I can’t believe I didn’t know this

My mother was 51 when she passed away from breast cancer. From that day on, breast cancer was the fear that clouded everything for me.

Even though I stayed on top of my appointments and got screened every year, I still held my breath every single time I walked into that waiting room. When I was recommended for hormone therapy to treat my menopause symptoms, I was horrified. I had seen the headlines about estrogen and breast cancer and assumed it was completely off the table for me. (It wasn't, but you can learn more about hormone therapy here.)

When my father had bypass surgery at 50, I was terrified for him. But I didn't come out of it afraid for myself. In my mind, heart disease was what men should worry about and breast cancer was what women should worry about. I never questioned it. I just carried it.

I can't believe how wrong I was.

Heart disease, not breast cancer (or any cancer at all), is the number one killer of women. It affects 1 in 3 of us, and most of us have no idea.

The first thing I should have done when I heard this was probably book an appointment with a cardiologist. I had actually never been to one before (maybe you can relate?). Instead, the first thing I did was reach out to Dr. Tara Narula, a leading cardiologist and medical contributor for Good Morning America, and asked her to come on The Tamsen Show. 

I had so many questions for her: What are the risk factors for women? How can we prevent heart disease? What are the symptoms? How early should we see a cardiologist? And the most frustrating one…Why in the world is nobody talking to women about this?

This conversation was one of the most informative and important conversations we’ve ever had on The Tamsen Show. As soon as we wrapped, I immediately scheduled an appointment with Dr. Narula (something I should have done years ago).

The episode is out now. You can listen to it here, or watch it on YouTube. Send it to your best friend, to your mom, to your sister and your in-laws, because this is an important one. We all need to know how to recognize the symptoms of heart disease and learn how to prevent it. 

Oh, and go book an appointment with a cardiologist. Like, right now!!

🧡 Tamsen

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