Muriel, 44 years old

Six years ago, on November 17, 2018, I felt bad, really bad, without having any major pain. For several weeks and especially since the day before, I've been feeling oppression, but this sensation has intensified today.

There's a sneaking pain in my chest and a tingling sensation in my left arm. I grimace in front of a mirror to see if it's a stroke and check if my face freezes or becomes paralyzed.

My 14-year-old son is next to me. I tell him, "If I feel faint, call 911. He replies with impressive lucidity: "But Mom, why wait? Call now. And he's right.

I call for help, but my profile is unremarkable. 41 years old, athletic, 3 hours of sport a week, not overweight and, above all, lucid and calm on the phone...
I explain my symptoms, but help doesn't come...

They don't understand... and I don't blame them. They advise me to go to the medical centre. But deep down I know I must REAGAIN. My instinct tells me: "No, I have to go to the emergency room.

So I grab my jacket and my things and say to my son, "I'm off to the ER. He replies: "I'll go with you, but on my bike, so that I can call the emergency services if you faint in the car. I don't have to be with you.

We set off for the hospital in Romans. At every intersection, my son glances at me, and I wave like a scuba diver.

By the time we reach the hospital, I'm in so much pain that I cling to him standing up so they'll notice me sooner. Finally, a patient understands the emergency and alerts the medical team. I'm immediately taken care of, and then it all becomes clear: I'm having a heart attack.

I was quickly transferred to the hospital in Valence, where a fantastic team took care of me. In less than 45 minutes, I was in the coronary angiography room, where I was fitted with a stent. My life is saved.

I had been under intense stress for 4 years. I had a bit of high blood pressure, and sometimes my heart even sputtered and spiked from everything I was going through. But I didn't worry, when I should have. Women too often forget themselves...

I've learned that taking care of yourself doesn't make you selfish.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet we don't talk about it enough. Unfortunately, diagnosis is sometimes too late. Women's hearts don't work the same way as men's. Symptoms are often discreet, almost unnoticeable. Symptoms are often discreet, almost silent, and we don't listen to ourselves enough.

Magaly, 47 years old

Head of Department, Lille

A new chapter in my life began on January 8, 2025. It wasn't a morning like any other... It was the first day back after the holidays. I was apprehensive about this new busy period. Until that fateful day, I was a department head. When I arrived at work around 6:40 a.m., I felt a sharp, [...]

Lucie, 70 years old

Retired (Lys-Lez-Lannoy, France)

At 70 years of age, I was in good health and never thought I’d one day be diagnosed as a person with heart failure (dilated cardiomyopathy). I had a narrow escape… It was the only organ I didn’t think would be affected. Until that point, my physical condition hadn’t caused any problems as I [...]

Françoise

Rennes

"It's August 2022, and I'm living by the sea as I do every summer to enjoy my grandchildren. I go for a swim, as I do every morning, because the sea is calm and azure, and the beach is empty of summer visitors. As I swim, my head suddenly plunges forward, my body out of control. I move in [...]