CPR Certification | A message from Go Red for Women Real Woman, Ashley Lucchese

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CPR Certification A message from Go Red for
Women Real Woman, Ashley Lucchese
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Ashley Lucchese went into cardiac arrest at her
office, telling a coworker that she felt dizzy
before passing out. The coworker performed
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) which saved
Ashleys life. The coworker had learned CPR two
days earlier. Ashley had experienced a
miscarriage four days before, so her body was
weak. Doctors placed her in a coma, and she
remained in the hospital for three weeks. Ashley,
now 36 and living in Woburn, Massachusetts,
struggled emotionally at first but decided to
support fellow survivors and help with education
about CPR and automated external defibrillators
(AEDs). Fear, anxiety and confusion. We have all
experienced these feelings over the past 6 months
during the pandemic. We have been thrown into a
world where we do not know who or what is safe
and how to best protect ourselves and our
families, especially as heart disease and stroke
survivors.
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Unfortunately, the pandemic has resulted in some
individuals not taking the best steps to keep
their hearts safe. A recent study from the Harris
Poll indicated that adults who are at risk for a
heart attack or stroke are more worried about
contracting COVID-19 than their heart disease
risk and are avoiding the emergency room even
when they have symptoms. That scares me more than
COVID-19. As a cardiac arrest survivor and a
woman living with heart disease, I too am fearful
of contracting COVID-19 like many of you. In the
beginning of this pandemic, I had a strong fear
of entering a hospital during these times, but
then I had an appointment for a routine
echocardiogram and my fear dissipated the minute
I stepped into the hospital. The foot traffic
in the hospital was much less than normal, there
was signage placed all along walls and floors,
and everyone was wearing their masks and
distancing themselves.
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As I parked my car, my stomach started to do
flips. Was this the right choice? Should I have
rescheduled until next year? I had to repeatedly
remind myself that my cardiologist would not have
had me come in if it wasnt safe for me as he
always has my best interest in mind. Upon entry,
I was offered a disposable mask, but I had
brought my own from home. There was signage
throughout the hospital requiring everyone wear
masks and stay 6 feet apart. I walked to the
radiology department and checked in. The
technician completing my echocardiogram was in
complete PPE, sanitized the table before I got on
it, and took extreme care in keeping everything
clean. I immediately felt at ease and knew I was
safe. My experience during this fairly simple
procedure gave me complete confidence in hospital
staff to protect me and anyone else in their care.
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These medical professionals are seeing the impact
of this disease on their patients every day and
are ensuring that those who do not currently have
it, do not contract it while in their care. The
extreme measures being taken at medical
facilities make them one of the safer places to
be right now. Please dont put your fear ahead
of your heart health. Listen to your body and if
you are having symptoms, take action and call
911. There are people in this world that need
YOU. Please dont die of doubt. As a Go Red for
Women Real Woman, I have learned so much more
about the risks of heart disease and stroke in
women. It is alarming how many of us are at risk
and dont even realize it. My hope in becoming a
Real Woman is to educate women on their risks and
encourage them to take steps to improve their
overall health to protect their hearts.
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I could not have prevented my cardiac arrest
which almost took my life but being healthy prior
played a huge role in my survival and ability to
fully recover. If nothing else, I hope I
encourage you to make small changes to improve
your health and use your voice to help your
heart! Learn more about CPR Certification.
Bergenfield, NJ, Jersey City, NJ, Livingston, NJ,
and Queens, New York and Gainesville,
FL. Source https//supportnetwork.heart.org