Embrace Your Heart™ Champions stand up to the stigma of heart disease and use their stories of survival to make a difference.
Meet EYH Champion Mellanie True Hills of Texas
"Heart disease is forever; once you have it, you're at risk for more heart disease.
Just prevent it."
“Surprisingly, having blood clots and a near-stroke that led to discovering my atrial fibrillation was actually my second heart-related brush with death,” said Mellanie True Hills. “My first happened earlier that same year.” Mellanie is a motivational heart and health speaker, author, consultant and coach. She tells audiences, “Heart disease is forever; once you have it, you're at risk for more heart disease. Just prevent it.”
Mellanie’s heart trouble began back in 2003. She was then a self-described road warrior working at a high tech company. “A typical week involved being in multiple cities, having marathon meetings and conference calls, and working almost around the clock. I didn't realize how the stress of travel and the lack of sleep were taking their toll.”
One evening she became very aware. “As I got off a plane, I realized that I could barely breathe and my left shoulder ached. I had just read that women have different heart attack symptoms from men, and that women's symptoms are very subtle. I had two of those symptoms. “
“Was it my heart? Probably not, I thought, as it was very moldy there and I'm sensitive to molds, making it hard to breathe. That probably accounted for the shortness of breath. As for that left shoulder pain, my new company PC was much heavier than the old one, and it was hanging from my shoulder as wheeled bags weren't very common at the time. It was late, so I went on to the hotel and left a message for my doctor. “
Mellanie had a good relationship with her doctor. When she returned Mellanie’s call the next morning, she knew that Mellanie was intuitive about her body, and generally did the right things, so she felt it was probably nothing serious , but suggested that Mellanie get checked out when she got home.”
Both Mellanie and her doctor were convinced it was probably molds affecting her lungs, but decided to follow up with a chest X-ray and EKG. “The EKG was quite abnormal,” Mellanie says, “and she asked that I get someone to drive me immediately to the emergency room.”
Fortunately, Mellanie wasn’t having a heart attack, but she had a 95% blockage in a major coronary artery. “I underwent an emergency balloon angioplasty and stent, Mellanie continues. “It was just a routine procedure, but my blockage was at a juncture in the artery and I almost died of a massive heart attack on the operating table. Fortunately, the doctor was able to place the stent to completely open the blockage, and I got a second chance at life.”
“I knew that I was supposed to do something with my second chance. At the time, most women didn't know that heart disease was the #1 killer of women and that stroke was #3, so I decided to do something about that. I left my road warrior job to help women make changes to save their own lives.
Mellanie Embraces Her Heart:
“I aim to live to be 100, and maybe to have grandkids and great-grandkids. I want to help others do so as well.”
Oddly, Mellanie didn't have the traditional heart attack risk factors. “I was simply overweight and over-stressed, like many women today, so I knew that I had to make changes.”
At the time, stress wasn't even considered a risk factor, but we now know that it is. Mellanie tells audiences, "Stress Hijacks Healthy Habits—if you get your stress under control, everything else will fall into place."
“Your attitude about stress can make a big difference, too.” she says, “if you can turn bad stress into good stress, then it won't have the same ill effects on you. So your attitude about your stress is the keystone of the HEART Program that I created to save my own life and that can save your life too.”
“Once my stress was under control, all the other pieces of the HEART Program fell into place, and I lost 85 pounds as well.”
“Surprisingly, having blood clots and a near-stroke that led to discovering my atrial fibrillation was actually my second heart-related brush with death,” said Mellanie True Hills. “My first happened earlier that same year.” Mellanie is a motivational heart and health speaker, author, consultant and coach. She tells audiences, “Heart disease is forever; once you have it, you're at risk for more heart disease. Just prevent it.”
Mellanie’s heart trouble began back in 2003. She was then a self-described road warrior working at a high tech company. “A typical week involved being in multiple cities, having marathon meetings and conference calls, and working almost around the clock. I didn't realize how the stress of travel and the lack of sleep were taking their toll.”
One evening she became very aware. “As I got off a plane, I realized that I could barely breathe and my left shoulder ached. I had just read that women have different heart attack symptoms from men, and that women's symptoms are very subtle. I had two of those symptoms. “
“Was it my heart? Probably not, I thought, as it was very moldy there and I'm sensitive to molds, making it hard to breathe. That probably accounted for the shortness of breath. As for that left shoulder pain, my new company PC was much heavier than the old one, and it was hanging from my shoulder as wheeled bags weren't very common at the time. It was late, so I went on to the hotel and left a message for my doctor. “
Mellanie had a good relationship with her doctor. When she returned Mellanie’s call the next morning, she knew that Mellanie was intuitive about her body, and generally did the right things, so she felt it was probably nothing serious , but suggested that Mellanie get checked out when she got home.”
Both Mellanie and her doctor were convinced it was probably molds affecting her lungs, but decided to follow up with a chest X-ray and EKG. “The EKG was quite abnormal,” Mellanie says, “and she asked that I get someone to drive me immediately to the emergency room.”
