[ad_1]
 |
| COURTESY LOUIS BRYANT AND DOMINIQUE BATISTE |
| Dominique Batiste (right), who has been hospitalized since January after suffering a stroke, and her husband Louis Bryant. Along with the stroke, Batiste, 48, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, blood clots in her arm and legs and an inconsistent heart rate. |
Dominique Batiste is confined to a hospital bed attached to a ventilator at Novant Health Presbyterian Center.
Batiste, a 48-year-old contractor for a software engineering company, has been hospitalized since January after suffering a stroke. Her blood pressure was 270/110 when she was admitted.
“We were sitting in the house, and she walked past saying she has a headache; she goes to get a banana and goes back to the room,” said Louis Bryant, 56, Batiste’s husband. “Then she starts talking gibberish. We got to the corner of the bed … and she just kind of like collapsed.”
Batiste was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and the stroke caused a couple of heart issues. She developed an inconsistent heart rate and blood clots in her arm and legs.
Heart disease is the number one killer in women and many Black women don’t even know they are at risk. In fact, women are more at risk of heart disease than breast cancer according to the American Heart Association.
Stroke kills at more than twice the rate of breast cancer which is why it remains the third-leading cause of death among women.
An AHA study found that only 36% of Black women knew heart disease is their greatest health risk and less likely to know heart disease and strokes are the primary causes of death among women.
“I just saw a woman at (age) 58 who just had massive blockages in her heart,” said Dr. Sandy Charles, cardiologist at Novant Health Women’s Heart & Vascular Center-SouthPark. “And I look at her charts for the last 15 years and her cholesterol was always really high. Her doctor was like, ‘oh you know, (it’s) just fine, like just eat fine.’ First, I asked her, had your doctor been checking it and she’s like, ‘yeah, he just told me it was fine.’ Those are the things that if you treat it early on could really prevent heart disease.”
Nearly 50% of Black women age 20 or older have heart disease.
With diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and other chronic illnesses prevalent in African Americans, the risk for heart disease is higher and more severe in people of color and can develop earlier in life.
Although some people know the signs and symptoms of heart disease, it can look different in women. For instance, not everyone experiences chest pain before a heart attack.
“For many years, doctors were like: ‘oh, maybe you just need some rest. Maybe you are if you feel like your heart’s racing, maybe you have anxiety,’” Charles said. “So, heart disease was being way underdiagnosed.”
Women who consider themselves “healthy” can be misled into thinking they won’t ever be diagnosed with the deadly condition. They might experience indigestion or extreme fatigue prior to a heart attack while men might experience chest, jaw, neck or back pain, nausea, or shortness of breath.
Biases in healthcare
There is more awareness on breast cancer in women but rarely on heart disease, which is also the number one killer in men. Even in 2022, there are still some biases in health care when it comes to women with cardiovascular disease.
Women are 50% more likely to be diagnosed incorrectly after a heart attack, according to the Healthline newsletter.
“When I look at male patients versus female patients in general across the board, the way females describe their discomfort or their disease process is different than the way men describe it,” said Atrium Health cardiologist Dr. Sherry Saxonhouse. “Men are very direct. They’re like, ‘my chest hurts. I have shortness of breath, it started last week.’ Women are like, ‘I used to be able to make my bed but I don’t do it anymore.’ It’s very vague.”
Through the 1980s, few women were included in heart studies. It wasn’t until 1993 when the National Institute of Health announced that more women need to be included in clinical trials that healthcare slowly became equal for women.
With Black women more at risk of heart disease, what’s the solution? Outside of healthy diet and daily exercise, it helps to ask your doctor:
• The risk for heart disease
• What is my blood pressure, what does it mean, and what to do about it?
• What are your cholesterol numbers and what they mean.
• If other tests for heart disease are needed
• What is your blood sugar level, and if you’re at risk for diabetes. If so, what do I need to do reverse or mitigate it
• How much physical activity do you need to help protect your heart?
“I always tell patients, if anything doesn’t feel right, definitely get it checked out,” Charles said. “And make sure your doctor is aware that it could even be your heart. I’ve had patients coming to me for second and third opinions when their doctors are like ‘oh, you’re just anxious, you’re just this.’ Turns out that they had really bad heart disease and needed bypass surgery that was missed for many years.”
Saxonhouse recommends taking someone with you to the doctor and bringing a journal to write down any medical terms you might not understand.
Prior to her health scare, Batiste and Bryant mostly ate fast food and cooked a couple of days per week. Batiste infrequently scheduled annual check-ups.
The stroke caused severe bleeding and damage to her brain resulting in two surgeries. She is slowly relearning how to walk and talk.
Every day for five to 10 minutes, a doctor will give her a speaking valve to use to talk to her husband. While sitting in the hospital watching television, she managed to say “hello” through the small mouthpiece. During the visit, she also managed to take two steps with the help of a couple of doctors.
“Good job, honey!” Bryant said.
The journey hasn’t been easy for Batiste, who has battled pneumonia and other health complications in addition to not being able to remember how to do mental math. A preacher, Batiste has suffered from depression and has experienced panic attacks and anxiety, according to Bryant.
Once released from the hospital, Batiste will start rehabilitation to learn how to walk and talk again.
With no health insurance and waiting on Medicaid to process, Batiste’s medical bills have accumulated to nearly $50,000.
“I just got a radiology bill, and that’s $7,000,” said Bryant, a substance abuse counselor at The SPARC Network.
Bryant worked two other jobs prior to his Batiste’s illness but has cut back to one so he can have time to care for her. He started a Gofund campaign that has raised $2,385 of its $100,000 to cover medical costs.
“My other job is here,” he said. “I’m here in the morning and at night.”
Because Batiste and Bryant live with Type 2 diabetes, Bryant said they will make major lifestyle changes moving forward.
“Moving forward we have to (eat healthier) because you’re older and your body can’t process food like when we were in our 40s and 50s,” he said. “So, we’ve got to eat better. She can’t eat a bunch of crap anymore.”
Aaliyah Bowden, who covers health for The Post, is a Report for America corps member.
[ad_2]
Source link
