Debra Clare’s experience with heart disease started when she began to feel chest pain and became unwell for over a year. She went to her GP and the hospital multiple times, but neither suspected a heart attack or ordered heart tests, believing her symptoms were caused by anxiety. She felt frustrated and needed more information, so she searched online and found Her Heart, Australia’s only not-for-profit and peak body that focuses on preventing women’s heart disease. Through their resources, she recognized similar symptoms and knew she needed to take action.
She returned to her GP and demanded a referral to a cardiac specialist after her younger brother survived a cardiac arrest. It took a few months before she got an appointment, underwent a stress test and a CT coronary angiogram, and was told her coronary artery was completely blocked. She was instructed to wait for medication and surgery, but unfortunately, she had a heart attack two days after her phone call and required two stents in her heart during lifesaving surgery. She learned her condition was hereditary and has since made changes to her lifestyle, stopped smoking, and had her sons and other family members screened for heart disease.
Debra recounts that during her surgery, they nearly lost her on the operating table and had to bring in the resuscitation team. She felt grateful for the care from the nurses, especially her cardiac nurse from Hunter New England Health, who helped her undergo rehabilitation and feel confident in returning to her usual activities. However, she felt frustrated that her symptoms were not taken seriously and that if she were male, she would have been seen by a specialist straight away. She emphasizes the importance of listening to women and hopes that her experience will help raise awareness about women’s heart disease.