Susan Lucci’s Plea: Soap Star, 76, Almost Ignored a Serious Heart Attack Symptom – Now She’s Begging Women to ‘Put Yourself on Your To-Do List’

Lucci, best known for her role as Erica Kane on “All My Children” for more than 40 years, saw life in a whole new light after narrowly avoiding a major heart attack in 2018.

"Those first three years since I avoided my 'widow maker,' I had been talking to women about what I had learned, trying to pass on my good luck and share my takeaways from my experience," she told FIRST for Women.

At the time, Lucci experienced intense chest pressure and pain around the area, according to People. Those are just some symptoms that could indicate a heart attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But, she said, she didn’t want to bother a doctor about it or step away from everything she had to get done in her life.

“‘I have too much to do. It will go away,'” she recalled thinking, according to People

But she finally got it checked and learned one of her arteries was nearly completely blocked. She had a procedure that inserts a small mesh tube to help hold open passages, like an artery, for blood, according to the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute.

"I had two stents put in, but I was fortunate and I wanted to tell other women to listen to their bodies. If it's not normal to you, don't sweep your symptoms under the rug,” she told FIRST for Women.

“And don't be afraid of your doctor. Put yourself on your to-do list. As women, we do for everyone else: we're taking the children to pediatricians, advocating for the ones we love…but we are not on that list,” she added.

But, just like all of us, Lucci is still learning. And another health scare last year served as a reminder for just how crucial her message truly is.

One night in the beginning of 2022, Lucci noticed herself struggling with unusual symptoms again. This time she had jaw pain, shortness of breath and radiating chest pain.

“I'm ashamed to say I reverted back to my original behavior, which was to say to myself, ‘Oh, it's nothing, it'll just go away’ and ‘I can't go to the hospital right now,'” she explained. “I was shocked that I was feeling some of the symptoms I felt in 2018 again and just thought, ‘This is crazyit can't be happening again.'”

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The jaw pain was especially confusing for Lucci.

“It seems so counterintuitive: why would my jaw hurt? But it's actually a common symptom of a heart attack in women,” she said. “And I remembered an interview with a woman I heard a long time ago that taught me that sometimes, the pain from a heart attack is something you feel in the jaw.”

 

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Just as she did before, Lucci felt she didn’t want to burden anyone else with her problem. But thankfully, Lucci’s late husband Helmut urged her to take the symptoms seriously, and she met her doctor at the emergency room.

That’s when she discovered she had a 75% blockage in another artery and would need another stent.

"Even after everything, all the signs, it was a shock," she said. "I inherited the calcium buildup in my arteries from my dad. It's hereditary and builds up over a lifetime, so when I asked the doctor if there was something that I'm doing to cause this or anything that I can change, he said no.”

Lucci’s emergency surgery went well and she avoided another major heart attack. Now, she’s focused on maintaining a healthy diet and good exercise while urging others to pay attention to their bodies.

SurvivorNet has expert resources on these heart conditions:

• Heart Failure, when the heart does not pump blood as well as it should
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a disease that can make it harder for the heart to pump blood

Though Lucci does not have either of these conditions, we want our readers to know we have resources to help them navigate other health conditions related to the heart.

The Importance of Listening to Your Body Like Susan Lucci

Susan Lucci’s experience is one of many stories we’ve heard that highlights the ever-important need to advocate for your health and listen to the signs your body is giving you.

"You Are Your Own Best Advocate"

Ovarian cancer survivor Stephanie Virgin, like Lucci, knows how dangerous it can be to put your symptoms on the back burner. She was struggling with symptoms like cramping and lower back pain for quite a while before she finally decided to talk about them with a doctor.

"I could explain away every single one of my symptoms," she said. "I didn't even realize they were symptoms.

"If you don't feel right, call your doctor. If your doctor doesn't listen, get a second opinion. You need to know that you are your own best advocate."

Advocating For Yourself While Navigating the Medical World

Jenny Saldana, another cancer survivor, has also spoken to SurvivorNet about self-advocacy. Before she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she kept being dismissed by doctors and told  she was “taking up resources for women that really need them.”

"The squeaky wheel gets the oil," she said as her advice to others.

Tips for People to Advocate for Themselves

You know your body better than anybody else. That's why it's so important to advocate for yourself in a healthcare setting.

This applies to anyone experiencing new symptoms and looking for an answer, as well as people who have already been diagnosed with serious diseases like cancer. Doctors are there to guide you through a treatment plan, but your wants and needs should be part of that plan as well.

Oncologists and survivors alike stress the importance of advocating for yourself.

This could include:

• Asking additional questions about symptoms or a diagnosis
• Getting a second opinion
• Doing your own research so you can come to doctor appointments prepared to voice your concerns

Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet that patients even before a serious diagnosis should head to every doctor's appointment prepared to take charge.

WATCH: Why You Need to Advocate for Yourself

"The truth is, you have to be in tune with your body and you have to realize that you are not a statistic," Dr. Murrell said.

Taking charge could mean not letting your doctor brush off your symptoms. If you doctor thinks your symptoms are due to one condition, what's the plan if they persist after a month of medication? It's all a part of being proactive.

When it comes to getting a second opinion, you should feel completely comfortable seeking one out after a cancer diagnosis. This doesn't mean you don't trust your doctor, it's simply a part of advocating for yourself.

WATCH: Getting a Second Opinion Is Crucial

"I support second opinions. I actually think it's really important," Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation on the matter.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• What might my symptoms mean? What plan can we make to deal with them?
• What other conditions could be causing my symptoms?
• Are other treatment options available in my situation?
• What will the timeline for my treatment look like?
• What literature can you give me about my treatment plan?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.