CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System - LiveWell

5 LiveWell | Winter 2015 What's Your Sign? Sandra didn't experience the typical symptoms of a heart attack. In fact, many women don't during a heart attack. Women are more likely than men to experience unusual or subtle symptoms, including: • Pressure or "fullness" in the chest that can go away and come back • Discomfort in the back, neck, jaw, or stomach • Shortness of breath without any chest pain • Flu-like symptoms, such as cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness It was a typical Saturday in May. Sandra was enjoying time with her family, making homemade treats to bring in to work on Monday. She was a little more tired than usual, and she felt some pain in her shoulder blade, but it was nothing too concerning. On Sunday, her shoulder blade still hurt, and she started feeling vaguely ill. "I figured it was a stomach virus," Sandra says. "I went to bed on Sunday and woke up around 3:00 in the morning, choking and coughing. My throat hurt and I was dripping cold sweat. There was a foul odor coming from my chest, kind of like a burning smell. I didn't know what was going on." A CRUCIAL EXTRA PRECAUTION Sandra went to the Emergency Department at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Westover Hills. Her initial diagnosis was acid reflux, but the attending physician that night, Chief of Cardiology Eko Tjahja, MD, decided to perform a second electrocardiogram and blood test before discharging her, just to be safe. That decision may have saved her life. "Dr. Tjahja walked into the room with the test results and said, 'Sandra, you just had a severe heart attack,'" Sandra recalls. "I was shocked. Everyone was shocked. I was only 45." GOING BEYOND During Sandra's emergency cardiac catheterization, Dr. Tjahja found three blocked arteries, one with a 100-percent blockage and the other two with blockages of 80 to 90 percent. He placed six stents to treat the blockages. Sandra began inpatient physical rehabilitation at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Westover Hills the day after surgery and continued for several days. On the day she was to be released, Sandra sat back in one of the hospital's recliners and experienced a sudden, sharp pain in her groin. Dr. Tjahja ordered more tests and discovered blood clots in Sandra's legs — a condition called deep vein thrombosis. "Sandra inherited certain abnormalities that made her more prone to developing blockages and blood clots," Dr. Tjahja says. "When a cardiac event occurs in younger individuals, family history is almost always the predominant factor." Sandra says her faith, her family, and the medical staff at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Westover Hills gave her the strength to make it through. "The doctors and nurses were amazing — Dr. Tjahja especially," Sandra says. "He really cares about his patients, and he showed that to me. He made sure my care was thorough and that everything was done appropriately." LISTEN AND LEARN Sandra says she's smarter about her health than she was before the heart attack. Looking back, she can see some of the warning signs. Her father died of a heart attack in 1997 at age 53. A year later, at age 29, Sandra was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Her blood pressure and cholesterol levels were also slightly high. While none of those factors alone would have placed her at high risk for a heart attack, her family history made her other risk factors more serious. "I was an active person, especially when my three sons were younger," Sandra says. "Lately, I had been going to Zumba ® classes. My diabetes was under control, too. But at the end of the day, you can't ignore your family history." Today, Sandra is enjoying every day to the fullest. She has been able to return to work, and she spends as much free time as she can close to the court at AT&T Center and with her two grandkids, 7-year-old Sophia and six-month-old Gage. Her words of advice to other women are simple. "Listen to your body, and learn the symptoms of a heart attack. Get to know your family health history. Follow up with your doctor." Evaluate your personal heart-disease risk factors by completing a simple assessment at christussantarosa.org/hra-heart. Sandra with Spurs point guard Tony Parker Comprehensive Heart Care, Close to Home CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System offers a full array of invasive and noninvasive cardiology services, including: • Angioplasty • Calcium scoring • Cardiac catheterization • Cardiac rehabilitation • Computed tomography (CT) angiography • Echocardiography • Electrocardiography • Holter monitoring • Intravascular ultrasound • Open-heart surgery • Pacemaker and defibrillator placement • Peripheral vascular procedures • Stent placement • Stress testing The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care has named CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Medical Center, New Braunfels, and Westover Hills as Accredited Chest Pain Centers with percutaneous coronary intervention designations. This means the medical staff is equipped and able to rapidly treat acute cardiac events using specialized surgical techniques. CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System's low readmission rates speak to the high level of follow-up care and ongoing management provided to heart failure patients. A team of home care nurses, cardiac rehab nurses, transition-of-care nurses, and cardiologists work seamlessly to deliver the most appropriate care at every stage of a patient's journey back to health. To learn more about heart services at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System, visit christussantarosa.org and click on "Cardiovascular Services."

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