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Heart health, women focus of Camden Clark Foundation luncheon

VIENNA -- Raising awareness about heart disease and its effects on women was the focus of the Women's Heart Healthy Luncheon at the Parkersburg Country Club.

Several speakers spoke on aspects of heart health for women during Friday's event. One was a Vienna resident who learned the importance of having unusual pains and other problems checked by a physician as soon as possible.

In August Michele Walker had a heart health scare which led her to changes in her lifestyle.

"I started having some chest pain, some shortness of breath," she said "I put off having it checked out for quite a while. I finally went to the Camden Clark E.R."

Walker said several tests were run and then a diagnosis was made.

"It turned out I had a multiple pulmonary embolism in my right lung," she said. "My first warning signs were like a heart attack. My stomach just didn't feel good, which turned into a pain up through my chest and to my right shoulder -- that's when I went to the E.R."

From there Walker said her treatment includes anticoagulant therapy every day, getting back to regular workouts and back to running.

Fast forward to February 2018 and she is in training for the Spartan race in June.

"If you have any of those symptoms, pain in the chest, shortness of breath, absolutely go to the E.R. immediately, see your doctor," she said. "I put it off for a while, I had them for two weeks and just put it off and put it off. It was summertime and fortunately I survived."

Walker said the embolism is gone, so she no longer has the pain. She also learned about things to avoid.

"The only thing we could think of was I had been traveling, international travel, and a lot of sitting," she said. "My embolism was classified as an unprovoked embolism. I would recommend for anyone who sits for a long time to get up and move."

Walker said there were concerns the embolism might have damaged her heart and lungs.

"One of the first tests they did was an echocardiogram because those clots can break free and travel through your body," she said. "They wanted to make sure there was no damage to my heart. I had ultrasounds done on my legs to make sure there were no other clots that could break free."

Kim Couch, director of the Camden Clark Foundation, said this is the ninth year the foundation has sponsored the Women's Heart Healthy Luncheon.

"We always have it in February to promote awareness," she said. "This year we are looking at mind, body and spirit. Not just the heart but the whole health care continuum of being good to yourself."

Couch said the partnership between Camden Clark Medical Center and the West Virginia University medical systems allows them to provide acute services.

"It is so good for the people who live here," she said. "To have that full complement of services has been life saving for our community."

Couch said not only is heart disease the number one cause of death of women in the U.S. but also in West Virginia and the Ohio Valley.

Friday's first speaker was Linda McClead, an author and wellness instructor, who spoke about how being healthy is more than exercising and eating right.

"It also includes getting plenty of sleep and rest, managing stress, eating healthfully and moving," 'she said. "It's getting everything in moderation and keeping a healthy balance."