DDD
Well-Known Member
This came from a first hand experience and I'll cut it short as I can...but...every woman should know how differently heart attacks hit women. Women's heart attacks (Myocardial infarction) rarely have dramatic symptoms like stabbing pain in the chest, cold sweats, grabbing chest, collapsing. The RN had no prior exertion, no emotional trauma. She was curled up with her cat reading a book. Suddenly she felt as tho she had eaten too much or too fast and had indigestion. She had no eaten for hours. It subsided. Then she felt little squeezing sensations that raced up her spine and then hastened to her sternum...it continued up to her throat and jaws. Then she went AHA and realized she was having a heart attack.
She didn't have a phone in the room and, although afraid to walk, she slowly got up and managed to call the Paramedics who asked her to unlock the door and then lie down on the floor. She has no memories of what happened next but she luckily lived close to a major hospital, a cariologist was on duty and she had surgery almost immediately.
She suggests:
1. Pay attention to anything very different that happens and don't assume you can sleep it off.
2. Call Paramedics...don't drive yourself or have your husband drive you and don't call your Dr.
3. Don't discount heart attack because you know your cholesterol count is normal. Elevated cholesterol rarely causes an MI. MI's statistically MI's are caused by long term stress or body inflamation.
Since most of us live with stress daily I thought it wise to share. If an experienced RN didn't know what was going on...we might not either. Female heart attacks are different. DDD
She didn't have a phone in the room and, although afraid to walk, she slowly got up and managed to call the Paramedics who asked her to unlock the door and then lie down on the floor. She has no memories of what happened next but she luckily lived close to a major hospital, a cariologist was on duty and she had surgery almost immediately.
She suggests:
1. Pay attention to anything very different that happens and don't assume you can sleep it off.
2. Call Paramedics...don't drive yourself or have your husband drive you and don't call your Dr.
3. Don't discount heart attack because you know your cholesterol count is normal. Elevated cholesterol rarely causes an MI. MI's statistically MI's are caused by long term stress or body inflamation.
Since most of us live with stress daily I thought it wise to share. If an experienced RN didn't know what was going on...we might not either. Female heart attacks are different. DDD