Fortunately, Mellanie wasn’t having a heart attack, but she had a 95% blockage in a major coronary artery. “I underwent an emergency balloon angioplasty and stent, Mellanie continues. “It was just a routine procedure, but my blockage was at a juncture in the artery and I almost died of a massive heart attack on the operating table. Fortunately, the doctor was able to place the stent to completely open the blockage, and I got a second chance at life.”
“I knew that I was supposed to do something with my second chance. At the time, most women didn't know that heart disease was the #1 killer of women and that stroke was #3, so I decided to do something about that. I left my road warrior job to help women make changes to save their own lives.
Mellanie Embraces Her Heart:
“I aim to live to be 100, and maybe to have grandkids and great-grandkids. I want to help others do so as well.”
Oddly, Mellanie didn't have the traditional heart attack risk factors. “I was simply overweight and over-stressed, like many women today, so I knew that I had to make changes.”
At the time, stress wasn't even considered a risk factor, but we now know that it is. Mellanie tells audiences, "Stress Hijacks Healthy Habits—if you get your stress under control, everything else will fall into place."
“Your attitude about stress can make a big difference, too.” she says. "If you can turn bad stress into good stress, then it won't have the same ill effects on you. So your attitude about your stress is the keystone of the HEART Program that I created to save my own life and that can save your life, too.”
“Once my stress was under control, all the other pieces of the HEART Program fell into place, and I lost 85 pounds as well.”
Women's Heart Attack Symptoms
remember the word LIFE
as it could save yours or a loved-ones
Left pain—arm, shoulder, jaw, back
Indigestion/nausea
Fatigue/tiredness, often due to sleeplessness
Exertion/shortness of breath
If you have one or more of these symptoms, don’t ignore it, get help right away.
Copyright 2005, Mellanie True Hills www.mellaniehills.com
HEART Program
Five Simple Steps to Save Your Life*
Healthy Eating
Exercise Daily
Attitude about Stress
Rest, Relaxation, and Rejuvenation
Take Proactive Control of Your Health
*This program presumes that you don't smoke.
If you do, stop immediately.
Source: A Woman's Guide to Saving Her Own Life: The HEART Program for Health and Longevity
Mellanie’s Advice to YOU
Put your health first. If you don't, who will be there to take care of your family and friends? Don't you want to be there to see your kids get married and to enjoy your grandkids?
Do one thing for yourself each and every day. A warm bath with champagne and chocolate, a massage, a quiet walk, a few minutes to read a good book, propping your feet up and taking it easy, or listening to relaxing music. What will it be today?
Just make a few simple changes. If you need help, A Woman's Guide to Saving Her Own Life: The HEART Program for Health and Longevity is a personal journey through creating your own individual plan of simple changes that can save your life. The HEART Program is five simple steps. It saved my life, and has saved countless other lives, too.
Listen to your heart. Listen to your body. Becoming intuitive about yourself and hearing what your body is telling you could protect you. After my heart incident, my doctor said that there was really nothing to suggest a need for concern, but she did an EKG anyway because she knows that I listen to my body. The EKG was abnormal, so she sent me to the emergency room, and that saved my life. She says that there was an angel looking over us that day. Put an angel on your shoulder by listening to your own body.
Mellanie’s Stress Strategies
- Prioritize and focus on what is most important to you. If your health, and that of your family, are your top priorities, then what changes do you need to make? What do you need to reprioritize to make it happen?
- Just say NO (politely, of course). I volunteer a lot, and love doing so, but it's easy to get overwhelmed. I was asked to take on a volunteer role that I would have loved doing, but couldn't. I told them that I was honored to be asked, but that my volunteer plate was full and I have to protect my health, but perhaps I could take on that role in the future. As a fellow heart disease survivor, he understood.
- Disrupt your routine. I am still somewhat of a highly-driven Type A person, but I've slowed down and changed my surroundings. We moved to a farm, which is my peaceful sanctuary, and I'm doing what I truly love. But you don't have to make a big change like this—even small changes help.
- Give in to your nature and your body. I'm a night person, and I do my best thinking at night, so I allow myself to work late and sleep in when I want. I try to avoid early morning events, when possible. I love that most of my keynote speeches are at luncheons and dinners, and am willing to say no to doing early morning programs. Sleep is more important than most of us think. Did you know that getting five or fewer hours of sleep just two nights a week will triple your risk of heart attack? For me, it's not worth losing sleep and jeopardizing my life. There are lots of ways to adapt work and life to fit you.
- Do what you love, and love what you do. I can't think of anything better for me to be doing than helping others have a longer and better life. Our American Foundation for Women's Health helps women live healthier lives and helps those with atrial fibrillation in managing their condition through our atrial fibrillation Patient Resource, StopAfib.org.
Thank you Mellanie for being a shining example for other women living with heart disease and a regular contributor to The Patient's Perspective.
The Patient's Perspective is a series of recorded teleconferences and articles presented by the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative and hosted by Eliz Greene. Each teleconference focuses on a specific challenge facing women with heart disease. For more information visit www.EmbraceYourHeart.com
Please leave your comments or suggestions below.
Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives. Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com
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