Susan Lucci Almost Lost Her Life after near Heart Attack That She Kept a Secret from Her Mom

Susan Lucci might be young at heart, but she suffers a heart condition that almost cost her life. Today, she remains the epitome of health and fitness thanks to her healthy lifestyle.

At seventy-five, Susan Lucci still has the great looks and physique that made her a leading lady in her prime. Her remarkable appearance, reminiscent of her days as Erica Jane on “All My Children,” is all thanks to her consistent body care routine and healthy lifestyle.

Her regimen consists of healthy eating habits, exercise routines, and prioritizing wellness which she strictly adheres to. Admittedly, Lucci works out six days a week, incorporating Pilates and other resistance training activities into her routine.

Susan Lucci attends the 49th Daytime Emmy Awards at Pasadena Convention Center on June 24, 2022 in Pasadena, California. | Source: Getty Images

Notably, she exercises first thing in the morning and takes a day off each week to help her body recover. For her meals, the actress sticks to fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish, focusing more on foods that fuel her body, not hurt it.

This regimen has undoubtedly paid off for the star, who rocks toned abs and strengthened cores long after breaching the 70s. Lucci credits her mom, who was a nurse, with helping her develop these healthy habits right from the cradle.

Despite her tendency to live a healthy lifestyle, Lucci learned the hard way that she could not control everything after suffering a health scare that almost cost her life.

SUSAN LUCCI SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK

Lucci has been open about the health scare that changed everything. She once recounted that long before the devastating experience, she saw it coming but chose to ignore the signs.

Admittedly, she experienced two sets of red flags leading to her hospitalization. According to the icon, she experienced incessant chest pains in the days leading up to the attack but hoped it would pass. It never did.

Susan Lucci attends The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection 2020 at Hammerstein Ballroom on February 05, 2020 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Lucci once recalled the moment the heart attack hit her one day while exploring a boutique. She felt her chest constrict, liking it to an elephant pressing on her chest moments before collapsing.

Luckily, the store’s manager intervened at the nick of time, rushing her to a nearby hospital. Following a series of tests, doctors discovered she had two blocked arteries which led to a heart attack.

As a life-saving measure, she underwent a surgical procedure that night to have stents put in. The entire scenario played out before her like a nightmare. Lucci recalled:

“I was just shocked. I thank goodness that I was not home.”

Going further, she explained how being home would have put her in more danger, as she would have simply dismissed the episode as her needing more rest and water.

Her assumption would not have been farfetched, as up until then, the star led a healthy lifestyle, giving no room for unforeseen ailment. However, she later discovered her heart condition was genetic, having inherited it from her dad, who passed on in his 80s.

The procedure left friends and loved ones worried she might meet a similar fate earlier on in her life. Interestingly, while those around her were visibly worried, one person was left completely clueless about the heart-attack experience.

SUSAN LUCCI KEPT THE HEART ATTACK FROM HER MOM

Despite scaling through the incident in one piece, Lucci could hardly bring herself to share the ordeal with her mom. Hence, she chose to keep it a secret from the older woman. Then, explaining her reason, she said:

“You know, the truth is I didn’t tell her. My mother was a nurse on top of it and I just didn’t want to scare her. We haven’t talked about it. I don’t want to.”

It didn’t help that her mom was turning 102 at the time and resided miles away in an assisted living community in Florida. Nevertheless, they kept in touch through video calls, a practice they continued throughout the pandemic. Three years after undergoing the procedure to insert the stents, Lucci suffered a similar health scare.

She sought medical help right after experiencing the same symptoms as before and was able to undergo a second surgery successfully in 2022. This time had no cause to hide it from her mom as the older woman had passed away a year prior.

LIFE WITHOUT HER MOM

Since her mom’s death, Lucci’s life as she knew it completely changed, leaving her grief-stricken. Yet, she knew her mom was in a better place, having suffered depreciating health during her last days.

Following her mom’s death at 104, Lucci took to social media to bid her farewell while mourning the sad loss. She recalled receiving a call three weeks back informing her of her mom’s declining health.

That prompted her to fly to Florida to be by her side. She got a chance to be by her mom’s side as she neared her end, making her feel loved.

Despite how devastating it felt to watch her mom slowly pass during her last moments, Lucci chose to remember her as the vibrant woman she always knew. She wrote:

“My mom was a survivor and thriver— and I am so thankful to God that she was my mom.”

The “All My Children” star accompanied the sweet tribute with a photo of her and her mom from four years back. The pic showed the two women seated close to each other, with smiles on their faces.

Such moments of love and warmth made her mom’s absence more difficult to deal with. The impact of the loss hit her harder in December 2021, when she had to celebrate her first birthday without her mom. The moment made Lucci realize just how much she missed the older woman.

She described her 75th birthday celebration as bitter-sweet without her mom by her side. Not even the presence of her wealth of friends and relatives could fill that void. Hopefully, the legendary actress would finally learn to live with the loss and find comfort in their 7-decades worth of memories.

Anomama