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Kids & Family

Local Women Stand up to Heart Disease

Two Gwinnett women attended a WomenHeart symposium last month to help spread awareness on heart disease in women.

Two Gwinnett women battling heart disease participated in Strengthening the Heart of Georgia last month, a three-day symposium which taught them how to become leaders on heart disease awareness.

Norcross resident Barbara Hicks and Lilburn resident Kathy Jollay were two of the 27 women who completed the workshop, which was hosted by WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

Sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Georgia, the program is WomenHeart's first statewide event that is based on its nationwide symposium held annually at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

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The Georgia workshop trained the ladies on how to bring awareness and speak to other women in their communities on the deadly condition, which is the No. 1 killer of women.

Hicks, who lives in the city of Norcross, was approaching 70 when she had her big heart attack a few years ago. Her doctor put two stints in her arteries and diagnosed her with congestive heart failure, and since then, she's had the determination to getting healthy.

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"I made it my decision that I was going to change my lifestyle, change my way of living as far as exercising, which I had not done in the past, and take better care of myself," she said.  

Her cardiologist recommended that she go to St. Joseph's Hospital for cardiac rehab, which has exercise equipment and is fully staffed with nurses who keep track of patients' exercises, blood pressure and cholesterol.

After two and a half years of going, she's successfully lowered her cholesterol and blood pressure and had greatly improved her health. 

When her rehab manager suggested that she apply for a spot in the Strengthening the Heart of Georgia symposium, Hicks gave it a shot and was accepted into the program. She, along with 26 other women, attended the three-day workshop at Emory Conference Center for learning everything about heart disease: prevention, early detection, accurate diagnosis, proper treatment, statistics and more.

With this information, WomenHeart Champions (those who've completed the programs) are given the initiative to go out to their communities and teach other women that heart disease could happen to anyone, particularly Georgia women.

Georgia is considered a high-risk state for heart disease, said Lisa Clough, the director of communications for WomenHeart. She said the number of Georgia women who die of heart disease is 9 percent higher than the national average.

To help lower the statistics, Clough said, it's important to know the signs of heart disease and heart attacks because women often get misdiagnosed. Heart disease is seen more as a man's disease, so heart attacks in women are mistaken many times as acid reflux, according to Clough.

It's more important not to ignore the signs, either. "Being caretakers, [women] tend to say, 'Well, I don't have time for me right now,'" Hicks said.

Hick's heart attack is the reason why she wants to help other women. It's only been a few weeks since the symposium, but she hopes to speak at her church in Johns Creek, her CPA's office and at events around Norcross.

WomenHeart Champion Kathy Jollay, 56, of Lilburn also attended the symposium and hopes to accomplish similar speaking engagements, too. She's already hosted an event for the ladies at her church, and she plans to do women's clubs, health fairs, and lunch and learns.

Jollay said she was in good health when she had her heart attack 17 years ago. She said her doctor diagnosed it as a rare condition called spontaneous coronary artery dissection, which is when the inside layer of an artery peels off and impedes blood flow, causing the attack. A balloon angioplasty repaired the damage.

The condition didn't cause her to change her lifestyle, but it increased her interest in learning more and educating others on heart disease. She's a regular commenter on the WomenHeart message boards and had always wanted to go to the symposiums at Mayo Clinic, so when she heard about the one in Georgia, she immediately jumped on the opportunity and got in.

After attending the symposium, Jollay and Hicks both agree that it was informative and worthwhile.

"WomenHeart Champions are considered sisters, and we have a support group in WomenHeart that is unbelievable," Hicks said. "I want to show women that there is life after heart disease."

Many of the other women who attended feel the same way, too.

"They are just getting started, but they are so enthusiatic and committed," said Clough. "These ladies were all ages, had all different kinds of heart conditions, and they were all ready to hit the ground running to help other women."

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