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These personal stories aim to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining a healthy heart and lowering the risk of heart disease in women.
Kate Brooker
Kate Brooker leads a busy life; she is a businesswoman, wife, and mother. Her story would, in many ways, seem typical of many women today, but Kate’s life has been anything but normal. She was born with a congenital heart condition known as Ebsteins anomaly; a defect in the tricuspid valve, creating a leakage of blood in the right side of her heart.
When she was just 22 Kate began to experience dizzy spells and, although she was not alarmed, she mentioned the occurrence to her doctor. During the check-up, she was immediately referred to cardiologist, Professor Ian Meredith of the Monash Medical Centre, who is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Heart Foundation (Victoria). Under Professor Meredith’s care, Kate’s condition remained stable.
Given an ECG (electrocardiogram), Kate was told she would be fine as long as she looked after her health. This she certainly did; enjoying regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan.
“I was told that my case was unusual because a condition like mine is usually picked-up in infancy or even before birth, where as mine was not even detected until I was in my 20s,” Kate said.
Kate and her husband David had always wanted to be parents but, because Kate’s condition is hereditary, there was a risk that her condition could be passed on to children. They also realised that if they were ever lucky enough to become parents, they would only ever be able to have one child, because of the potential impact of pregnancy on Kate’s heart.
“There is no heart disease in my husband’s family and I have to admit that I was distraught at the thought I could give this condition to our child. I was told that it is much simpler to fix this type of heart defect in a child than an adult, and medical technology is improving at a fantastic rate,” she said.
When after years of trying, they were unsuccessful in their bid to have a family, the couple simply accepted that parenthood was just not in their future. Then, at that very same time, they learned they were expecting their first child.
“My pregnancy had to be carefully managed, more as a precaution than anything, and it all went very well,” Kate said.
They welcomed a happy, healthy son, Luke, into the world in 2006.
Everything was going well for Kate, until she was told by her doctor that she needed open heart surgery. She was only 34.
“I was shocked by the news because my life had been so active and without complication. Looking back, I should have realised that something was wrong. I was getting tired and feeling breathless. Sometimes I couldn’t even read Luke his bedtime story without running out of breath. But, looking back, I didn’t see the signs; I was so busy, I just didn’t take any notice.
“I actually never thought I’d need surgery or, if I did, that would happen when I was much older,” Kate said.
The surgery Kate required is extremely rare in Australia but in countries with larger populations, like the United States, it is much more common.
“My doctor told me that there was only one doctor in Australia who could do the surgery; he had been trained in the United States. I was told that cardiac surgeons generally do about seven surgeries a week, but this particular operation is usually only performed once a year on adults in Australia,” said Kate.
She credits her family for being her greatest support when she entered hospital and, if laughter is the best medicine, Luke proved to be a master source of inspiration as Kate recovered from surgery.
“All he knew was that Mummy had a sore tummy, so he would bring his little toy doctor’s kit on visits to help me get better. I think he was good medicine for the entire ward – he certainly kept everyone amused!
“Having the operation has turned my life around. I no longer need medication; at least, for now. I make sure that I have a healthy eating plan and I now have lots of energy. Before the operation, I had trouble picking-up my son, but now I am able to run after him,” Kate said.
Kate realises that, in the future, she may have to go back on medication or even have surgery again. For now, although her heart is repaired, she remains vigilant.
“I can do lots of things I couldn’t do before, and I feel much better than I ever felt before. But, in many ways, I have to protect my heart. That keeps me safe and, while it might take a bit more thought and effort doing even daily tasks that other people take for granted, it’s better than the alternative, which is to undergo surgery again.
“Research into techniques for open heart surgery are advancing at a great rate, thanks to organisations like the National Heart Foundation, and my hope is that the surgery I will need the second time around is less invasive.
“Maybe not many people have to deal with what I’ve experienced, but heart disease is still the number-one killer of women in Australia. As women, we so often put ourselves last. My hope is that if just one woman who reads my story decides to speak with her doctor about heart disease, this will prevent or detect illness before it is too late.
“Through the Go Red for Women campaign, the Heart Foundation asks every Australian woman to love her heart – sounds like good advice to me!” said Kate Brooker.
Juleen Cavanaugh
I am a 57 year old academic with a strong family history of vascular disease (strokes and heart attacks). While I have suffered from hypertension for a number of years, it has been well controlled and my cholesterol has always been on the low side. In November 2009 I saw my GP for a routine check up the day before my heart attack and everything was fine.
I had no inkling of anything wrong. I was in Melbourne on business and went out to dinner with colleagues after a fruitful day of meetings. During dinner I experienced severe discomfort in my chest with pains down both arms. By the time the pain was radiating into my jaw my colleagues became alarmed and rang an ambulance - and I was in the operating theatre within 2 hours having a stent inserted.
