The legendary First Lady of Soaps, Susan Lucci revealed to People magazine that she recently had to have two stents installed after a CT scan showed her aorta had 90 percent blockage, while another artery was blocked at 70 percent.

via TMZ:

She said she had a pain in her chest, which got gradually worse until one day while shopping it “felt like an elephant pressing down on my chest.” She met her cardiologist at an ER, got the CT scan … and immediately went into surgery.

Her doctor told Susan she barely avoided a future heart attack by coming in when she did.

Good thing, too. Can you IMAGINE a world without La Lucci in it?

At any rate: She’s now teaming up with the American Heart Association to spread awareness of heart disease and getting testing.

(Photo: Avalon)