To appreciate her aspirations, you have to appreciate her incredible health journey, one that began suddenly with a massive heart attack in October 2015.

“I never had any indications,” said Terrie, now a peppy, 74-year-old, semiretired schoolteacher. “I thought I was healthy.”

Terrie survived a second heart attack a few days later while waiting for initial complications to improve before undergoing triple-bypass heart surgery. Following surgery, she remained unconscious for three weeks due to additional setbacks. Eventually, Terrie would need her left foot and part of her left leg to be amputated, as a result of weakened blood flow during her recovery. According to Terri, her family wasn’t sure she would survive.

Nearly 10 years later, she’s alive and thriving, thanks to an incredible team of physicians and therapists, which includes the cardiac rehabilitation team at Norton King’s Daughters’ Health in Madison, Indiana.

“The staff encourages you and holds you accountable,” Terrie said. “It’s comforting to know they are tracking your heart rate and blood pressure. They are always willing to answer questions and check on you; it’s such a huge benefit.”

When Terrie first began cardiac rehabilitation in January 2016, nearly four months after her heart attack, her initial ejection fraction — or EF as she calls it — was only 30%. Ejection fraction is one indicator of the heart’s efficiency at pumping blood. Through Terrie’s hard work and continuous effort, her heart’s ejection fraction is now 50% to 55%, which Terrie described as “low normal” for someone her age.  After barely being able to exercise for six minutes initially, she now attends cardiac rehab twice a week for 45 minutes.

“Even if I was disciplined enough to keep exercising on my own, it’s a huge benefit coming here,” Terrie said.

She continues in the maintenance phase, or Phase 3, of cardiac rehabilitation at Norton King’s Daughters’ Health.

“The team becomes like family. You also get to encourage other people and get encouragement from them,” Terrie said. “It was a long journey for me; maybe I can help someone else.”

Throughout her stints in physical therapy, which included learning how to use her prosthetic foot and leg, Terrie cherished her local access to heart care.

“I doubt I would have driven somewhere two or three times a week,” she said. “Having local care makes all the difference. The people are wonderful.”

Jared Rogers, exercise physiologist, and Nancy Gibson, a cardiovascular technician, both with the rehab program in Madison, “are great,” according to Terrie.

Jared sees firsthand the difference cardiac rehab makes in the lives of heart patients.  Initially, patients complete Phase 1, which focuses on regaining strength and conditioning. Phase 2 helps patients transition to independence, which is the goal of the cardiac rehab program. Phase 3 is a self-pay option for patients who simply want to maintain their success. 

“Patients like the social atmosphere and building relationships,” Jared said. “We want to help patients understand that it takes a lifestyle change to be successful. It’s rewarding to see patients reach their goals and make improvements. We want them to be independent.”

Steven L. Vorhies, M.D., is a family medicine specialist at Norton Community Medical Associates and is Terrie’s primary care physician. He praised Terrie’s mental fortitude as a reason for her success.

“Her mental approach to recovery … is remarkable,” Dr. Vorhies said. “Her rehab helped her immensely.  She set a goal to be active, live her life and do what she wants to do. Her mental attitude is wonderful.  She’s always smiling.”

Today, Terrie enjoys spending time with her husband of 53 years, Curt. Their family consists of three adult children and a grandson, whom Terrie enjoys watching play a variety of sports, including baseball, basketball and football.

“I can do most things I want to do,” Terrie said. “My leg limits me more than my heart.”

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“If you have early warning signs of a heart attack, don’t dismiss it — it’s a chance for you to get care that could prevent a more devastating attack,” said Abdullahi O. Oseni, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Norton Heart & Vascular Institute. “When we can provide early heart attack care, it gives us a chance to treat the cause of your symptoms before  significant damage occurs.”

Early heart attack symptoms

Someone may experience few early heart attack symptoms or all of the following. When they start, these symptoms can be mild or come and go. Over days or weeks, early heart attack symptoms and pain increase until the person potentially collapses.

• Feeling of fullness
• Pain that travels down one or both arms
• Jaw pain
• Excessive fatigue
• Anxiety
• Nausea
• Back pain
• Shortness of breath
• Chest discomfort, pain, pressure, squeezing, aching or burning

RELATED:ASTEMI is one of the most dangerous forms of heart attack —here’s what you need to know

Heart attack in men versus women

Men may experience different heart attack symptoms from women. Why does it matter? Women are less likely to seek immediate medical care and are more likely to die from a heart attack.

