Deb

25 years since diagnosis

Age at interview: 63

Deb lives in British Columbia with her husband and dogs. Her family lives close by, including her two adult children, parents and brothers. Deb’s heart failure journey began almost 25 years ago. At the time she was busy working as an Early Childhood Educator with two young children at home. The family was preparing to move to another province when Deb begin to feel unwell – experiencing tightness in her chest and arm, nausea and shortness of breath. Deb went to the emergency department and was diagnosed with acid reflex and prescribed medication. She returned home, however the pain continued. She returned to the hospital and was given puffers. After six days of experiencing excruciating pain, Deb returned to the hospital, this time with her mom. This time a nurse suggested checking Debs heart and it was determined that she was experiencing a heart attack. Debs heart was so damaged that she was airlifted to a larger cardiac center for treatment. Despite having severe heart damage, Deb has been able to manage her heart failure for over 20 years with diet, exercise, medication and an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD). Deb has been told that a heart transplant is likely in the future for her. She credits her survival to her sister who has acted as her advocate, as well as her positive attitude. Deb thrives on connecting with others who have been diagnosed with heart failure and advocates for women’s heart health to ensure that other women do not find themselves in situations similar to what she experienced 20 years ago.

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More content

• Stigma & Gender Bias – Deb
  Deb feels that her physical looks led to assumptions.
• Stigma & Gender Bias – Deb
  People were curious when Deb went to a clinic with her 7-year-old child.
• Finding Support – Deb
  Deb expresses her appreciation for her husband who has learned more about heart failure over time.
• Finding Support – Deb
  After several trips to the ER and being dismissed, Deb's mom stepped in to advocate for her.
• Access – Deb
  Deb went to the hospital multiple times when having a heart attack and was repeatedly turned away.
• Heart Transplant – Deb
  Deb worries she is too old for a heart transplant.
• Medications – Deb
  Deb talks about the impact of taking medications for a long time.
• Medications – Deb
  Deb spoke about the research aspect of medications and the limits around clinical trials.
• Early Symptoms – Deb
  Deb experienced symptoms that felt like indigestion but were actually symptoms of a heart attack.