Heart Attacks in Women

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Added: Tue. Jun 14, 2011 11:57am
Posted in: Women

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 Heart Attack In Women

 I'd been walking around with burning in my chest for a few days, thinking I’d pulled a muscle, or somehow inflamed the breast bone. I went to the doctor who took an EKG, saying the heart was getting less oxygen, but nothing different from my past EKGs. I left the office thinking if it was the heart something bigger would have shown on the EKG. Once home, I decided to take Tylenol for the burn, and noticed it only came when standing or walking, not while lying or sitting. I decided to spend the holiday week-end in bed, resting this “inflamed sternum”.  

Two days later at 1 a.m. I woke with severe burning in the chest and profuse sweating. I waited 15 minutes, then dialed 911, after the burning became more intense.  The 911 operator told me to take 4 baby aspirin or 2 regular aspirin and “chew them,” she said.  Soon the paramedics were at the house, taking blood pressure and pulse and suggested I go to the hospital. While in the ambulance I thought, ‘I’m sure this is a pulled muscle or inflammation of the breast bone, not heart. I’m not having sharp pain down my left arm or the “weight of an elephant” sitting on my chest, like they tell you’.

Once at the ER they took chest x-rays, and blood enzyme count. By 7 a.m. I was admitted for 24-hour observation of blood enzymes, checked every 8 hours. The first blood enzyme count showed .04, the second, .08, and third 2.80. Because the enzyme count was rising, they knew I had had a heart attack and began shots into the stomach to thin my blood, and other meds.

Because of the holiday, catheterization could not be done until Tuesday. The catheterization (wire going from the artery in the groin to the heart and dye shot into the heart) found 2 arteries blocked. Stents were placed in each artery at the time.  Because of an allergic reaction to Iodine dye, and internal bleeding, my blood pressure went down to 50/30. I felt I was in an ER TV series or “House” series, as they ran around me trying to bring my B/P up, and I felt I was fading, my eyes crossing. Once stabilized, I was sent to ICU where I spent three days and was given Plavix, aspirin, and meds to help raise my BP.

I was then sent to CCU, where I was still monitored and CT scans showed that, although the bleeding had stopped, I had bled into my lower back and a pocket of blood had formed.  A Vascular surgeon was called in and said my blood work showed that the bleeding had stopped, my blood work was coming back normal and the blood pocket would dissipate. I was sent home that day – one week after the attack.

I wrote this, because many women, in particular, think you need pain in the left side, arm, or an “elephant sitting on your chest” as the “normal” signs of a heart attack. I found it was not true for me. Burning in my chest were my signs. Please be aware ladies.
Rose Lamatt