In December 2024, I was 42 years old, fit, active, and living a healthy lifestyle. A heart attack was the last thing on my mind.

It started with a burning pain in my neck where it meets my shoulder. I assumed I had pulled a muscle, so I went to bed. The next morning, the pain was still there, but now I felt dizzy and nauseous. I thought it was all related to the neck pain.

Then came the “heartburn.” It started as a warm sensation in my chest, then spread like a hot ring around my sternum, between my shoulder blades, and finally into my left arm—the classic sign of a heart attack.

I remember thinking, “Could I really be having a heart attack? Don’t be silly, you’re 42 and fit!” Moments later, I had a huge dizzy spell and passed out. I came to on the floor, nauseous and with strange tingling in my fingers and arms.

My husband insisted we go to the hospital. I still wanted to shrug it off, thinking I’d just sit in the ER all day for nothing. Thankfully, I was too unwell to argue much.

The moment I arrived at the Emergency Department, the triage nurse took one look at me and got me straight into a bed. Within minutes I was on an ECG, having blood tests, and then rushed to the resuscitation bay. Everything felt like a blur—nurses and doctors moving quickly and purposefully around me.

I was started on a Heparin drip and sent for scans. When the ER doctor told me I had a heart attack, I couldn’t believe it. How could this happen to someone like me?

I was transferred by ambulance to a larger hospital with a Coronary Care Unit. There, after ultrasounds and an angiogram, I was diagnosed with Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD), which had caused my STEMI heart attack.

SCAD is an uncommon condition where a tear occurs in a coronary artery. It often affects healthy, active women who don’t have traditional heart disease risk factors. It’s also commonly misdiagnosed because the symptoms can mimic less serious issues like muscle pain, indigestion, or anxiety.

As a result, I now have lifelong heart damage and will need to stay on medication long-term. Before this, I had never needed any ongoing medication, so it has been a big life adjustment. Thankfully, with the support of my cardiologist, I’ve been able to return to sports and activities again—just at a gentler pace than before.

I’m sharing my story because if something feels “off,” listen to your body and get checked immediately. I almost didn’t go to the hospital, and that decision could have cost me my life.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please share it—raising awareness can save lives.