As a Capitol Hill patient advocate and a spokesperson for the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, Minister Nellie A. Wosu is walking the walk, regarding her health.
Like many others, Nellie’s involvement with heart disease and similar conditions was inspired by her own health challenges.
In her early 20s, she began having frequent headaches. At first, she associated them with her high-pressure job that required her to constantly monitor a computer screen. Soon, though, Nellie learned that the headaches stemmed from high blood pressure.
Nellie was especially at risk of high blood pressure due to her race and family history. High blood pressure is more common and more severe in African American adults than in Caucasian or Hispanic American adults.
She had to be extra careful of her blood pressure because of other health issues, including diabetes.
After the initial diagnosis of high Blood pressure monitor, Nellie struggled with remembering to take her medication every day, exactly as prescribed by her health care provider and pharmacist.
“The most difficult change I faced was becoming accustomed to taking medication every day,” she said. “You must be compliant and you have to pay attention to what you are doing. You can’t skip your medicine for two days, then take a pill and expect it to be effective.”
Nellie quickly learned to take her medication as instructed and she also made sure that she lived a healthy lifestyle. Her family ate lots of fruits and vegetables which led to a healthy diet without too much salt (sodium), which can contribute to high blood pressure. Through regular physical activity, like walking, and by making small changes to her diet, Nellie lost 16 pounds.
She also learned to better manage stress and put herself first.
“As women, we constantly put others first and we have to stop doing that. We have to learn to take care of ourselves, and we must believe that we are worth it,” said Nellie.
Her efforts are paying off! Nellie’s last blood pressure reading was 111/77, which falls in the healthy range.
She is quick to point out that “high blood pressure doesn’t have to be a death sentence. If you’re diagnosed, you have to make a decision about how you want to live the rest of your life. Do you want to thrive or just survive? I want to thrive.”
Based on her personal experiences, Nellie wrote The Keeper of Me, a book that outlines her journey after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
