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Molly Schroeder survived a heart attack while she was only 21 years old. Now her mission is to help young women understand that cardiovascular health is not something that can wait until they are older.
On September 14, 2012, Molly Schroeder decided to run before practicing college football.
"Fridays were normally less intense days to practice, so I wanted to train first," Schroeder told Healthline.
Pbadionate football player since the age of 4, practice was her norm.
"Football was my life. I was fit and I never had any complications before this race, "she said.
When Schroeder returned to her apartment, she suddenly began to feel sick.
"I breathed a great breath of air and felt a chest pain that I could feel when I exhaled and that worsened. I could also feel the blood running down my face. I thought I had a crisis of anxiety, "she recalls.
Just 58 weeks earlier, at the age of 58, her mother died of pulmonary embolism brought about by complications after knee surgery. Schroeder initially thought that his symptoms were due to the anxiety of losing his mother.
However, while she was sweating, was cold, nauseated and her arms became numb, she knew that something was going on and asked her roommate to drive her to the emergency room.
"They did an ECG and the nurse said," It's crazy. This shows that you have a heart attack, but the chances of it happening are 1 in 100,000, "recalls Schroeder.
After 16 hours of testing, the doctors confirmed that a blood clot had blocked 90% of one of his main coronary arteries.
As she had a hole in her heart (atrial septal defect), which had been diagnosed when she was a child, which, along with coagulation, was probably the cause of her heart attack.
"At the age of 12, my mother discovered that she was suffering from cardiomyopathy. When that happened, my brother and I had tests to see if we would have problems and they found a hole in my heart. They told me to come back in a few years to check and, at that point, they determined that the system was closed, "Schroeder said.
"I thought my heart was healed until my heart attack broke out."
After his heart attack, Schroeder was seen prescribing a drug to treat the clot. She also underwent cardiac rehab. Additional tests revealed that she was suffering from a genetic disorder of blood coagulation.
As Schroeder could no longer play football, she had to find new ways to stay active.
"My whole life has changed and at 21, I learned how fragile life is," she said. "I already learned this after losing my mother so young, but I really realized that I was not a Wonder Woman. I had some bumps in my shield.
Since her recovery, she has become active runner and hiker and participates in snowshoeing.
"As long as I keep my heart rate below 170, to be sure my heart attack will not suffer any more damage, [I try to do cardio]. I wear a Fitbit and constantly monitor my heart rate, "she said.
She is also aware of her sodium intake and has become a vegetarian for cutting red meat.
More importantly, she is healthy and wants others to do the same. That's why she is proud to be part of the new clbad of true women, Go Red for Women from the American Heart Association.
As one of the eight true women of the country, Schroeder tells her story to educate, empower and inspire other women.
"I was waiting for the opportunity to be part of the American Heart Association. It's a great way for me to be in touch with other women with heart disease and stroke, and for us to talk to each other [them], especially since it is the leading cause of female mortality, [even though] many people do not talk about it, "said Schroeder.
"I am so empowered by this because I am one of the statistics now and I never thought I would be.
She urges women to understand their family history of heart disease and take it seriously.
She knew that her mother had heart problems and that her maternal grandfather had died of a heart attack in her late forties, but she did not realize how much this story could affect her health.
She also hopes that young women without a family history of heart disease take preventive measures.
"Heart attacks can happen to anyone. This is called the silent killer and people do not realize they have it until it's too late. I was 21 years old and I'm in the prime of life, "Schroeder said.
"[Everyone] should take preventative measures and know your body mbad index and what does glucose and cholesterol mean. "
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and a medical expert with the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement, said women needed to monitor their heart health.
Nearly 80% of cardiac events can be prevented, but cardiovascular disease continues to pose the greatest threat to women's health: one in three women or about one woman every 80 seconds.
"I find the story of Molly heartbreaking," Steinbaum told Healthline. "How can we take someone like Molly who has a strong family history and so allow her to give her the tools to understand that she needs to be aggressively controlled so that it can be avoided?"
To answer his own question, Steinbaum says that the key to heart health is the understanding of the five figures below:
- LDL cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- blood sugar
- body mbad index (BMI)
- blood pressure
As a national sponsor of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement, CVS Health offers free screening sessions for each of them every Wednesday in February in their Minute clinics.
Annual visits to your internist or primary care physician are another way to monitor these numbers, says Steinbaum.
However, if you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, hypertension, or preeclampsia during your pregnancy, she suggests that you seek the help of a specialist.
"Your risk of heart disease after pregnancy and in your life is increasing. All women should understand not only these numbers but also the family history and what happened to you during your pregnancy. Knowing your whole story can get you to see someone other than your internist, "she said.
She suggests finding a cardiologist who is interested in women and heart disease and prevention.
"It's time for women to get control and do what we need to do to prevent this disease," Steinbaum said. "Nothing in our lives regarding diseases is as preventable as heart disease and for me, it is the most important part of this process."
Cathy Cbadata is an independent writer who specializes in stories about health, mental health and human behavior. She has the gift of emotionally writing and communicating with readers in a perceptive and engaging manner. Read more about his work right here.
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