Five years later, and after overcoming the mental hurdles that often come with being a heart disease survivor, I am more accepting of what happened to me. Instead of focusing on what I might do wrong, I now focus on what is right about my life after heart disease.

Heart disease doesn't look a certain way or discriminate. It doesn't just affect old, overweight, inactive men. It doesn't just happen to "other" people. And if you haven't been affected by heart disease -- trust me, there's a good chance you will in the future.

Since we launched Go Red 10 years ago, we have shared a very clear and unwavering message with women: Be proactive. Take control of your heart health. If you don't, no one else will do it for you.

Sometimes it seems unreal that at age 32, I need a new heart. This reality serves as a reminder that you can be the perfect picture of health and still have heart disease.

When Go Red For Women began, only 13 percent of women identified heart disease as their No. 1 killer; now 54 percent of women know that heart disease is the leading killer of women.

The Red Dress Awards are an event that Woman's Day holds annually to spotlight doctors, researchers and advocates who are making a difference in the fight against heart disease in women.

"My mother needed a wife." My patient died the next day, but her daughter's comment had a profound effect on me because she was absolutely right. A wife would not have allowed her husband -- or her brother, or her child or her friend -- to ignore the symptoms.

I did live that night. I have another chance to really take in all that the dash has to offer. I now have a purpose in life.

If you haven't heard, National Wear Red Day 2010 is being celebrated today, Feb. 5, 2010. The concept is simple: people across the United States ar...