Friday at the Tulsa Womens' Living Expo

With my director Lauri Rottmayer,
at the Go Red for Women booth

It's never too early to establish good habits!

Two young ladies sign up for Go Red,
and promise to live heart healthy for life.

Talking with attendees about making healthy choices

Today I joined my director Lauri Rottmayer at the Go Red for Women and Oklahoma International Pageants booth at the Tulsa Women's Living Expo. We had over 85 women and men sign up to be a part of the movement, receive a red dress pin, and learn more about living heart healthy lives.

We heard many stories about how heart disease had affected women and their families; many of them described doctors' misdiagnosis of heart attacks in women, and women who refused treatment, stating that they "were fine," they were "just tired," or simply "suffering from mild indigestion." One in three women die of heart disease. That statistic used to be one in two women, but the awareness efforts of the American Heart Association, Go Red, and the millions of women who have decided to take control of their lives and talk to their loved ones about the cause, reduced that startling statistic to one in three. We are hoping that someday soon, it will be one in five or one in fifteen, and eventually we hope to wipe out heart disease, not only in women but in everyone. So many health problems are preventable and it begins with you. As women take care of everyone else in their lives, we must remember that we won't be able to care for everyone else if we're no longer there. You cannot provide for everyone else's needs if you're no longer with them. Love your hearts, ladies, for yourself and also for the people you love.

Tomorrow I will be at the expo center for day 2 of the Womens' Living Expo. I hope to see you there!