Hi,
In June of 2022 at the ripe old age of 55, I had the shock of my life when I had a STEMI heart attack. Prior to the event, by all testing measures (cholesterol, inflammation markers, even an ultrasound stress test) my heart was in perfect shape, which is what made the event all the more surreal. I feel insanely lucky to have survived it with only one stent placement needed. It took three months from the heart attack until I got into cardiac rehab. In addition to the physical exercise program, I had hoped to meet another woman (or women) near my age who also survived a STEMI, but instead, it was the only time in recent history where I was the "young kid" in the place and almost all of the patients were men. I've felt very isolated in my experience and still carry those feelings despite bringing them to a therapist. I have no co-morbidity with other diseases and didn't have pre-existing heart disease (at least that was detectable) which was very different from the people I met in cardiac rehab. It's now not quite a year and a half out from my heart attack and I feel an intense desire to talk with another woman (or women) who not only had a STEMI but is subsequently doing well and living an active life. If there is anyone on this forum who would be interested in talking with me through email or by phone, please let me know. I would be very grateful. I'm not looking for someone who is struggling to commiserate with about having survived a heart attack. I want to talk with a woman survivor who has some miles between their event and where they are now in life and has found a way to make peace with what it means to live with this sort of experience. I feel it is extremely important to be able to have an example of what is possible in the future in a positive sense because I can do what is possible in the future from a fear-based place quite well on my own. I hope this makes sense. Thank you.
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Kat
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