TOLEDO (WTOL) -You may have heard this statistic before, one in three women die of heart disease. You may also think it’s not going to be you.
“It felt like someone dropped a ton of bricks on my chest. Couldn’t breathe,” recalled Suzie Hernandez-Mendoza about her first heart attack.
About 25 years ago, she woke up in the middle of the night not feeling well.
"All I could hear was my husband, calling 9-1-1, describing how I was thrashing in the bed," she recalls.
The doctor told her she'd suffered a mild heart attack, but how could that be?
Suzie said, "I was 34, 120 pounds. My cholesterol was 88."
At the time, Suzie was a stay at home mom of three. Kids ages four, eight and 12. She says her heart attack was caused by stress.
"You name it, they were involved in it. I wanted my kids to have the best and be the best," remembered Suzie.
The doctor told her to take it easy. In her mind, she was, but then it happened again. This time, it was her four year old son who called 9-1-1.
"I was on the floor in the kitchen. I don't know what my son saw, but whatever it was, he knew he had to get help for his mom," says Suzie.
The good news is, 80 percent of heart disease deaths, can be prevented through healthy lifestyle changes like moving more, eating better and managing blood pressure.
Suzie says she found her kids wanted to help her get better. They learned how to do laundry and cook, which lowered her stress.
Her message to other women is, "If you can't take care of yourself and be there for yourself, you're not going to be there to take care of your children when they need you most."
You can find more information about the signs and symptoms of heart disease and resources to help you live a healthier lifestyle, here.