She thought she was having indigestion. Doctors found a near-fatal artery blockage. | Global News Avenue

Reena Caprario is used for shocking symptoms. The 55-year-old mother of two was diagnosed with lung cancer in late 2023 and has a history of diabetes.

She had surgery in late 2023 to remove stage I cancer and her diabetes was well managed, so Caprario knew nothing about it when she began experiencing back pain and acid reflux last May. She was a former smoker with a family history of heart disease and knew she was at a higher risk of heart disease, but the discomfort was similar to gastric symptoms after lung surgery.

For several days, she dealt with the pain. One day, she and her daughter went to the mall, and Caprario decided to go up and down the stairs in an attempt to relieve the discomfort. On other days, she tried over-the-counter medications.

Then, a week later, the pain exploded, branching to her neck, chin and upper arms. She said her hands began to numb and her mouth felt like she had dozens of toothaches. The pain on her head was “outrageous”. Even though the pain knocked down her arm and reached into her hand, Caprario refused to believe she was having a heart attack.

“Google became my doctor and I was like, ‘OK, I might have all these symptoms, but I just had a heart attack.’ “I kept saying to myself that there was no way. ‘”

Caprario went to her primary care physician and the electrocardiogram showed abnormal cardiac activity. Her doctor wanted to call an ambulance and take Caplario to the nearest hospital, but she decided to let her husband drive. Another electrocardiogram and blood work revealed she had a heart attack when she arrived at Adventhealth Apopka. More tests showed that her left action artery had “99% obstruction”. A plaque established in the artery has detached, blocking almost all blood.

“They told my family that I was lucky to be alive,” Caprario said.

Symptoms of abnormal heart attack

According to Dr. Harmony Reynolds, director of the Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Research at Sarah Ross Soter at NYU Langone Heart, the most important thing about a heart attack is: “A heart attack doesn’t have to feel like it looks like it looks in a movie. Like the view in the movie. .” Reynolds, who is not involved in Caprario’s treatment, said that persistent pain like Caprario is not uncommon before a major heart event occurs. Early symptoms are often warning that blood flow to the heart has been restricted.

“The heart muscle will feel, it will send a signal,” Reynolds said. “It may not even be painful. It may just be a discomfort, which is usually positioned on the chest, but that doesn’t need to.”

Reynolds said the pain “anywhere between the chin and the navel” could be a sign of a heart attack, although chest pain is often present. Pain levels may vary, but may be stress or a sensation of contraction. Other symptoms may include acid reflux, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness or dizziness, or an upcoming sense of doom.

Dr. Linus Wodi, an Adventhealth cardiologist who received Caprario, said the location of her artery blockage complicates the situation. The left circumferential artery connected to the important coronary artery is on the back of the heart, so it is difficult to undergo some tests. He said severe blockage in the artery had a “high possibility of death.” He said that if Caprario had waited longer to seek medical care, she might have “probably not survived.”

Treat dangerous blockages

Wodi said that when Caprario arrived at the hospital, only about 1% of her blood flowed through her arteries. Severe obstruction can lead to abnormal heart rhythm. It can also strain the heart, thus permanently damaging the muscles.

Wodi recommends Caprario for percutaneous coronary intervention, where a thin canal is used to clear the blocked artery and place one stent to prevent the other from blocking. The process can be completed without anesthesia and usually lasts 30 minutes to two hours.

Wodi said the program went smoothly and Caprario was released the next morning. Wodi said she was taken several medications to reduce the risk of heart disease and was called a 12-week cardiac rehabilitation program. Caprario said she works with a nurse to exercise more regularly and change other heart-healthy lifestyles.

Now, a few months after the event, Caprario says she feels better than ever. In addition to engaging in heart health, she focuses on spending time with her family and returning to sports activities she once loved.

“I don’t even feel like I’ve had a heart attack,” she said.