Sophie, 47 years old

During lockdown, I was experiencing strange sensations. I called the paramedics right away and described what I was feeling. They told me I was having a heart attack. Fortunately, I was taken to the hospital right away and had two stents inserted. I was released after four days and started cardiac rehabilitation. I’m starting a new life! There’s lots of preventive work to do because I’d never questioned anything and wasn’t aware of cardiovascular risks. You don’t think about them much when you aren’t dealing with them. I thought I was pretty invincible because I hadn’t had any health problems. Plus, we have a number of people who’ve lived past a hundred in my family. My great grandfather lived to 105 and my grandmother will celebrate her 107th birthday in a few weeks. I felt good; even better during lockdown than before. I was less stressed and more relaxed. With more free time, I was able to enjoy the nice weather, do some gardening, and get some exercise. My cardiac event made me realize the situation I was in. I had all the risk factors. Now, I'm taking care of myself, being more careful and listening better to my body. Things need to change, and society needs to become aware of cardiovascular risks among women. We need to listen to our bodies, take care of ourselves and get regular screening!”