Original source (on modern site)
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - Louraine Stegall had no history of heart issues, but found herself battling for her life when she least expected it. Had she not been at work at the time and taken her chest pain seriously, she said she would be dead. Stegall is now sharing her story in hopes that other women recognize the signs. "I was at work and I started having an onset of chest pain right in the center of my chest, sharp," said Stegall, E.R. nurse with Centra Health, at Lynchburg General Hospital. At age 49, a busy mom and E.R. nurse, Stegall said she was close to writing off the chest pain she experienced while working a busy shift at LGH last year. "I had run twice that week, I had kayaked 11 miles the day before..." said Stegall. As someone who doesn't have high blood pressure, diabetes or a family history, and exercises regularly, she thought there was no way she could be having a heart attack. It's a common misconception among women. Fortunately, her coworkers are experts in their field. "You saved my life," said Louraine when she saw Dr. Li. They are friends and coworkers, now bonded by something even more than their profession. "That day when she was working in the emergency room, she started to have chest pain, you know the chest pain is not something she would normally worry about, but the chest pain re-occurred later that day when she was carrying a patient," said Weijuan Li, cardiologist with Centra Health. After two normal EKG tests, Stegall's doctors ran blood tests and learned she sustained a type of heart attack called a Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection or 'SCAD'. "The symptom for 'SCAD' is actually very similar to a traditional heart attack, which causes obstructing blood flow to the heart vessels," said Dr. Li. 'SCAD' can slow or block blood flow to the heart, causing a heart attack, heart rhythm problems or sudden death. Dr. Li said it's more likely to affect women than men, specifically women ages 35-50, and is the result for about 90%t of all pregnancy-related heart attacks. Symptoms can present like chest pain that radiates to the ear, jaw, or arm. Especially in women, symptoms can be hard to recognize, but Stegall is sharing her story in the hopes that people don't ignore even the smallest of signs. "I probably would have died had I not signed in," said Stegall. Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved.