Evelyne, 68 ans

For many years, my work and professional commitment to children and their families had been exciting, but extreme. Exhaustion lurked behind excessive energy and hyperactivity, accentuated by the degradation of the medical profession.
It was also natural that my family and my responsibility to them should occupy an important place in my life. The worrying and traumatic Covid period only aggravated the situation: endless days, short nights, overwork...
I'd been an athlete for a long time (dancing, running), but as time went by, work and administrative obligations devoured the little time I had left on Sundays...
I didn't want to think that my body, my heart, could give out, but I decided to take up sport again and soon found that I was out of breath. I booked an appointment with a cardiologist for a routine check-up, convinced that I was just tired from working so hard on all fronts.
The first results surprised me: my cholesterol was very high, whereas in fact my entire paternal family are carriers of hypercholesterolemia, and my father and a large part of my family have died of heart attacks or are carriers of major coronary disease. I hadn't had a check-up in 10 years! I thought, I wanted, to escape this curse; I had suffered too much from the loss of my father. This was followed by an exercise stress test and a coroscan, which showed damage to several coronary arteries. Everything was happening so fast that I couldn't think straight. Coronary angiography showed partial or total obstruction of all the coronary arteries. Stenting. When I woke up in my hospital room, the diagnosis and prognosis were clear.
Very quickly, I was torn between the immense good fortune of not having had a sudden fatal accident and the worry of the chronic cardiac pathology present and to come. I'm constantly thinking and reflecting, trying to reconcile the two.
Above all, I don't give in to fear and anxiety, but remain realistic and take the bull by the horns. Life is here, beautiful and precious. Children and grandchildren are here. Music, art, nature and dance are here. Humanity is here, it surrounds me and I'm part of it.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the exceptional team in Medical Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology and Vascular Medicine. I can never thank them enough for their competence, excellence, help, attentiveness and kindness.

To all women in their never-ending race to help others in a tumultuous society, please think of yourself and your health. Consult your doctor, have regular check-ups, and don't wait until you're exhausted or have serious symptoms. Your life is precious. Nothing is more precious on our planet than humanity.

Rosita, 68 years old

My name is Rosita. I’m 68 years old and for more than 35 years, I’ve suffered from various cardiac issues related to a malformed mitral valve. In 1998, I had a very successful mitral valve plasty procedure, but still had a stroke in 2012 after hastily completed thrombolysis. Fortunately, there [...]

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 [...]

Emilie, 47

Social Services Inspector, Toulouse

“I lead a fast-paced life: a successful professional and an athlete always on the go. During lockdown, I started experiencing persistent shortness of breath and intense fatigue, but I brushed these symptoms off despite my family history. An initial cardiology evaluation seemed reassuring. I [...]