Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 16)

Name: Marla “It’s not always a Hollywood heart attack with the clutching of the chest. Women are subtle—it could be neck, jaw or arm pain.” 16 SPRING 2 013 AGE AT TIME OF EVENT: 53 HER STORY: Marla was ﬁt and played tennis regularly. But there was more happening on the court than a rousing doubles game. It was the only time in her day when she experienced chest pain. Of course, there was always a reasonable explanation: She’d had orange juice or coffee or both; she didn’t wait long enough after eating to play; maybe she wasn’t as in shape as she thought. Finally, a cardiologist friend suggested she get a stress test. And even though Marla passed her stress test, the doctor told her to call if it happened again. It did. A few tests, three stents and ﬁve prescriptions later, Marla was immersed in the world of coronary artery disease. “My life turned upside down.” Not only was the diagnosis distressing, but the medications made Marla “feel like a zombie.” Her usual morning-person self was gone, so she told the doctor something had to change. “We started cutting back, adjusting and changing,” she says. “It was a struggle to get the right combination of medications for me.” A year and a half later, Marla felt a pinching in her left arm. This time she knew better. As a co-leader of three support groups for WomenHeart, a national coalition for women who have heart disease, she is all too familiar with the symptoms of a heart attack. “Because I knew what to do, there was no damage to my heart.” LEARN FROM HER: “You need to put yourself before the dog,” says the mother of three. “Women are busy with children, family, friends, parents. Our health comes down somewhere after taking care of the plants.” And it’s not only that, she says. Women’s heart attack symptoms can be easy to miss. “It’s not always a Hollywood heart attack with the clutching of the chest. Women are subtle—it could be neck, jaw or arm pain.” THE DOCTOR SAYS: It’s important to understand your diagnosis. “Coronary artery disease can range from ‘I’ve got a little plaque in my heart’ to ‘I’ve had bypass surgery,’ ” Stevens says. Ask your doctor to clarify anything you’re unsure of. Name: Dina AGE AT TIME OF EVENT: 41 HER STORY: Dina just thought she had a really bad headache. She was home for the holidays, so she put on a brave face. On New Year’s Eve, the ex-athlete decided to head to the emergency room. Her blood pressure was elevated, but the staff chalked it up to holiday stress. Two days later, she was back at the ER. “I’ll never forget the look on the nurse’s face when she took my blood pressure. It was off the charts,” she says. “She looked at me as if I was going to die right there.” After an EKG, a CT scan and a chest X-ray, the doctor came in with the verdict: She had suffered a transient ischemic attack, or a ministroke. Dina was shocked. She ran track in college and had worked part time as a personal trainer—hardly the picture of heart disease. But genetics weren’t on her side. Many of her family members took medication for high blood pressure. “I was walking around thinking I was healthy, but I wasn’t. That’s why they call it the silent killer.” Today, Dina’s daily routine includes taking her blood pressure medication and working out for 30 minutes. She eats a lot of ﬁsh and green, leafy vegetables, shuns fast food and tries to keep her stress level in check. LEARN FROM HER: As a national spokeswoman for WomenHeart, Dina advises women to focus on the ABCs of heart disease and stroke: aspirin therapy, blood

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center
Contents
Phil’s Feature
Where Lasting Weight Loss Begins
Open Heart Surgery Journey
You’re the Star
Heart-to-Heart
Lighten Up!
Have No Fear
Work It!
Diane Keaton
What Are the Chances?
9 Symptoms Never to Ignore
When Allergies Attack
Virtual Health
PrimeTime Health
Aiding Babies
Back on Top
Out of the White Coat
Transforming Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center