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WAUWATOSA, Wis. — Linda Kiewit never dreamed that her workplace, Frottart and the Medical College of Wisconsin, would one day save her life.
Just two months ago, Kiewit was suffering from severe acid reflux and decided to see a doctor. She soon learned that it wasn’t just heartburn, but a symptom of a heart attack.
“I found myself falling into what’s called a widow maker,” Kiewit said. “Luckily, I survived. My aorta was 100% blocked.”
Doctors were able to save her life by keeping the artery open with a heart stent. She is now surrounded every day by the people who helped her survive.
“As I walk down the hall, I see the doctors who saved my life,” Kiewit said., leads a team responsible for donations and fundraising efforts to support the hospital. “I see the nurses. I understand what they’re doing. I see the patients who have gone through the same pain that I have, or the pain that I have gone through.”
Kiwit said the stent has given her a new lease of life.
“I don’t just want to live long, I want to live strong,” Kiwit said. “That includes exercising, eating well, having great social interactions, volunteering, loving what you do, and building great relationships. It has everything.”
She said she also wants to use her story to inform and educate other women about the many symptoms of a heart attack that often go unnoticed or ignored.
Dr. Stacey Gardiner, a cardiologist at Frottart School of Medicine and the Medical College of Wisconsin, said heart disease is the biggest health threat to women. Their symptoms can be very different from men’s, she says.
“While it’s still true that chest pain is the primary or most commonly presenting symptom in women, the symptoms can be different in many cases, especially in younger women,” Gardiner said. “It could be indigestion, jaw pain, back pain, shoulder pain, extreme fatigue, feeling extremely tired.”
Kiewit said it all comes down to being aware of your body and pushing through when something doesn’t feel right. She said her delay in acting could mean the difference between life and death.
“We’re the only ones who know our bodies, know our risk factors, advocate for medical care, and ask questions of our doctors,” Kiewit says.
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