• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Health Conditions / Heart Health / My Story: “I Had A Heart Attack. This Is What I Learned”

My Story: “I Had A Heart Attack. This Is What I Learned”

heart attack in women

I was aware that female heart attacks are different, but this description is so incredibly visceral that I feel like I have an entirely new understanding of what it feels like to be living the symptoms on the inside. Women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have… you know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the floor as we see in movies. Here is the story of one nurse’s real experience with a heart attack:

“I had a heart attack at about 10:30 PM with NO prior exertion, NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might have brought it on. I was sitting all snugly & warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking, ‘A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up.

A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you’ve been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you’ve swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable.

You realize you shouldn’t have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation–the only trouble was that I hadn’t taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.

TAKE A LOOK:6 Heart Disease Symptoms That Black Women Need To Know

You May Also Like
13 Signs You Need to See a Dermatologist

After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasms), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR).

This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. ‘AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening – we all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven’t we?

I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God, I think I’m having a heart attack! I lowered the foot rest dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, If this is a heart attack, I shouldn’t be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else… but, on the other hand, if I don’t, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in a moment.

I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics. I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn’t feel hysterical or afraid, just stated the facts.

You May Also Like
7 Proven Ways to Cure an Upset Stomach

She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to

Continue Reading

The Latest In Heart Health

Killer Mike

Rapper & Activist Breaks Down Heart Health in the Black Community”

In 2021 alone, more than 930,000 deaths in the United States were due to cardiovascular disease, which equates to one in every four deaths. At the top of this list are Black adults, who continue to be disproportionately affected, according read more about Rapper & Activist Breaks Down Heart Health in the Black Community”
heart tests

4 Essential Heart Tests For A Longer Life

For decades, doctors had nothing more sophisticated than a stress test to identify potential heart problems. Not anymore. Cardiologists now use advanced imaging and blood tests that give a much more accurate assessment of heart attack risk. These tests are read more about 4 Essential Heart Tests For A Longer Life
fish oil supplements

Fish Oil Supplements: The ‘Live Longer’ Pill?

Omega-3 fish oil supplements may slightly lower the risk of dying after heart failure or a recent heart attack, but they don’t prevent heart disease, says an advisory issued Monday by the American Heart Association. About 18.8 million adults in read more about Fish Oil Supplements: The ‘Live Longer’ Pill?
Structural racism

Racism Brings Worse Heart Health for Black Women

Black women who are exposed to certain forms of racism may be more likely to develop heart disease, researchers say. Specifically, Black women who have faced discrimination in employment, housing and in their interactions with the police were 26 percent read more about Racism Brings Worse Heart Health for Black Women
heart disease

A Virginia Woman Says She Never Thought “She’d Developed Heart Disease”

One of the leading causes of death in America is heart disease. Unfortunately, research says that Black Americans are “30% more likely to die from chronic heart failure” than other races. Fortunately, doctors have argued that the chronic disease can read more about A Virginia Woman Says She Never Thought “She’d Developed Heart Disease”
angina pectoris

Sudden Chest Pain: What it Could Mean

That feeling of crushing pain in your chest can be a medical emergency, but it can also be angina pectoris, or "stable angina" — a symptom of coronary heart disease that can be managed with medication. Angina can be stable, read more about Sudden Chest Pain: What it Could Mean

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries
  • Tracee Ellis Ross at 50: Loving Her Body With No FilterTracee Ellis Ross at 50: Loving Her Body With No Filter
  • Like Father, Like Son: ‘Miami Vice’ Star’s Son Handsome Like his DaddyLike Father, Like Son: 'Miami Vice' Star's Son Handsome Like his Daddy
  • Mo’Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: “I Love Us For Real”Mo'Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: "I Love Us For Real"
  • The Cast of The Bernie Mac Show: 20+ Years LaterThe Cast of The Bernie Mac Show: 20+ Years Later

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.