LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – February is American Heart Month. And UK medical experts want to remind people just how serious heart disease is.

Doctors say the disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, and more than 30 people die from the disease each day in Kentucky.

“What started to really scare me was that I was in a hotel room by myself. I have to get out of here. This is where I’m going to find people,” said St. -Teri Foster, clinical nurse specialist in the emergency department at Elizabeth Healthcare.

Terri Foster, who has been an emergency department nurse for 47 years, checked into the Campbell House Hotel the night before she was scheduled to speak at the Kentucky Emergency Nursing Association. Around 5 a.m., she started to feel something strange in her chest. And in just one hour she would be in a state where she needed emergency treatment.

“I walked up to them and said I need help. They looked at me and said you look like hell. I felt like that. By that time I I was sweating and felt nauseous. The pain was really intense,” Foster said.

Foster had suffered a heart attack. The people who called 9-1-1 were three British Medical Service nurses waiting in the hotel lobby.

“It didn’t surprise me, maybe that’s weird. I remember thinking, I would have done the same thing. Or maybe I’m glad they did.” said Foster.

Ms Foster was rushed to a cardiac catheterization laboratory in the UK. A stent was placed to stop her heart attack and Ms Foster has returned to her home with her family as she continues her cardiac rehabilitation. Dr. Vincent Soler, chief of cardiology, said Foster’s initial discomfort was just one of the typical symptoms.

“It may be a feeling of tightness, tightness, bloating. Even burning. We usually think it’s concerning if it’s something we’ve never experienced before or if it’s new.” “Tell the patient that it should be, usually in the chest, but it can also be in the back, arms, neck, and even the teeth,” Dr. Soler said.

Dr. Sorrell said alerting your loved ones right away and calling 9-1-1 within 10 to 15 minutes if symptoms persist can save lives.

“Sometimes the first symptoms can lead to a sudden event. In fact, only about half of people survive their first major heart attack,” Dr. Sorrell said.

It’s certainly a fact that Foster doesn’t take for granted.

Dr. Soler emphasized the importance of regular check-ups, especially if you have high blood pressure, a family history, or other predisposition to heart disease.

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