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more likely to have it yourself.
Other risk factors are weight, lack of
exercise, smoking, an unhealthy diet, high
blood pressure and diabetes, he adds.
Michelle Boyd says her heart attack was
a wake-up call. She has altered her eating
habits, relying less on fast food and making
healthier choices.
She says she is more active physically.
She underwent three months of physical
rehabilitation with sessions three days a
week.
is June, Boyd was able to meet the care
team that saved her life — from Carson's
invasive services team at Cape Fear Valley
Heart & Vascular Center to the firefighters
who were the first to respond to her call.
"It was really emotional," she says. "It
really brings home how sensitive life is and
how quickly it all can change."
Boyd says the care she received at Cape
Fear Valley Health System was "above and
beyond" what she would have expected.
And for anyone who experiences chest
pain or other symptoms of a heart ailment,
Boyd has some clear-cut advice.
"Listen to your body," she says. "Don't
doubt it."
e baby daughter who Boyd gave birth
to just weeks before her cardiac arrest
celebrated her first birthday in June.
"It just means so much to be able to
celebrate with her," Boyd says, "and to
coach my little boy's baseball team with my
husband. I would not be able to experience
any of this without Cape Fear Valley."
