Lori Sepich smoked for years and sometimes skipped taking her blood pressure medicine. But she never thought she’d have a heart attack.
The possibility “just wasn’t registering with me,” said the 64-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee, who suffered two of them 13 years apart.
kAm$96’D 72C 7C@> 2=@?6] |@C6 E92? e_ >:==:@? H@>6? 😕 E96 &]$] =:G6 H:E9 42C5:@G2D4F=2C 5:D62D6[ H9:49 :?4=F56D 962CE 5:D62D6 2D H6== 2D DEC@<6[ 962CE 72:=FC6 2?5 2EC:2= 7:3C:==2E:@?] p?5 56DA:E6 E96 >JE9 E92E 962CE 2EE24@DE=J DEC:<6 >6?[ H@>6? 2C6 GF=?6C23=6 E@@]k^Am
kAm~G6C2== 😕 E96 &]$][ ` 😕 d H@>6? 5:6D @7 42C5:@G2D4F=2C 5:D62D6 6249 J62C[ bf[___ @7 E96> 7C@> 962CE 2EE24
kAmr2C5:@G2D4F=2C 5:D62D6 😀 “E96 }@] ` <:==6C @7 H@>6?] xE H:== 27764E J@F @C D@>6@?6 J@F @H[” D2:5 sC] $92C@??6 w2J6D[ 2 42C5:@=@8:DE 2E E96 |2J@ r=:?:4 😕 #@496DE6C[ |:??6D@E2] “z?@H:?8 H92E E@ 5@ :7 J@F 92G6 DJ>AE@>D @7 2 962CE 2EE24< 2?5 E2<:?8 24E:@? :7 J@F 5@[ E92E’D C62==J :>A@CE2?E]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8ms@ H92E J@F 42? E@ AC6G6?E 962CE 2EE24kAm%96C6 2C6 D6G6C2= H2JD 2?J@?6 42? C65F46 E96:C C:D
kAm%96 p>6C:42? w62CE pDD@4:2E:@? 92D 4C62E65 2 =:DE 42==65 “{:76’D tDD6?E:2= g”i 62E 36EE6C[ BF:E E@3244@[ 86E 962=E9J D=66A[ 36 >@C6 24E:G6[ 4@?EC@= 49@=6DE6C@=[ 2?5 >2?286 H6:89E[ 3=@@5 DF82C 2?5 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6]k^Am
kAmsC] $E246J #@D6?[ 2DD@4:2E:@? AC6D:56?E[ 25G:D6D 86EE:?8 C68F=2C 496462DFC6D[ <66A E23D @? J@FC 962=E9 2?5 5:D4FDD 2?J 72>:=J 9:DE@CJ @7 962CE AC@3=6>D]k^Am
kAms@4E@CD 2=D@ DF886DE 5:D4FDD:?8 C:D< 724E@CD E92E F?:BF6=J @C 5:DAC@A@CE:@?2E6=J 27764E H@>6?]k^Am
kAm(@>6? 2C6 >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 92G6 2FE@:>>F?6 4@?5:E:@?D =:<6 =FAFD @C C96F>2E@:5 2CE9C:E:D[ H9:49 42FD6 :?7=2>>2E:@? E92E 42? C2:D6 962CE 5:D62D6 C:D<] %96J’C6 2=D@ >@C6 =:<6=J E@ DF776C 7C@> 56AC6DD:@?[ H9:49 😀 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 :?7=2>>2E:@? 2?5 F?962=E9J 3692G:@CD =:<6 DE2J:?8 😕 365]k^Am
kAm~E96C 4@?5:E:@?D 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 2? :?4C62D65 C:D< @7 42C5:@G2D4F=2C 5:D62D6 2C6 2 9:DE@CJ @7 9:89 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6 @C 5:236E6D H9:=6 AC68?2?E[ >:D42CC:286D @C DE:==3:CE9] w@E 7=2D96D 2?5 ?:89E DH62ED 5FC:?8 >6?@A2FD6 92G6 2=D@ 366? =:?<65 E@ 2 8C62E6C C:D< @7 9:89 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6 2?5 @E96C 42C5:@G2D4F=2C C:D< 724E@CD]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mq6 2H2C6 E92E 962CE 2EE24@G:6Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm(96? A6@A=6 E9:?< 23@FE 962CE 2EE242?J 6?G:D:@? 2 >:55=6\2865 >2? DF556?=J 4=FE49:?8 9:D 962CE 2?5 72==:?8 E@ E96 8C@F?5]k^Am
kAmqFE 😕 C62=:EJ[ w2J6D D2:5[ “:E’D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ AC@323=J 36 @?6 @7 E9@D6 w@==JH@@5 962CE 2EE24
