In February 2020, I had a VF cardiac arrest.

My memories start a week after the event when I awoke in ICU.

I was confused and initially unable to move. My family were at my bedside and told me what had happened.

Amazingly, I had survived not only the arrest, but also aspiration pneumonia, sepsis and a stage 3 acute kidney injury requiring dialysis.

At 4am, I woke up in the dark with crushing chest pain, nausea, shortness of breath, and pain radiating to my left arm and jaw. I was terrified. You would think that such symptoms would lead to a quick diagnosis. But as a young woman in my 20s who looked “healthy,” my journey to finally being diagnosed with Microvascular Angina was anything but easy.

I had my first heart attack in 2018. I was 67 years old.

After numerous trips to the hospital, tests, and frequent heart attack-like symptoms, I was diagnosed with Prinzmetal Angina and placed on medications.

I lost weight. I exercised. I was finally feeling better. I even got back to my painting.

Until…2019 happened.