Rebecca Shares Her Heart Disease Journey

Rebecca:
My name is Rebecca. In 2002 I started experiencing chest pain. I was 31 years old. After visiting multiple doctors I was told it was stress but a girlfriend told me to keep looking.

Six doctors were wrong. In December of 2007, I was diagnosed with coronary microvascular disease. Overcome by feelings of worry and fear I started to panic. With these thoughts rolling through my head my husband suggested that I write them all down. I will never forget what he said that day in December; “Perhaps your story could help other women who suffer from heart disease”.

Michelle King Robson:
Welcome to EmpowHER Live. Rebecca, it is such a pleasure to have you with us. Your story is so amazing.

Rebecca:
Thank you Michelle. It’s my pleasure to be here.

Michelle King Robson:
So tell us what happened to you? I mean, I know you struggled. You had some symptoms and so I am going to let you share your story of what it was that you were dealing with and struggling with.

Rebecca:
It was a unique situation because as a young woman you don’t think you are going to have heart disease and yet, I found myself at the age of 32, experiencing very strange symptoms and it took me literally five years and six different doctors before I found the correct diagnosis.

Michelle King Robson:
So what were your symptoms actually?

Rebecca:
You know, they were not the typical Hollywood heart attack symptoms. They were tightness of chest, fatigue, nausea, dizziness and just a general sense that there was something wrong, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

Michelle King Robson:
So you knew you had something wrong with you and yet you went to six doctors and what did they say to you?

Rebecca:
Well, I will never forget the one doctor who told me that I need to cut down the stress in my life and…

Michelle King Robson:
Oh I heard that before.

Rebecca:
Thank you, and he said that you know certainly I couldn’t have heart disease because I was too young. I was a woman and I didn’t smoke.

Michelle King Robson:
And you probably looked too great and what’s wrong with you?

Rebecca:
And I look great, right, and he sent me home with some antidepressants which I never filled, and I went to another doctor.

Michelle King Robson:
And so, you have the fortitude to carry on until you found the right doctor.

Rebecca:
I had a dear friend of mine who once said that “It’s your heart. You have no choice but to find the answers.” And she was right.

Michelle King Robson:
So she knew.

Rebecca:
She knew.

Michelle King Robson:
And intuitively, I always say it’s in our gut, that we just have to listen to ourselves and we will guide ourselves to where we need to go.

Rebecca:
Very true.

Michelle King Robson:
But the fact that you just hung in there and stuck with it was amazing. So what were you diagnosed with?

Rebecca:
It’s called ischemic heart disease. It’s specifically coronary microvascular disease and if you have ever seen the heart there’s tiny vessels that mesh themselves around your heart and these vessels, unfortunately, in my case, with this condition, do exactly the opposite of what they are supposed to do. So instead of constricting they expand, and so forth.

Michelle King Robson:
So what, after you received the diagnosis, what did you think?

Rebecca:
I didn’t know where to begin. It was so long ago and there wasn’t much information at that point on the web until I found your website.

Michelle King Robson:
Oh really?

Rebecca:
And only then did I begin to realize number one, that there was other women out there who had most probably the same condition, if not, at least heart disease, that you can bond with, but then the aspect of being able to ask a doctor is invaluable.

Michelle King Robson:
I see, I didn’t realize that our site was where you came and got some of the information.

Rebecca:
So thank you.

Michelle King Robson:
Oh, it just warms my heart, I have to tell you, and I know you have just become a huge advocate and have shared your story, you are on a thousand women, thousandwomen.com…

Rebecca:
Proud to be, absolutely.

Michelle King Robson:
And you are getting votes left, right and center as you share your story.

Rebecca:
You know, a lot of people appreciate that website because it gets the word out about heart disease, in my case, plus every other woman’s story on that website whatever their case may be. When you share it, there’s strength in those number. There’s power there and it’s an invaluable website. It’s amazing.

Michelle King Robson:
So has it been cathartic for you to share this and I know you have a lot of positive response.

Rebecca:
I have had a lot of positive response. It’s amazing. Like the video had said that my husband was the one who suggested that I get this into writing because if you ever, you understand, when you are diagnosed with something you have to put your thoughts on paper to kind of wrap your head around it. So it’s very cathartic, very good.

Michelle King Robson:
So what are you doing now? How are you staying healthy, because I mean you look like the picture of health. You are beautiful and I love the fact that you’ve got what, ‘Rebecca’s Hearts’?

Rebecca:
It’s rebeccasheart.wordpress.com.

Michelle King Robson:
Okay, and what can people learn, what can women learn when they go there?

Rebecca:
Well, you know, the tagline of course, become your best advocate, as many are, but it’s true because when you begin to read stories that affect you, and I try to write my stories in such a way where they encourage women to find the answers regardless of their condition because I feel that’s what it’s all about.

Michelle King Robson:
Exactly. Yeah, so you are there, you are spot on. So how are you feeling today?

Rebecca:
I am okay. You know, I think I have the right mix up of medication because that’s all I can do. There’s no surgery for it. It’s the tiny vessels.

Michelle King Robson:
So there’s nothing other than medication to take, and do you want, did they tell you to watch your diet and exercise and all those things?

Rebecca:
Of course, you know, and I have a Chihuahua which I walk regularly so he is my partner but yeah, healthy diet, plenty of rest, plenty of exercise and most importantly, to listen to your body because women and heart disease – so many symptoms aren’t typical, at least what you read about. So if you sense something is wrong, acknowledge that and do something about that.

Michelle King Robson:
Well thank you Rebecca. Thanks so much for sharing your story and thank you for being such an inspiration for so many other women. You don’t have any idea of the lives that you are going to change.

Rebecca:
Thank you.

Michelle King Robson:
So you are so welcome and all the best to you; best in health.

Rebecca:
Thank you very much Michelle.

Michelle King Robson:
Thank you. This is EmpowHER Live. Thank you for joining us.

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• Heart Conditions