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TEMOIGNAGES
Secretary in Nancy, France

Stéphanie, 55 years old

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“A colleague verbally attacked me for an incident that seemed to me like it wasn’t a big deal. I felt a physical shock, but I didn’t pay any attention to it. I felt pain in my chest and my left arm for two or three days, but I wasn’t alarmed by it. Then, one night while I was reading, I started having trouble seeing. I thought it might be a stroke and my husband called an ambulance. I felt strange and couldn’t talk anymore. At the hospital, I had an electrocardiogram and I was first told it was a heart attack. But I’ve never smoked. I had a cardiac ultrasound and then a coronary angiography and the doctors told me that I’d actually had takotsubo cardiomyopathy. My heart had been paralyzed after a sudden increase in stress. My heart had swelled up like a balloon and basically wasn’t contracting anymore. It was in a stunned state. I stayed in the cardiology intensive care unit, then went home with a bunch of medications. I was really tired and traumatized. I didn’t leave the house for two weeks. While I was on medical leave for six weeks, I felt completely drained of energy. It was a good warning. Since then, I’ve been trying to take better care of myself and getting help to manage my stress better.”

 

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Juliette, 35 years old

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Martine, 61 years old

Primary care doctor (Colmar, France)

I’m 61 and I love outdoor sports, the mountains and nature. Even my bout with breast cancer 30 years ago couldn’t knock me out of the game. Instead, it helped me heal. In 2017, during a period of enormous chronic stress due to family and professional commitments, I suddenly felt pain in my chest [...]

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Sophie, 34 years old

Manager (Hinges)

I’m the proud mom of a little four-month-old girl. Something unique about me: I had a heart transplant three years ago. It saved my life and allowed me to fulfill my dream of becoming a mother, something that had been completely inaccessible before. That’s because I’d been diagnosed with [...]

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