RebeccasHeart

It is not a disease; it’s a condition. So says my fantastic doctor, Dr. Margo Minissian. She said it in just the right way, too. Not downplaying it, instead, focusing on the ...

February is fast approaching. The ‘red’ month… and I don’t mean Valentine’s Day. It’s a fantastic thing that a whole month is dedicated to raising heart disease awareness. Anytime attention ...

‘Heart Disease’. With these two words, the lives of millions of women are changed in an instant. While there is a sense of relief in knowing why your heart hurts, it is impossible to predict ...

What’s worse; suspecting you have heart disease or knowing for certain that you do? If you answered that fear lies more in suspicion, you’d have research to back you up. But do we really need ...

If asked if the current state of your heart disease is acceptable, how would you answer? It’s a tough one; I know. Just yesterday I was asked this very question. “If, when we first met, your ...

Surrounded by amazing people everywhere I looked, it was one woman I met while at the Women’s Conference that affected me deeply. I was milling around the EmpowHER booth as I was to be ...

“The day was finally here. I have nine whole days to relax in Maui; nothing but fun in the sun. It’s a week I’ve been looking forward to for several months. Too bad I have to take Rebecca with ...

Rebecca recalls the first time she noticed her chest pain symptom and shares her doctors initial reaction.

Rebecca explains why she chose to find a cardiologist specializing in women's hearts to obtain a second opinion about her chest pains and dizzy spells.

Rebecca recalls her appointment with the cardiologist that confirmed she did have microvascular heart disease.

Rebecca provides three tips for women who have heart disease and would like to better advocate for their health.

Rebecca shares how she chooses the heart topics to write about on her blog and describes why she enjoys participating in the EmpowHER community.

Rebecca describes how she feels knowing her first cardiologist did not realize she had heart disease and it took nearly two years before an accurate diagnosis was determined.

Rebecca provides advice for women who are having chest pain and do not know if they should see a doctor. She also shares the symptoms she experienced before her microvascular heart disease diagnosis.

Rebecca describes why she enjoys sharing her heart disease experience and provides her inspiration for advocating for other women.

Rebecca shares the medications she is trying to control her microvascular heart disease symptoms and describes why it is necessary for her to engage in exercise.

Is that supposed to be a compliment? I guess it depends upon who you’re talking to. It’s hard for me to express my true feelings when the inevitable response is, “But you look so good!” Ummm, ...

Hi there. I've been diagnosed with Coronary Microvascular Heart Disease. Lately, I've been experiencing some strange symptoms that I'd like your opinion on. First, my blood pressure is going ...

Women are a unique breed. This is especially true of women with heart disease. Why do I say that? For all of the empathy and care we shower on our loved ones, we constantly neglect ourselves. ...

Women are a unique breed. This is especially true of women with heart disease. Why do I say that? For all of the empathy and care we shower on our loved ones, we constantly neglect ourselves. ...

I waited two weeks to see him. This doctor was touted as the best cardiologist in Thousand Oaks. As I sat in his well-appointed waiting room, I realized that I was the only person there under ...

I know I’ve touched on this topic before, but I think it’s time we revisit it. It absolutely breaks my heart to hear from all of you and to hear how difficult it has been to get a correct ...

I ask that question because the term ‘heart disease’ is generic. Heart disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of different diseases affecting the heart. It covers all things ...

Daunting task, indeed. Thankfully, we aren’t alone. There are several organizations dedicated to the advancement of research and to the dissemination of knowledge on heart disease. There are ...

A strange thing happens when you are no longer the only person in the house who is sick. Allow me to explain. My husband of nearly 20 years has just learned that he has a tumor the size of a ...

I woke up this morning to the familiar sound of a new email arriving via my iPhone. “PING”. I had received a response to a story I wrote about Coronary Microvascular Disease. The email was ...

My doctor calls it “a flare up”. I call it a nightmare. I’ve spent the last two weeks wondering whether or not I should go to the emergency room. I’ve learned to deal with the usual symptoms; ...

Having been the rather unwilling participant in four procedures, you might think it odd that I believe that angiograms are necessary. In the end, however, it was a specific type of angiogram ...

On February 18th, the good folks at The European Heart Journal published their findings in an interesting study. They determined that people who are usually happy, enthusiastic and content are ...

I had spent the whole morning monitoring my heart rate. I began to obsess over the number of palpitations I’d experience. Forty-one in one minute – my all time best! Since I was at work, ...

“Exercise? Yeah, I know I should, but where do I begin?” This question takes on a whole new meaning when asked by someone with a heart condition. Instead of deciding which gym to join or ...

There is such a sense of relief when you’ve finally received the correct diagnosis. Especially if it has been a long time coming. Unfortunately, that sense of relief doesn’t last very long. Now ...

You’ve probably heard the statistics. Heart disease is the number one killer of American women. 1 in every 3 women die of heart disease. Etc. What these statistics don’t tell us, however, ...

Why ‘Rebecca’s Heart’? The answer is in the question. I can’t begin to tell you how many times my poor husband has been asked, “How’s Rebecca’s heart today?” Well-meaning friends and ...

The first indication that there may be something wrong with my heart came while hosting a dinner party in 2002. While laughing heartily at a fantastic joke (remind me to tell you it later), I was ...

Women’s Heart Disease is experiencing an identity crisis. Perhaps you read the article in the Los Angeles Times. As it stands, all heart disease is referred to by the medical terms of coronary ...

All of us have called in sick to work at some point in our lives. When you had your boss on the phone, did you feel the need to over-emphasize your symptoms? Did you cough just a little bit ...

Why is it that the symptoms of heart disease in women are often times difficult to quantify? The very nature of heart disease in women has yet to be fully understood. Perhaps assigning it a ...