ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As Heart Month comes to an end, the mission to educate and empower people, especially women, to focus on their cardiovascular health continues daily for the American Heart Association.
Ruby Hope is a veteran nurse who makes it part of her mission to share her own battle with health struggles, to encourage others to know their health numbers, and control what they can physically.
“As nurses, we do have a tendency to take care of others before we take care of ourselves,” Hope said.
Her first health hurdle came when she was 27 years old and pregnant with her son. Hope says she was diagnosed with Gestational diabetes and a year later, found out she had Type 1 diabetes.
“I’ve been on insulin probably for the last 30 years or so.”
Hope says she’s also battled with her weight and was diagnosed with kidney disease. She was put on the list for a transplant and was originally turned down because her BMI was too high. With her life on the line, she shed 80 pounds.
“Thanks be to God, I was kicked off the list. I got more kidney function because of the weight loss,” Hope explained.
But her health hurdles weren’t over. Hope said 10 years ago, she was out for a walk when she started to feel pain in her wrist and experienced unusual sweating.
“What really got my attention was I got this overwhelming feeling of doom,” Hope said. At the time, she decided to take a nap. Looking back now, she said it was the wrong move, and uses it as a reminder to raise awareness.
“Do not do what I did, go to the emergency room."
The next day during a doctor’s appointment Hope was told: “You’re not going home, you’re having a heart attack.” She spent 5-days in the hospital and had four bypass surgeries before she was on the road to recovery, again.
Hope said she's much more intentional now about her health and sharing that concern with others.
“I tell people eat less, move more. I always have a healthy snack with me so I can keep my blood sugar at a certain level,” Hope said.
She encourages regular doctor's appointments and conversations with medical professionals about your health numbers like blood pressure and cholesterol along with family history that can impact your risk of heart disease.