I know first hand how sneaky it can be and that YOU must take charge of your health and care. Keep in mind as well that I am only 52 years old.

My own journey with this killer began quite out of the ordinary. It was Sunday February 11,2007 and I was the Chauffeur for our daughter and her friends to the dance at school. I had 4 teenagers, one of the other mothers, and my mom along. We dropped them off at the dance and preceded to go to dinner. During dinner I started having discomfort in my RIGHT SHOULDER. Since I have some problems with arthritis I didn't think anything of it and went on about the evening. The discomfort continued and by that Monday evening the 12th I couldn't sleep as it had moved to the middle of my back between the shoulder blades. I slept sitting up in a chair (if you can call it that) with a heating pad and took some pain meds. I did this same routine each day until Thursday morning the 15th of February. At this point I couldn't stand the discomfort as it was beginning to make it hard to function. The discomfort DID NOT feel at all like it had anything to do with my heart it felt like really bad arthritis pain. It wasn't bothering me in the chest region at all only between my shoulder blades and high into the middle of my back. Signs of a Heart Attack.

I went to my doctor's that morning of the 15th. He was very attentive (BLESS HIM! as unfortunately many doctors do not understand that women do not present the same symptoms as men) He also knows that I never come in for something simple. He ran an EKG - IT WAS NORMAL! but I told him I just didn't feel like me at all and that the pain was not something I could live with any longer as it was keeping me from taking care of myself and others. He called the local Cardiologist who told him to send me over to the hospital for a Stress Test immediately. I went through this test and others and was just about to be sent home from there when I began to feel worse. I told my husband to please call the doctor back at his office and tell him I couldn't go home feeling this way and what should we do next (About a 1/2 hour after the stress test I began to feel some mild chest discomfort.) My doctor called the hosptial and they wisk me from the X-Ray Lab to the ER where I was given a Nitro Patch and several Baby Aspirin. Shortly after this my results came back from the Stress Test and I was told I was being transported to another hospital about 40 minutes away via ambulance for a Heart Catherization as my test showed positive for blockage.

Not long after arriving at the hospital my Cardiologist arrived as well. While he was going over my results I started to have distress again and it was decided to do an immediate Catherization instead of waiting till Friday the 16th. I THANK GOD for his swift decision as more likely than not I would have had a heart attack in the night as he found a 99% blockage in the Right Coronary Artery behind the heart. Because I took charge of things and insisted on not being sent home without further care I suffered no heart damage. My Cardiologists and my Family Doctor both told my husband and I that if I hadn't pushed about the problem I may very well have died. Two Thirds of women who do survive heart attacks NEVER FULLY RECOVER. Don't let this be you or one of the women in your life - TAKE CHARGE!

Make the Doctor listen to you and if he won't find another one!!! Remember everyone of my EKG's was normal and so was my blood pressure. The only outward signs I had was just not feeling well and pain that wasn't associated normally with the heart. If I can help one more woman save her life and hopefully get others to listen up and do their best to keep healthy than I feel my time here was well spent. THIS ARTICLE IN NO WAY IS MEANT TO TAKE THE PLACE OF A MEDICAL PROFFESSIONAL'S OPINION!!!! THIS IS JUST MY WAY OF GETTING THE WORD OUT TO GET SMART AND BE HEALTHY!!!!