On The Young and the Restless, Chelsea reignited her feud with Sally, and fans couldn’t be more delighted. But in real life, Melissa Claire Egan is fighting a private battle. She took to social media to issue a warning that all women need to hear.
Key Takeaways
- Melissa Claire Egan shared an urgent health PSA on Instagram.
- The Y&R star revealed that she was diagnosed with Coronary Heart Disease.
- Thanks to early detection, she will be on the road to health, but that’s not the case for all women.
READ: Melissa Claire Egan heightens Y&R drama with epic lip sync.
Melissa Claire Egan’s Urgent Plea to Women
In a new Instagram post, Egan shared a headshot with the words, “I wanted to share that in late January, I was diagnosed with coronary heart disease.” Those words can startle anyone. But Egan is grateful for the care she received.
“Thanks to early detection and medicine, I will be okay!” she assured her followers. The soap star tends to keep her private life private, but she knew she had to share this urgent message.
“I’m a private person, but this seemed TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO SHARE,” Egan continued. “My brilliant doctor of 20+ years @drthaisaliabadi sent me to a wonderful cardiologist, @ghalichimd, when some bloodwork came back high, and through a Heart calcium scan, he found plaque in my LAD artery (known as the ‘widow maker’).”
In most cases, it’s “mild” and “rare,” even for women in their 40s. Still, women need to be made aware because it can “cause a fatal heart attack or stroke anytime over the next 5-10 years, maybe even sooner,” Egan wrote.
Expressing Gratitude and Sharing a Health PSA
Following the test results, Egan put her sons to bed later that day. She felt gratitude toward God and her doctor for early detection. But she couldn’t help but think about the other women who might have this disease and not know it.
“It is under-tested and under-recognized,” Egan noted. “We are all so good about getting our mammograms every year, but we don’t check our heart health. It is imperative that you do!”
She urged all women to have their regular blood test and a test for coronary heart disease. Some doctors don’t even inform their patients that they can get these tests. Egan concluded her message with the following: “Also, you MUST ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT A ‘Heart Calcium Scan.'” You can get more information from Egan’s story on the American Heart Association website.
Egan got support from her Y&R co-stars. Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) wrote, “Beautiful Missy❤️ I love you so much. This is a very important post. You are an incredible woman. 🙌🏼”
Tamara Braun (Sienna) commented, “I’m so glad you have good doctors who were able to detect this, and you will be treated AND are sharing with others. Women are often overlooked in health, and especially when it comes to heart disease. Which is NUTS bc of the stats. Bless you, Missy. Love you. ♥️♥️♥️”