kAmr96DE A2:? @C 5:D4@>7@CE 😀 2 FDF2= DJ>AE@>[ 3FE 72C 7C@> E96 @?=J @?6]k^Am
kAm“(92E’D 5:776C6?E 23@FE H@>6? 😀 E92E E96J 2C6 >@C6 =:<6=J E92? >6? E@ 92G6 @E96C DJ>AE@>D 2D H6==[” #@D6? D2:5]k^Am
kAm%9@D6 :?4=F56 324< A2:?[ D9@CE?6DD @7 3C62E9[ 4@=5 DH62ED[ E:C65?6DD[ ?2FD62[ =:89E962565?6DD[ 2? 2?I:@FD 766=:?8[ ;2H A2:? 2?5 7:?86C E:?8=:?8]k^Am
kAmtIA6CED 2C6?’E DFC6 6I24E=J H9J DJ>AE@>D 5:776C 36EH66? >6? 2?5 H@>6?[ 3FE D@>6 C6D62C49 DF886DED E92E A9JD:@=@8:42= 5:776C6?46D >2J A=2J 2 C@=6]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C 5:776C6?46i $J>AE@>D >2J 4@>6 @? 2 3:E >@C6 DF3E=J 7@C H@>6? E92? >6?] w2J6D 962CD 2 4@>>@? C67C2:? 7C@> A2E:6?EDi “x 8@E E96 DJ>AE@> 2?5 :E H2I65 2?5 H2?65 2 =:EE=6 3:E @G6C E:>6[ 3FE x 6H D@>6E9:?8 H2D?’E C:89E]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m%2<6 :>>65:2E6 24E:@? :7 J@F DFDA64E 2 962CE 2EE24
kAm“x7 J@F E9:?< E92E E96C6’D 6G6? 2 492?46 E92E J@F’C6 92G:?8 2 962CE 2EE24<[ E92E’D H96? J@F 42== h“[” #@D6? D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E :E’D 36EE6C E@ “6CC @? E96 D:56 @7 @G6C\4@?46C? E92? 6CC @? E96 D:56 @7 >:?:>:K:?8 D@>6E9:?8 E92E 4@F=5 36 BF:E6 D6C:@FD]”k^Am
kAms@4E@CD C64@>>6?5 E2<:?8 2? 2>3F=2?46 E@ E96 9@DA:E2=[ H9:49 😀 >@C6 6BF:AA65 E@ 92?5=6 6>6C86?4J D:EF2E:@?D E92? FC86?E 42C6 46?E6CD @C 2 5@4E@C’D @77:46]k^Am
kAmp?J 56=2JD 😕 86EE:?8 E96 C:89E 42C6 4@F=5 36 92C>7F= @C 6G6? 5625=J]k^Am
kAm“x7 J@F H2:E E@@ =@?8[” #@D6? D2:5[ “E96 52>286 42? 36 >@C6 D:8?:7:42?E]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8ms@?’E 36 😕 56?:2= 23@FE 962CE 2EE24< DJ>AE@>Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm(96? $6A:49 925 96C 7:CDE 962CE 2EE24<[ D96 H2:E65 E@@ =@?8] $96 925 =2C86=J 366? 😕 56?:2= 23@FE 96C 962CE AC@3=6>D D:?46 36:?8 5:28?@D65 H:E9 D6G6C6[ 96C65:E2CJ 9:89 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6 2E `f]k^Am
kAm~? t2DE6C $F?52J a__d[ D96 H@<6 FA E@ 6IEC6>6 496DE AC6DDFC6[ ?2FD62 2?5 A2:? C25:2E:?8 5@H? 96C 2C>D]k^Am
kAm“x 49@D6 E@ :8?@C6 E9@D6 D:8?D E92E 52J 3642FD6 x H2D 23D@=FE6=J 😕 D9@4<[” D96 D2:5] “x H2D D42C65]”k^Am
kAm$96 2EE6?565 |2DD 2?5 2 72>:=J =F?49 2?5 H6?E E@ H@C< E96 ?6IE 52J] $96 6G6?EF2==J H6?E E@ E96 t# 2E 96C 5@4E@C’D FC8:?8[ H96C6 D96 H@F?5 FA 92G:?8 D:I DE6?ED A=2465 2?5 DA6?5:?8 2 H66< 😕 E96 9@DA:E2=]k^Am
kAm$96 24E65 >@C6 BF:4<=J H96? D96 925 96C D64@?5 962CE 2EE24<[ 2?5 8@E 2?@E96C DE6?E A=2465 27E6C 96C 42C5:@=@8:DE 7@F?5 2 ?62C=J 4@>A=6E6 3=@4<286 😕 E96 962CE’D 3:886DE 2CE6CJ]k^Am
kAm$6A:49 ?@H <66AD 96C 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6 F?56C 4@?EC@=[ 92D?’E D>@<65 😕 >@C6 E92? EH@ 564256D 2?5 6I6C4:D6D 2=>@DE 6G6CJ 52J]k^Am
kAm$96 FC86D @E96C H@>6? E@ 36 9@?6DE H:E9 E96>D6=G6D 23@FE 962CE 5:D62D6]k^Am
kAm“x 4@F=5 ;FDE:7J >J 24E:@?D 7C@> 56?:2=] x 4@F=5 ;FDE 36 =:<6[ ‘~9[ :E’D ?@E 8@??2 9FCE J@F[’” $6A:49 D2:5] “(6==[ :E 5@6D 9FCE J@F] xE 42? <:== J@F]”k^Am