Rosie O’Donnell and her wife Michelle Rounds sat down with Dr. Oz to discuss her recent heart attack and the mistakes she admits to making in her handling of the situation for an episode of ‘The Dr. Oz’ show that will air today.
“I said to Michelle, ‘I think this could be a heart attack,’” said O’Donnell. “She says, I’m going to get you some aspirin.’ By chance, three days before, [Michelle] had purchased Bayer Women’s Aspirin. I chewed them, and then I fell asleep. But then I did not call 911, and I should have.” O’Donnell admits that not calling 911 could have been a fatal error, calling it “the stupidest decision I ever made in my life.”
According to the latest research nearly 50% of women do not call 911 when they suspect that they have had or are having a heart attack. In light of her own health scare O’Donnell is committing herself to spreading the message about what women should do when they suspect that they are having a heart attack, but admits that it is still a challenge to put her own health first. “It’s challenging,” says wife Michelle. “I’ve been working with her for about a year on thinking of better, healthier habits, and I think she’s come a long way. She tends to put others first. She has a very big heart, but I think we’ve come a long way. We’re on the right track.”
O’Donnell confessed to Dr. Oz that she was surprised that more female celebrities are not talking about heart health. “I’m Googling and I’m like, ‘How come there’s no women who had a heart attack? Am I the only [female] celebrity that ever had a heart attack?” O’Donnell, who is eating healthier these days, is still hoping to create a club of female celebrities that can help promote heart health for women.