I was lucky - I had people around me who recognised what was going on
and acted quickly, then I had a great team of cardiologists and nurses
at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Next the cardiac rehabilitation
program at The Canberra Hospital provided education and information,
reassurance about returning to normal activities, risk factor management, self management principles, medications and importance of follow up with general practitioner and specialists. I met other people who were experiencing the same fears as me.
Now I have taken stock of my life: reducing my stress levels, losing weight and getting a lot more exercise. Surviving this event has given me a "second chance".
Anne Nichols
Anne Nichols had no idea she was experiencing a heart attack when started feeling very tired after filling a mini skip bin with rubbish.
“I was sweating a lot and then felt an awful pain in the back of my neck which made me feel very nauseous. I started vomiting and feeling dreadful,” Anne said.
“The sweat was just dripping from my face and I kept vomiting every few minutes. I thought it might have been food poisoning and that I would feel better if I went to bed.
“I took two paracetamol tablets for the neck pain and lay down on my bed. It was then I noticed I had an unusual pain in the centre of the chest so I got a heat bag and placed it on my chest.”
About 30 minutes later a friend from next door came in to see her. She said she thought Anne looked awful and that she didn't think it was food-related as she and her husband had eaten out with Anne and her husband and they were okay.
The friend went back home and looked up on the Internet a few of the symptoms and came back to tell Anne that she thought it was a heart attack and that she would call an ambulance or take me to the hospital.
“A couple of hours had passed at this stage and I was not feeling any better so I thought maybe I should check it out,” Anne said.
“My friend took me to emergency and told them she thought it was a heart attack so they raced me in and confirmed what she had thought.
“The previous week my right arm had been feeling strange with numbness and I couldn't move my little finger. I had seen my GP who, at the time, couldn’t find anything wrong.
“I was very fortunate, given that I did everything wrong. I certainly wouldn’t do it that way again and instead would call an ambulance straight away if I had any of those symptoms again.”
Amy Malsem
As a happy, athletic 25 year old, Amy Malsem was busy enjoying life, running her own business and travelling. A sore throat resulted in a common diagnosis of ‘throat infection’, which progressed and attacked Amy’s organs, mostly her heart. It changed her life forever.
Most 25 year olds don’t have their own cardiac teams, and don’t have to know or truly understand terms such as severe heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy, transplantation, and ejection fraction. Her personal favourites to know and understand were, life-saving, surgery avoiding beta-blockers. Surviving, then learning to live with a damaged heart muscle has included many unpredictable challenges and triumphs which Amy has met with courage, determination and a well-maintained sense of humour.
‘In my opinion, the keys to regaining excellent health are:
- overcoming the fear of the prognosis;
- proactively accessing accurate expertise and information;
- laughing with the people you love, as heartily (no pun intended) and as often as possible;
- shopping using the convincing and convenient excuse, “I fought to live, I’m not fighting the urge to buy those shoes”.
I have always treasured my adventurous, imperfectly wonderful life, and always will. If you treasure your life, maintain great heart health. It ensures your future adventures are possible.’
Amy continues to manage her heart condition well and is thoroughly enjoying her thirties, business life and social life. She finds fun, challenging ways to stay healthy, like learning to swim the butterfly stroke despite limited talent for it, walking her two energetic German Shorthaired Pointers, and learning to row in crocodile-infested waters. Amy also enjoys her time spent inspiring others to live a full and healthy life.
Leonie Fryar
Leonie Fryar does not fit the description of your 'typical' heart patient. When Leonie had her heart attack three years ago, she was young, well within her healthy weight range, very fit ... and, of course, female.
But she was a heavy smoker, and regular binge drinker.
'I was actually misdiagnosed at the time because not even the doctors thought my pain was heart-related,' she explains. 'I was told it might be reflux or a virus.'
Leonie, a 43-year-old lives with her husband, Gary. She vividly remembers the night the pain started.
'It was on a Sunday night, after another weekend of heavy drinking and smoking,' she says. 'Gary took me to a 24-hour medical clinic and I was diagnosed with reflux. Because I was a size eight, slim and fit girl, no-one considered I had a heart condition.'
During the next few days the pain escalated, so her GP ordered an ECG. When he saw the result, he sent her straight to a cardiologist.
'Two of the main arteries were blocked - one by 90 per cent, one by 99 per cent,' she explains. 'So he put me straight into hospital and operated the same day. I had an angioplasty, a balloon threaded through the artery to push against the artery wall to open and clear blockages, and a stent is inserted into each to keep them open.'
Leonie survived her heart attack but has accepted there's a high risk she'll have another, as severe damage has already been done.
'Unfortunately, I also naturally have very high cholesterol levels,' she says. 'So I'm on medication for that, I'm exercising moderately and still eating well. But I haven't had a cigarette since. And if I wasn't doing all those positive things by now, I don't think I'd be here. It's ironic, but it was actually the best thing that happened to me,' she says. 'It's made me take stock of what's important ... and that's not working around the clock, trying to get ahead.'
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