Home Town star Erin Napier is asking for prayers after her mother, Karen Rasberry, was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. The HGTV star revealed her mother’s diagnosis Monday on her Instagram Story, sharing a Facebook post from her mother in which she opened up about her diagnosis. Napier said her mother “hasn’t been feeling well” for some time, “and now she knows why.” She went on to ask fans, “Y’all say a prayer for her?”
In Rasberry’s own post, she revealed she was diagnosed with “two blockages in the left anterior, descending artery which requires two stents” after she recently underwent a cardiac catheterization. Rasberry shared the news alongside an idyllic oceanside snapshot, writing, “This is the place and view that always touches my soul and makes my heart feel light.” She said the location was “especially important today” before going on to ask, “Have you ever thought about being a woman and having coronary artery disease? Probably not.”
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Rasberry said she has “always exercised, played tennis and tried halfheartedly to watch what I ate.” Noting she had “a heart cath last Tuesday,” she went on to reveal her diagnosis, which she said due to a combination of “very unfortunate genetics and eating too much” of certain types of food. Coronary artery disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is caused by plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Over time, plaque buildup can cause the inside of the arteries to narrow, leading to partially or totally blocked blood flow. The CDC notes the disease “is the most common type of heart disease in the United States.” In her post, Rasberry said she overlooked symptoms of the disease she was experiencing.
“It wasn’t the widower-maker, but it was too close for comfort. I was very sick but paid little attention to the vague symptoms that women often have,” she wrote. “My condition is due to very unfortunate genetics and from probably eating too much Ranch dressing, Rotel dip and fried fish. Pray for me because it’s going to be a long few months of recovery and taking meds that are so strange to me.”
According to the CDC, common symptoms of coronary heart disease include angina, or chest pain and discomfort, which is caused by the narrowing of the inside of arteries due to plaque buildup. The CDC also notes that “for many people, the first clue that they have CAD is a heart attack.”
Rasberry’s diagnosis comes amid another health scare for Napier and her family. Late last month, the HGTV star revealed her daughter, 3-year-old Helen, underwent a procedure to fix a broken tibia and fibula. Helen suffered the break after she “stepped wrong at the end of a slide” while at the park. Napier most recently said Helen’s leg is “doing great.”
