Women are made up of more than just breasts, a uterus, and a pair of ovaries. There is more to women's health than the care and cure of these three vital but non-comprehensive organs. We need to look beyond, to the forgotten whole woman, who is more than a sum of her parts.

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.

February is American Heart Month, which makes this a good time to talk about the ways the Affordable Care Act helps us take better care of our hearts. Right now, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.