Debbie's Story
Women's Heart Disease
Heart Care
Her heart disease concerns were dismissed.
We listened and offered an innovative solution.
Now she speaks nationally about women’s heart health.
Debbie's Story
Debbie suffered a heart attack in 2001. Troubled by continuing symptoms, she contacted the cardiologist who had treated her at another hospital. A young, vibrant mother and real estate professional, Debbie was accustomed to people listening to her opinion. So she was caught off guard when the cardiologist dismissed her concerns. Her arteries were clear, he told her. Aside from prescribing medication to treat an imbalance in her heart’s rhythm, he said there was nothing more he could do. She was told she was fine — maybe some exercise would alleviate her fatigue. But Debbie still felt exhausted all the time — and she was experiencing ripping and burning pain in her upper breast. She wanted another opinion.
Debbie came to the Rush Heart Center for Women — Chicago's first dedicated center treating the special cardiology needs of women — at Rush University Medical Center. When Debbie came to the center, cardiologist Annabelle Volgman, MD, immediately ordered a stress test, which hadn’t been conducted previously. The stress test revealed that Debbie had ventricular tachycardia, a more serious arrhythmia than she was being treated for at the previous hospital. Volgman also took note of Debbie’s low ejection fraction, a measure of the heart’s ability to pump blood.
Heart Disease Treatment
The team at Rush realized Debbie was in no shape for exercise. Instead, they began an aggressive course of treatment to get her heart disease under control. Radiofrequency ablation was used to burn away the abnormal electrical circuitry in her heart. Doctors also implanted a state-of-the-art cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator, which was not widely available at the time. The device combines a biventricular pacemaker and an implantable defibrillator. The pacemaker portion of the device restores coordinated cardiac contraction by pacing both of the heart’s pumping chambers, while the defibrillator protects against life-threatening arrhythmias. Doctors at Rush were first in the Midwest to implant such a device.
Debbie’s team at the Rush Heart Center for Women — including cardiologist Jeffrey Soble, MD, and electrophysiologist Andrew Lawrence, MD, developed an individualized plan by listening to her and validating her feelings and concerns. The electrophysiology nursing staff, including Janet Haw, BSN, RN, helped Debbie and her family learn how to adapt and adjust to life with the defibrillator. And, when she was ready, they helped her create an exercise regimen that was an integral part of her recovery.
Debbie was so inspired by the treatment she received at Rush for her heart disease that she became an advocate for other women. Today, she speaks to women throughout the country on patient panels through the American Heart Association. She even inspired Rush nurse practitioner Lynne Braun, PhD, ANP, to join her in her efforts. Debbie’s mission is to educate others about how frequently women’s heart disease is misdiagnosed and to emphasize the importance of finding the right team. She encourages other women to be cautious, to be aware and to insist upon receiving the care they deserve. Most important, she urges them always to listen to the opinion that matters most — their own.
Debbie's Story
