Krista’s Journey from Heart Attack to Recovery
November 14 began like any other day for forty-six-year-old Krista Heiderscheidt. She rolled out of bed, switched the laundry, and returned to her bedroom to get dressed. Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted her between the shoulder blades.
“It was like someone hit me so hard or I pinched a nerve,” recalled Heiderscheidt. “Then I felt a dull pain on the left side of my neck which traveled down my arm. I figured I should do some yoga or stretches or something. Then, my hands turned ice cold.”
In that moment, she remembered an old episode of Dr. Oz discussing back pain as a potential indicator of a heart attack. She took a baby aspirin just in case and alerted her sons, Ezra and Izik, of her discomfort.
“Then I started having about level four chest pain and thought to myself, ‘Oh crap, I’m having a heart attack,” recounted Heiderscheidt.
Upon her arrival at Sleepy Eye Medical Center’s Emergency Department, nurses connected Krista to monitors, confirming that she was indeed experiencing a heart attack.
“I was pleasantly surprised that they took me seriously because I am so young,” said Heiderscheidt.
Her care team administered nitroglycerin, along with other medications, which stabilized her. From there, she was transferred to Mayo’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab) in Mankato via helicopter. Her family drove separately and met her there.
Heiderscheidt underwent emergent diagnostic imaging in the Cath Lab, yet no blockages were detected. Despite extensive testing, the exact cause of her heart attack remained unclear. Weeks later, an MRI revealed damage to the lower chambers of her heart, re-emphasizing the serious nature of her cardiac event.
“She did not delay (coming in), and that’s the most important part,” emphasized Wende Davis, RN, BSN, Cardiac Rehab Manager at SEMC. It took 30 minutes from when the pain started to when Heiderscheidt arrived at SEMC.
“The first two hours are key. Krista wasn’t at risk when you consider her history: she has low blood pressure, low cholesterol, and exercises regularly. But she definitely had a change in heart rhythm. I always tell patients that the pain they are experiencing is the heart screaming.”
Two weeks after her heart attack, Heiderscheidt began cardiac rehab at SEMC, working with Davis to create a tailored exercise regimen and closely monitor her heart activity, blood pressure, and more. Additionally, Davis helps ongoing communication with Heiderscheidt’s care team, offers strategies for stress management as well as guidance on cultivating healthy eating and lifestyle habits.
“It’s going very well,” affirmed Heiderscheidt. “After experiencing a heart attack, you have a hard time trusting your body and heart. Cardiac rehab has been huge for me in that respect.”
Davis noted that most heart attack patients, including Heiderscheidt, experience a profound emotional impact from such an event.
“I had no idea there’s PTSD to having a heart attack,” said Heiderscheidt. “This isn’t like breaking a bone. You have a part of you not working 100%, and you have to take care of it. I just don’t want to have another one (heart attack). I want to see my kids graduate and get married. I want to be a grandma someday.”
Heiderscheidt said her husband, Cory, has been especially supportive, along with the staff at Sleepy Eye Medical Center who feel like family.
The entire experience has compelled her to share her story, bring awareness to heart disease, and offer support to others who find themselves in a comparable situation.
“Even if you think you’re healthy, if you feel something is off, go in. It could be a heart attack. Get checked. I’m glad I went in as quickly as I did.”