eMetro Times May 2017 | Page 9

Page 9 EMETRO HEALTH Living Better with Piedmont EXERCISE HELPS LOCAL WOMAN OVERCOME BROKEN HEART SYNDROME C onnie Waller thought she was having a heart attack when she sought treatment at Piedmont Newton Hospital. Her heart was pounding and there was pressure in her chest. But much to her surprise, doctors at Piedmont Newton told her she was suffering from broken heart syndrome. “When I found out that what happened to me was caused by stress, I knew that I immediately needed to begin exercising more,” Waller said. “It wasn’t a requirement, LOVE YOUR MOTHER; LOVE YOUR LIVER other extreme and never drank a drop of alcohol in her life. She was the one to get cirrhosis of the liver, a progression from fatty liver disease. But don’t be fooled, even moderate alcohol consumption can lead to liver damage in susceptible people. The liver is a large, reddish- brown organ that sits on the upper right side of the abdomen above the stomach and below the diaphragm. Weighing 3-4 pounds, it is the second largest organ in the body; only the skin is larger. Just like our mothers, our livers are often unappreciated and taken for granted. Our moms and our livers are always there, quietly By Marge Roberts, RN, doing their job. We often don’t MSHP, DAHom thank them for all their hard work; we want to believe that they will always be there, f