Let me introduce you to our biggest killer.
In 2013, I took a Kinesiology course at Lonestar Community College, and of all the things that I learned that semester, what shocked me the most was finding out the number one cause of death in the United States was NOT cancer—it was actually cardiovascular disease. Whatever that is.
This disturbed me for a number of reasons, but mainly because for years, I assumed cancer was the No.1 death-inducing culprit that plagued the United States. I mean, there was always dialogue surrounding what cancer does to people, how much treatments cost, the effects of chemo, and so on. There are numerous cancer hospitals (one of which I worked in), and cancer is always a subject of commericals and narratives on television. And while we're on the subject of cancer, HEY, BLACK WOMEN: cardiovascular disease is killing us, regardless of age, more than ALL forms of cancer, car accidents, assaults, and Alzheimers Disease--combined (American Heart Association, 2021). Anywho, aside from these things, what really served as the bombshell that mentally threw me for a loop but jumpstarted how I looked at physical activity and food was discovering that most cardiovascular disease complications are preventable.
Three weeks ago, my mother suffered a stroke and subsequent brain bleed. She is now in a coma and fighting for her life, but please believe I told her (just like I would inform anyone who would listen) everything I knew and had learned during that Kinesiology course and also Sociology of Health and Sociolgy of Food, as I decided to extend my studies on the topic during undergrad. Did she hear me? Sure. Did she listen to me? She says she did. The "very large stroke" that she suffered, however, as a result of uncontrolled high blood pressure, makes me question if she truly understood the severity of what I was telling her. Let me give you a little backstory and context as to why her story is relevant to this blog post.
My mother has always been relatively healthy. She is a single mom who went without transportation at times, so for a great amount of time, she stayed physically active as a result of having to walk my youngest siblings to school and other places. In recent years, however, my mother began working full-time as a day trader and therefore did not have to walk anywhere except from her bed to her office... to sit down on a computer all day. She also decided, "Hey, my kids are grown. I am going to stop cooking!" This resulted in trips to Olive Garden, Pappadeaux, Pappasitos, Salt Grass, and numerous other restaurants on a consistent basis, where she would indulge in various foods that began to have a negative effect on her body and contributed to her declining health. She started moving slower, developed cholesterol around her eyes, and, after several visits to the doctor, was told that she had hypertension (high blood pressure) concerns. High blood pressure is not simply some numbers that they tell you at the beginning of a checkup. Those numbers are indicative of what is going on inside the body (despite how good you look on the outside). High blood pressure---> damaged arteries---> decreased blood and oxygen flowing to the heart--> heart disease.
She was now at an increased risk for stroke, heart attack, heart disease, brain problems, heart failure, and more.
All of this within less than three years. Within three years, her eating habits and physical activity (or lack thereof) made her a prime at-risk hypertension candidate which means she would now be at an increased risk for stroke, heart attack and heart disease, brain problems, heart failure, and more.
According to the Amercian Heart Association, 80 percent of cardiovascular diseases are preventable, yet it is still ur number one killer. 1 in 3 women die from this every year. I want you to think about your group of friends and/or your female family members. One. In. Three... are dying preventable deaths. How can we prevent such diseases from having such a debilitating or permanent effect on us? Through simple lifestyle changes such as making smarter food/diet decisions, getting in more movement/physical activity, and managing blood pressure, you can lessen your chances and fight the number one killer of women (and men). While I have you here, however, I might as well put this out there: most of us already know that.
Someone reading this knows high blood pressure runs in the family or that they have hypertension concerns. The doctor has told them that they need to be careful, need to lose weight, or has even put them on medication. They may not know that it could lead to something as critical and severe as a brain bleed, but they know the damage that those numbers can cause, yet it still is not enough to motivate them to attempt a lifestyle change. Why?
Is it the age? Is there a pretty strong belief that it won't happen to you? Since my mom has been hospitalized, I have received countless messages and words encouraging me to not allow my faith to waiver because they have "been through the same thing"--coma and all. Women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and above--not just women in older age groups. Although the messages serve as a source of inspiration and help me exerience some resolve, I cannot help but think, "why and how in the hell are all of these women suffering brain bleeds, having strokes, and ending up in comas and no one is talking about it?" And yes, I said "hell." When you share your stories or the stories about your family members who have had these experiences, are you sure to include the reasons behind it? Do you forewarn what affect a lack of healthy habits can have on us in the short-temr, long-term, or permanently? Do you stress the need for a healthy diet, increased physical activity/exercise, and stress management? Do you encourage others to take an interest in knowing their blood pressure numbers?
No longer will I be nice about it. I'm going to put the reality, the numbers, and the facts right in your face. My siblings and I were nearly left without a mother, and even now, we still have a long road ahead of us--one where we literally have no knowledge of what will happen tomorrow. I would hate for your loved one to have to figure out life without you too, especially when you are still here and have the power to do something about it.
Written with love,
S. S.