was 41 at the time. She called 911 and was taken to the hospital, assuming it was anxiety caused by her hectic life. The reality was far worse. Becky has an abnormally narrow coronary artery and had a heart attack. “I just had no inclination that I had any heart issues at all,” Halliday says.
Women can have vastly different symptoms than men during a heart attack. Those include nausea and jaw pain. Halliday says, “I actually had textbook male symptoms; had I not, I probably never would have called the ambulance.”
Becky has adjusted her life since the attack. Her job is still demanding, but she’s doing her best to manage her stress, watch what she eats and exercise when she can.
Relaxation is the key to lowering stress. Halliday recommends finding a little “me time.”
Whether that means reading a book or taking a bath, Halliday says women with kids need to find time to unwind.
She never thought she would be faced with heart disease. That’s why Becky is trying to get the word out to other women. She says they need to know important numbers like their blood pressure, Body Mass Index and cholesterol.
Becky Halliday reminds us, “You never know what's going on inside your body, so take care of it now and do the right thing because you never know.”
