Our Survivor
Louise Beaulieu
“People say to me if I had a heart attack, anyone could. This was a wake-up call to everyone”
Louise had a family history of heart disease. Her father had a heart attack at 45, as did her aunt but neither one took good care of their health as they smoked and ate fried foods. Louise was determined not to follow in their footsteps and to lead a heart healthy lifestyle full of exercise and healthy foods.
At 53, a routine stress test determined she had a healthy heart. After returning from a business trip at 55, Louise felt an odd cold feeling whenever she breathed in. There was no pain, tightness or any indication her heart was in distress so she thought she had caught a cold.
Two days passed and, while climbing two flights of stairs, instead of taking the elevator, she felt the same strange coldness in her chest. As a nurse working at SMMC, she bumped into a doctor who asked if she was feeling alright and felt that Louse should have an EKG immediately. Although her blood pressure was slightly high nothing indicated any serious problems.
A few days, later while getting ready for bed, the same cold feeling in her chest came back. She then became anxious when she felt tightness around her neck. As a nurse, she thought, ‘what would I tell my patient if they had these symptoms?’ She turned to her husband and asked him to call 911, and as he picked up the phone, he saw her skin start turn grey. He silently panicked realizing he didn’t know CPR.
At the ER, her blood work and EKG came back normal. But the ER doctor wasn’t convinced and, after three hours, requested another EKG. This time it displayed that Louise did have a heart attack. Her cardiac catheterization showed she had a small clot in her left anterior descending artery. Due to the location she needed open heart surgery.
The good news: due to Louise’s lifestyle, the procedure was less invasive and her recovery time minimal. The doctors also believe that, because of her healthy habits, she avoided having a heart attack in her forties like her father and aunt.
Louise is lucky she took quick action because she was, in fact, having a heart attack. Her husband’s call, along with the ER doctor’s diagnosis, helped save her life. Come listen to her entire story on October 18th and learn how you can help save others and maybe save someone you love!
