Sad

My mother-in-law passed away last week. It wasn't unexpected, she was in congestive heart failure and had stopped eating. She was ready to go. The rest of us weren't quite so ready so it's been hard. The kids miss their MaMaw, my husband misses his mom, and my father-in-law misses his wife.

She had a massive heart attack nearly 16 years ago, so we were lucky to have those extra 16 years. Which meant seeing 2 sons get married and the birth of 6 grandchildren. I'm not sure she totally understood all of Nicky's issues but she was one of his champions.

My list friend who passed away last month died from a heart attack. She'd been having crushing chest pain which at least one Doctor thought might be an anxiety attack.

Did you know?

• That a coronary angiogram may not spot the more diffuse buildup of plaques that often forms in the smaller coronary arteries of women's hearts.



• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, and kills 8 times more women every year than breast cancer.



• Women tend to show up in the emergency rooms after much heart damage has already occurred because their symptoms are not those typically associated with a heart attack.



• Recent statistics have shown that the rate of heart disease has declined in men but not as much in women.

Signs of a heart attack in women:

• Neck, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort


• Shortness of breath


• Nausea or vomiting


• Sweating


• Lightheadedness or dizziness


• Unusual fatigue

Not the crushing chest pain that men typically get.