COMMENTARY HEART ATTACK!

By Fran Jewell

It is now February 2023. This month the American Heart Association makes a special effort to help educate women about heart disease. Since I am a survivor of a heart attack, I really feel committed to sharing this story AGAIN because it DOES pertain to our dogs.

My first appointment in cardiac rehab was incredibly scary. I was the ONLY woman in a large group of older men. Not only was I younger than the rest, it was painfully obvious that WOMEN DO NOT SURIVE HEART ATTACKS! Unaware to almost all women, heart attacks—and not breast cancer—are the NUMBER ONE KILLER OF WOMEN!!

Please, for the sake of your dog, and of your family, read my article and please become informed about the extremely unusual signs of a heart attack for women.

By now most of the locals know my recent expedition over Mount Heart Attack. Let me say that the journey there is far beyond any Everest climb! I am here today to tell you this story for several reasons. The first is to pay overwhelming tribute to St. Luke’s ER Dr. Torres and the forthright, honest and hard line that he took with me, someone in total denial of my health condition. The second is the extraordinarily compassionate and capable Life Flight crew that raced me to the Twin Falls Cath Lab and into the expert hands of cardiologist, Dr. Hymas. Without all of them and their support teams, I wouldn’t be here to tell you this story.

A day in Stanley with the dogs and my dear friend Margery left me a little tired. I was feeling like I had been experiencing panic attacks late into the day. But, after getting home, feeding the dogs and settling in for a

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peaceful night’s sleep, I was awakened by a horrible pain in my chest. I thought to myself, I am not experiencing all the symptoms I have read about for a heart attack, so I was unsure. I got up, walked around the house, then the pain started in my back. It was not crushing pain as I envisioned a heart attack to be. It didn’t make me fall over, or lose my breath. Although, what I could hear is my daughter’s voice — former executive director for the American Heart Association in Idaho — telling me that women do not experience heart attacks like men do. But still, I wondered. I was afraid to call 911. I had no idea what opening that door was going to do for SO many reasons.

Then the next thing happened—I felt the cold sweats. Not for long, though. It was that symptom that forced me into action.

Living with several very confident, very protective German shepherds has been a worry on my mind for many years, especially in this situation. Had I called 911, how would EMS get through the front door without a confrontation? And who would care for my dogs in my absence? Most dogs become extremely protective of their owner if they feel their owner is threatened. Even the most docile poodle can become a dog you have never experienced before. Owning German shepherds, I knew that instinctive protective nature would prevail. I know these things being the dog behavior specialist that I am.

In the past, I had this conversation with many of my German shepherd friends as well as my law enforcement friends; how would I protect my dogs in this type of emergency situation? I finally came to the conclusion that this scenario would be the one I would play out, if I was able.

I told all the dogs to go to their “nightnights.” In SECONDS, they scattered into their individual crates. Not one, even my puppy, hesitated for a second to carry out my wishes. Happily, they went right in, lay down and waited for their treat. I didn’t have a treat, but they didn’t care. It took me another 10 seconds to walk around my living room to close the crate doors. Now they were safe. There would be no confrontation with anyone coming to the house to rescue ME.

Terrified, I made that call and within two minutes the Hailey police arrived ahead of the