Girls, have you seen this? I found it not long ago when I followed a link a friend of mine posted on Facebook Take a minute to watch with me:

Oh, wow! That couldn’t happen to me… could it???

I have to admit, it really got me thinking. Most of us are so busy taking care of everybody else, that our own healthcare comes last on the list – if at all. But a heart-stopping event like that? Talk about a change in plans!

So when I went for my annual physical, I started asking questions. You see, my dad had some heart-related issues and I wanted to know if I was ‘at risk.’ Since I’m one of those people who have a high need for information, my trusted doctor Dwana Bush, suggested it might be time for a heart screening.

She recommended a great program here in Atlanta at the aptly named St. Joseph’s Heart Center for Women. Specifically for women? Now that appealed to me. I stopped by one day recently, and met Stacy Jaskwhich, who’s clinical coordinator of the screenings. We scheduled my appointment for the following week.

Well, I won’t go into every detail, but I will tell you this.  I’ve rarely received so much personal attention – and in-depth information. Kudos to Stacy, Dr. Gina Lundberg and her team. They looked at all aspects of my heart health and I came away with a really useful profile, filled with details about my current situation and future risk.

The bottom line. If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anybody else. It’s time to put YOU at the top of the list when it comes to health. Keep up with those check ups. And while you’re at it, why not start with your heart.

Need help finding a screening program near you? Contact the American Heart Association or share your resources here!