Now, Lucci stresses the importance of understanding one’s family medical history. “It’s important for everyone to know their family history,” she urged. “I don’t think that I ever mentioned my dad’s family history to a doctor.”

Then, in January of last year, after indulging in plenty of “comfort food” throughout the pandemic—something she admitted was “not my normal way of eating”—Lucci faced another terrifying health scare. She started experiencing shortness of breath, followed by chest pain that spread to her jaw. Even though she had already undergone a previous procedure, she hesitated to reach out to a doctor.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she admitted. “And after telling women for three years to not be afraid to call the doctor and to put themselves on their to-do list, I reverted back to all those things.”

When she was rushed to the hospital, doctors found an 80 percent blockage in one of her arteries—this time caused by cholesterol. She was immediately taken to the cardiac catheterization lab, where another stent was inserted to reopen the artery.

“I almost wasn’t going to speak about it, I was so ashamed of myself. But it’s a reminder to be vigilant,” Lucci told PEOPLE.

Just two months after her last surgery, Lucci faced an unimaginable loss—her husband of 53 years, Helmut Huber, passed away at the age of 84.

“After that, nothing seemed important, my health or anything else,” Lucci confessed. “I didn’t care about anything else.”

She described the healing process as “a journey, a process.” But despite the heartbreak, she shared, “I feel good. I lost the love of my life, and that’s been awful, but I have friends who make me laugh and keep me out and about, and I’m determined to keep putting one foot in front of the other.”