Surviving a Heart Attack: Kim’s Story
Kim was getting ready for bed on February 14th when she had a sudden, tight pain at the top of her chest. It also radiated across and along her back as well. She brushed it off as muscle pain, since she had been lifting boxes of papers earlier that day at work. She took two acetaminophen for the pain, assumed it was nothing, and went to bed.
In the middle of the night, Kim noticed the pain wasn’t letting up. She got up to take two more acetaminophen, and to get a cold pack for her back. She was also feeling nauseous, having to get up several times to use the washroom. Again, Kim didn’t think anything serious was happening - it was likely just indigestion.
The following morning, Kim ended up going to the urgent care centre because of ongoing pain. They did bloodwork, several ECGs, but tests showed no obvious cause. Based on abnormalities in bloodwork, Kim was seen by a cardiologist the next morning who confirmed it was her heart. She was transferred to St. Boniface for further assessment. The next day, she went to the cardiac cath lab for an angiogram which showed that she was, indeed, having a heart attack from a 90% blockage in one artery. She was quickly treated with a stent to open the blood flow back up, and sent up to recovery. Her recovery in the hospital was uneventful due to the care she received from the heart team.
“I never thought it could be a heart attack,” Kim said. “You know the signs, you know the symptoms, but I just never thought it would be me.”
It’s important for women to understand that their symptoms during a heart attack can be unique. Unfortunately, half of women who experience heart attacks have their symptoms go unrecognized or misdiagnosed. Don’t deny yourself treatment because you assume it’s nothing serious. “As women, we’re used to brushing things off and not wanting to cause trouble. But, it’s okay to ask for help, and advocate for yourself when you know something isn’t quite right.”
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Kim was a heart attack patient enrolled in our new ACS-24 program, for Remote Home Monitoring (RHM). RHM is a new model of care, allowing low-risk heart attack patients who are discharged from hospital and their loved ones to access and receive ongoing care, to support their recovery at home.
When asked about her experience with RHM, Kim had a very positive testimonial. “It was really a very good experience. I was nervous and unsure of what to expect after I was discharged, but the team assured me I needed to get back to regular activities, slowly. The Remote Home Monitoring team was excellent at following up, every step of the way, and I always felt like someone was there. I never felt alone.”
