Before Debbie Saylor’s mother was diagnosed with heart disease, she had just one symptom: she was tired.

“that was her only symptom,” said Saylor, the senior vice president of patient care services at St. Francis Hospital. she described how her mother would stop while she was out shopping and look at things she would never buy, just so she could rest. “she was experiencing serious fatigue that was causing her to take pauses in her day,” she said.

Recognizing the symptoms of heart disease in women was one of the topics discussed during St. Francis’s seventh annual the Heart Truth for Women luncheon Tuesday at the St. Luke Ministry Center.

Dr. Laura Ford-Mukkamala, a local cardiologist, emphasized that heart disease presents itself differently in women than it does in men. Sometimes, women don’t experiences chest pains, but they have symptoms such as discomfort, fatigue, nausea, cold sweats and jaw pain. “I actually had one women recommended to me by her dentist because she was having tooth pain every time she climbed the stairs,” Ford-Mukkamala said.

Women are more likely not to seek treatment out of embarrassment, high costs, denial or not wanting to be a burden to friends and family. Women are also more likely to have a second heart attack and die during heart surgery, she said.

Ford-Mukkamala advised women at the luncheon to know the risk factors they can’t control — like family history and age — and to work on the lifestyle factors they can control, like improving their blood pressure and cholesterol.

While Ford-Mukkamala focused on heart health, the luncheon’s second speaker, Jackie Gingrich Cushman, spoke about improving mental and emotional health. Cushman is a columnist and author who co-authored the book, “5 Principles for a Successful Life: From Our Family to Yours,” with her father, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

During her speech, Cushman said everyone has special talents and they just have to figure out how to use them to create a successful life. she said women often subscribe to a version of success dictated by their parents or their peers.

“I think a lot of time we won’t stop to think what’s our version,” Cushman said. “What’s our success about?”

She said women need to take time to focus on themselves, but not in a selfish way. “It’s ‘How can I take care of myself?’” she said.

After her mother died of heart disease, Saylor said she began taking care of herself.

“the reality was that after my mom died, I had to take a hard look at how I was living my life,” said Saylor, who described herself as an “emotional eater.”

She lost weight and began putting food in the right perspective, adopting the mantra, “Food is not my friend. Food is not my enemy. Food is just food.”

While she says she is not a model for health and wellness, at 57, Saylor said she’s healthier than she’s been her whole life.

“You can make lifestyle changes and change your odds,” she said.

Sara Pauff, 706-320-4469