• Men normally feel pain and numbness in the left arm or side of chest. In women, the pain and numbness may appear on the right side. 
• Women may feel completely exhausted, drained, dizzy or nauseous.
• Women may feel upper back pain that travels up into the jaw.
• Women may think stomach pain is the flu, heartburn or an ulcer.

How can you prevent a heart attack?

Up to 85% of heart damage can occur within the first two hours of a heart attack. Know these early heart attack symptoms and act on them immediately — before any damage occurs.

• Be alert for a heart attack in yourself or someone around you. Becoming an active bystander could save a life.
• When in doubt, call 911 about heart attack signs. First responders have the medical technology to quickly save a life. 

Heart attack risk factors

Several risk factors increase your chance of having a heart attack. Many are controllable by making changes to your lifestyle. Discuss your personal risk of a heart attack with your doctor, including:

• Chest pain, pressure, aching or tightness that may come and go
• A family history of heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Overweight or obese
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Using tobacco products
• Metabolic disease, diabetes or other illness
• For women: using birth control pills, a history of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or having a baby with low birth weight

What happens in a heart attack

The heart’s job is to pump blood around the body. Like any muscle, the heart itself needs its own supply of oxygen-rich blood to do its job. The coronary arteries supply the heart muscle. When that blood flow is interrupted, robbing the heart of the oxygen and other nutrients it needs to do its job, the result is myocardial infarction — commonly known as a heart attack. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping.

Cholesterol buildup inside the blood vessels — a heart disease called arteriosclerosis — is a common cause of blockages that lead to heart attacks. Cholesterol buildup, or plaques, can break free from the blood vessel wall and lead to a blood clot that blocks the artery and ends up causing a heart attack or stroke.

When the heart muscle isn’t getting the oxygen it needs, the result can be the common symptom of chest pain and other symptoms. Heart attacks that start slowly can show an early warning sign, such as chest discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes. 

If you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, the American Heart Association advises seeking medical help right away. If you have heart attack warning signs, call 911 immediately.

EMTs typically can respond to you faster than you can get to an emergency room. They can begin treatment right away and are trained to resuscitate you if you go into cardiac arrest.

EMTs can alert heart attack response teams at the emergency room while taking you there.

The post 9 Early Signs of a Heart Attack appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

“I had to stop two or three times on the way up the driveway,” Tony said. “My neck was hurting really badly. At that point, I said to myself, ‘This isn’t right.’”

It was, as Tony called it, his “come-to-Jesus” moment.

What happened in the weeks and months that followed just may have saved Tony’s life. He visited Renee V. Girdler, M.D., his primary care doctor at Norton Community Medical Associates. She referred him to cardiologist James M. Kammerling, M.D., with Norton Heart & Vascular Institute. Tony’s doctors had performed electrocardiograms and stress tests, but the results showed nothing concerning.

When Tony returned for a follow-up appointment a few months later, he still had neck pain. He had no chest pain and no back pain — no other common indicators that something might be off with the longtime telecommunications worker’s cardiovascular health.

“That was when Dr. Kammerling said we needed to do something,” Tony said.

A discovery by a new tool, the computed tomography-fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) imaging analysis, very likely prevented a heart attack.

Cardiology team springs into action after discovery

The CT-FFR stands out in stories like Tony’s because of its ability to find something other tests can miss. In Tony’s case, it immediately showed a blockage in his circumflex coronary artery.

The finding caught Dr. Kammerling by surprise, according to Tony. His heart care team sprang into action, handling the situation with urgency.

The diagnosis brought back some tough memories for Tony. His father had a stroke in his early 50s and then bypass surgery. To him, news of a blocked artery naturally generated concerns about open heart surgery.

There were, of course, great worries from his family, too. His wife, Debbie, described Tony as “the rock of the family,” the guy everyone goes to for help with car issues or just about anything.

“We call him the beautiful mind,” Debbie said.

Instead of complicated surgery, much to Tony’s surprise and relief, the procedure to open up his blockage was done through a cardiac catheterization at Norton Audubon Hospital. He lauded Dr. Girdler, Dr. Kammerling, Norton Audubon Hospital staff and Norton Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center for taking such great care of him.

“Those folks were absolutely great,” Tony said. “They really set you at ease. I’m sure they see people who’ve never been through it all the time. I was truly amazed at almost immediate results — I felt great!”

Seven months since the procedure, Tony not only feels better but has lost 25 pounds. He and Debbie are quick to add that he is not out of the woods — they still have to watch his diet and keep an eye on his health.

“The technology available now blows me away,” Tony said. “It’s really crazy for people not to get these checkups. It’s so easy to blow things off. I’m so glad I didn’t.”

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