Susan Lucci recalls how she nearly faced ‘the widowmaker’: ‘Grateful to my guardian angels’

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Susan Lucci recalls her ‘widow maker’ heart attack scare: ‘I probably wouldn’t have gotten up’

Susan Lucci recalls her "widow maker" heart attack scare. The "All My Children" soap opera icon is the ambassador for the American Heart Association.

Susan Lucci will never forget the moment that she nearly faced "the widowmaker."

It was in 2018 when the "All My Children" star was shopping at a boutique in Long Island, New York, and she suddenly had to sit down and catch her breath. Before then, she experienced tightness in her chest that she brushed off as nothing.

"At the time when I was actually going through it, I don't think I honestly comprehended how serious it could be," the actress told People magazine on Monday. "But when I was discharged ... the nurses with me said, 'It's such a good thing that you came to the hospital and you acted on your symptoms because if you hadn't, you would most likely have succumbed to what they call ‘the widowmaker.' It would've been a fatal heart attack.'"

The 75-year-old shared that she’s "so grateful to be given a chance to live my life, to be alive, and so grateful to the doctors, the nurses, the staff and to the manager of the boutique."

SUSAN LUCCI, 75, SAYS PILATES AND A MEDITERRANEAN DIET ARE THE SECRETS BEHIND HER YOUTHFUL FIGURE

Susan Lucci has urged all women to take charge of their wellness. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

"And grateful to my guardian angels, who clearly were with me that day," Lucci added.

Before her "great wake-up call," Lucci said she exercised and ate healthy regularly. She still maintains her healthy habits, but now goes for frequent check-ups.

"I like to go every six months," the star explained. "I just like to monitor and see what's going on. And I feel that if indeed there were anything to come up, I'd rather know sooner because I think the sooner you find things out, the better the treatment can be."

The Emmy winner urged all women to take charge of their health, no matter their age.

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Susan Lucci had a major health scare in 2018. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)

"I've had the opportunity to say to women, give yourself permission to take care of yourself," said Lucci. "You are the caretaker for everyone around you, and if you're not well, they're not going to get taken care of either. So be guilt-free, put yourself on that to-do list. Your wellbeing is great for you, and it's great for everyone you love, who loves you."

Back in Feb. 2020, Lucci told Fox News that she had a 90 percent blockage in her major artery, as well as a 75 percent blockage in an adjacent artery.

"As I was being released, the nurses told me how lucky I was that I had avoided the widowmaker," Lucci recalled. "I would’ve had a fatal heart attack. I’ll tell you if I had been alone shopping, just alone, I probably would’ve continued on my to-do list. If I had been home by myself, I would have just had some water, laid down and I probably wouldn’t have gotten up. … It’s really important to listen to your body. If it’s not behaving in a way that’s normal to you, don’t be afraid that they’ll think you’re overreacting. Go to the hospital, go to the ER. … Go and listen to your body and act on it."

Lucci admitted she was stunned by the diagnosis. Not only does she have a healthy diet, but she also does Pilates six days a week to stay in shape.

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Susan Lucci's partnership with the American Heart Association and its Go Red for Women initiative coincides with February's American Heart Month. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for AHA       )

"What I had was not caused by a cholesterol buildup or anything except it was DNA," said Lucci. "I got my dad’s genes for a calcium buildup in my arteries. … There’s much more than just appearance. … A test needs to be done. I had a scan that showed I had a 90 percent blockage. I had no idea."