My Heart Will Go On... (and On)

by: Elizabeth Skronski

For many of us, including me, hearing the news of a friend with illness often brings thoughts of … Thank God it’s not me! We are often in denial of anything bad happening to us from a health perspective. We feel invincible, particularly when we’re still young and in good health.

On November 1, 2008 at the age of 49, I also felt invincible. I was in good health according to my doctor. My recent annual check up had revealed nothing to be worried about, even my blood tests showed normal cholesterol. After a great day with my husband, visiting different wineries in the Niagara region and attending a play at the Shaw Festival, the unthinkable happened. I suffered a massive heart attack.

To say that I was shocked is an understatement. I am fairly young, don’t smoke, eat healthy, meditate and exercise. Most importantly, my doctor had told me everything was fine; the pain I had felt in my left arm while on a retreat in Italy back in August 2008 was probably due to some arthritis in my neck since my EKG showed nothing abnormal.

So how could this happen? How did I end up in the ICU after my heart attack, scheduled for an angiogram that ultimately revealed that one of the main arteries was blocked at 95%?

Most people believe that heart disease is part of a man’s domain.  Unfortunately, many doctors and emergency room personnel still subscribe to this belief.

The shocking fact is this: cardiovascular and heart disease is the number 1 killer in women, more than all other cancer combined. In fact, 1 in 3 Canadian women will die from heart disease.

It is our responsibility to educate ourselves and to take control of our own health instead of depending solely on our health care provider, whether we are a man or a woman.

Unfortunately, our ways of living are proof that hiding our heads in the sand, like an ostrich, is a strategy we often embrace more quickly instead of taking the steps to a healthier, more meaningful, more aligned lifestyle. This includes not only the food we eat but the stress we put on ourselves, the medical appointments we don’t take, or the fear to challenge our doctors when we intuitively know something is wrong. In my case, my doctor had mentioned sending me for a “stress test” after the EKG and the blood tests results were back. Because nothing abnormal had shown up, he elected not to pursue the stress test. I chose to ignore the fact that I was more tired than usual, that I had shortness of breath, that I actually had difficulty concentrating and sleeping because I chose to give all control of my health to my doctor. 

Thankfully, I was at the right place when the heart attack started. I was having dinner with my husband in a restaurant and upon seeing me acting in distress, the restaurant manager asked me if I wanted to have an ambulance. Fortunately, I was too distressed and in pain to even think about playing a heroine and I agreed. This sole decision saved my life. Because I had agreed for the restaurant to call an ambulance, I was able to be looked after and diagnosed while in the ambulance. This meant that the hospital emergency room was waiting for me, ready to insert an IV line with a blood clot busting drug, saving my heart from any permanent damage.

Although it may feel like more “homework”, it is crucial that we all educate ourselves with the symptoms of a possible heart attack and that we take back control of our health.  In my case, I had two warning pains in my left arm well before my heart attack: once in June while driving with the pain lasting approximately 15 minutes and the second time in August while in Italy, with the pain being sharper, feelings of being bloated and shortness of breath lasting about 30 minutes. When the heart attack happened the symptoms I experienced in order were:

·        The same radiating pain in my left arm followed by the same feeling of being bloated.

·        Nausea and stomach cramps

·        Cold sweat

·        And finally, a sharp pain right above my left breast with extreme difficulty breathing.

Not everyone will experience the same symptoms:

·        If you know there’s something wrong, press your doctor for further testing.

·        Always call an ambulance. Not only can the paramedics start treating you, you have priority in the emergency room.

·        Pay attention to your body. Don’t discard anything and don’t be afraid to be embarrassed if it turns out it’s not a heart attack. As one of my nurse so wisely said to me when I went back to the ER department the day after my discharge because I was not feeling good …. “Better be safe than sorry”.

Here are a few links that can help get you started:

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/578718

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/578721

http://www.heartandstroke.com

What’s it like to live with heart disease? A feeling of immense gratitude for the manager of that restaurant, for the paramedics and the nurses who took care of me,  for our medical system and all the researchers who discover many new, less painful ways to treat the disease. A new commitment to a journey to deep emotional and spiritual awareness … and a lifetime of being on medications (at least for now, until the next discovery!)

If you wish to further discuss this article or share with me your own story, feel free to contact me at elizabeth@lightworksforwellbeing.com or at eskronski@riseinternational.ca 

Posted in: Personal Stories, Health