Aida Turturro, who played the role of Janice Soprano on the hit HBO series “The Sopranos,” has opened up about the heart attack she had that changed her life. On Tuesday, June 2, Turturro appeared on Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Christina Applegate’s “MeSsy” podcast, where she spoke about having to have an emergency quadruple bypass surgery.
Aida Turturro Recalls Scary Medical Emergency
“I was having chest pains for a while, but a hiatal hernia can imitate it [a heart attack],” she recalled in the interview. “My friend’s like, ‘Should we call the ambulance?’ and I’m like, ‘Nah, I’m fine.’ I get in my car, I walk to my house … my cousin gave me his doctor’s number, his doctor answered, and he’s like … ‘It sounds like you might need to go to a cardiologist.’ I go to the doctor, [an] amazing doctor, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, you had a heart attack.’”
Turturro is fortunate to have received medical intervention in time, because when she was informed that “88 to 90 percent” of her arteries were clogged. She required immediate surgery, and she is lucky to be alive. “I could’ve died, I should’ve died then, but I didn’t,” she said.
However, this incident did change Turturro’s outlook on health and fitness. “I’m blessed with beautiful people in my life. It’s all in your brain. I learned my lessons, you have to take care of yourself,” she said. “We can always do better but it’s really about, don’t do nothing. You can’t help your kids, you can’t help your family if you don’t do you. Get everybody involved [because] this is a priority. This is our life, we’re doing this together.”
A clip from the podcast was shared on YouTube, giving fans an opportunity to react. “Loved aida on the sopranos and her tv shows,” a comment reads. “Great guest. My eyes always go to her when she is in a scene. Thank you for all you do Jamie. We’re holding you in our hearts Christina,” another fan wrote, referencing Applegate’s medical condition.
Aida Turturro Takes Control of Her Health
Turturro took control of her life and made important changes. She ended up losing a significant amount of weight, around 80 pounds, and she looks incredible! More importantly, she feels good.
It was not only her emergency surgery that encouraged her to make lifestyle changes, but she was also diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2001. “A couple of years ago my doctor said, ‘Listen, your blood sugars have been out of control. Do you understand that if you don’t take care of this you’re putting yourself at risk for problems like kidney disease, heart failure, blindness, neuropathy, possibly even death?’ And it finally hit me,” she told Ability Magazine in an interview.
To help her take control of her life, the actress worked with a nutritionist and got serious about fitness, emphasizing walking. “I started working with a nutritionist to better educate myself about carbohydrate intake. There is so much to learn—I’m still learning,” she said.
