The Widow Maker

I am 63 now. But November the 11th, Veteran's Day will be 5 years.

I called the ambulance and said l thought I was having a Heart Attack. He told me to chew 4 or 5 aspirin if l had any.

By the time they got to my home, I grabbed my purse and walked out to the ambulance. After hooking me up to the EKG he told me that "yes ma'am you are having a heart attack."

I told him I guess we were going to our local hospital. And he said no, they can't help you there. We are going to UAB, in Birmingham, Alabama.

When we got there, there was a huge group of people waiting for me.

I never lost consciousness at this time. They started cutting off my clothes and then immediately placed 1 stent in.

About a week later I had to have a pacemaker and defibrillator. I stayed about 2 weeks.

My ejection fraction is 20 to 25%. Not to good, I know. My cardiologist performed an arteriogram about 2 years ago to see if my stent was still open. It was. And he checked other arteries and they were fine.

I wonder sometimes how I could still be alive with an ejection factor of 20 to 25%.

Not Lucky, but blessed I guess.