www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 93 CHARLESTON’S ONLY WOMEN’S MAGAZINE Join these Charleston Women communities @CharlestonWomen Subscribe at: www.www.CharlestonWomen.com/Subscribe “I didn’t even know any of the heart doctors before that,” she said. “As a female doctor, she was incredibly caring and compassionate.” The news that followed about Grace’s heart came as an absolute shock to her. After all, she’d always considered herself healthy. She walked multiple miles each day, did not eat junk food and drank plenty of water — yet she had hardened arteries and needed three stints. “They told me a lot of this is hereditary,” she said. “But if anyone had told me, ‘Grace, on Jan. 13 you are going to have a heart attack,’ I would have said no way! I felt great.” She insisted that volunteering for more than a decade and knowing a lot of people at the hospital made no difference — yes, it’s wonderful that she was at work when it happened, but she didn’t get better treatment than any other patient would. “I was definitely in the right place — I could have been in the car; I could have been in a linen closet. Yes, they took good care of me, but being a volunteer has nothing to do with it. It’s who they are,” she insisted. After about five weeks of rest and recovery, Grace began her rehab program in late February, located conveniently at the hospital. She was cheered by everyone’s warm response when she arrived for her very first day of rehab; she was greeted with gifts, balloons and even television reporters. Despite the fanfare, Grace remained humble and insisted that her recovery is due to the skill and compassion of her team. “They are all so sweet and know their stuff,” she said. “They check my heart, tell me it’s doing well, then put me on the bike and treadmill. When they’re done with me, I’ll be a superwoman!”
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