The following stories are from women who’ve experienced cardiovascular disease and their journeys through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
Anjellica Davis, 37
In 2022, after giving birth to her third son, Anjellica expected postpartum fatigue but experienced severe shortness of breath, difficulty lying down, swelling, and extreme exhaustion. Doctors diagnosed postpartum cardiomyopathy, a rare form of heart failure after childbirth. Her condition worsened quickly; by November she was placed on the transplant list and received a donor heart just six months after delivery. Recovery was grueling, and the experience inspired her to enter nursing school to specialize in cardiovascular care and to advocate for maternal heart health. Her message: heart symptoms in women—especially pregnant or postpartum—can be atypical. Shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, dizziness, nausea, swelling, back or jaw pain, and a persistent sense that something is wrong should never be brushed off.
Lori Sepich, 64
Lori’s cardiac issues began at 17 with severe hypertension. She ignored medications and symptoms for years until Easter Sunday 2005, when she had chest pressure, pain radiating down both arms, nausea, and cold sweats. The next day she drove herself to the ER and was found to have had a heart attack and six stents placed. In 2018 she experienced a second heart attack caused by a 100% blockage in the “widowmaker” artery; fear of job loss delayed treatment but ultimately spurred change. Lori now champions heart health and mental wellness, urging awareness that men and women can present differently: men often have extreme chest pain and cold sweats, while women may have fatigue, dull neck/back/jaw pain, shortness of breath, nausea, indigestion, and a general sense of feeling unwell.
Alex Wilson-Garza, 28
Alex, a healthy ER nurse, suddenly became dizzy, had slurred speech, and a drooping face during lunch with her husband. He recognized stroke signs and got her to the ER. She had a clot in her right middle cerebral artery and received TPA and a thrombectomy, then was discharged days later with no lasting deficits. She returned to work four weeks after the stroke. Though the cause was unclear, birth control may have contributed. Alex’s experience shows strokes can strike anyone, including young, healthy people. She stresses knowing FAST—Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911—but also notes FAST can miss presentations, especially in women. Women should also watch for sudden dizziness, balance or coordination problems, vision changes, and severe sudden headaches.
Migdalia Rodriguez, 42
Migdalia moved to Tampa planning to travel, but persistent cough, fatigue, and rapid weight gain were dismissed as stress or asthma. A recording of her nighttime wheezing, played for a doctor at a friend’s insistence, led to tests showing end-stage heart failure and a heart resembling that of an elderly person. She had a history of dilated cardiomyopathy from age 17 but had not followed up. By age 39, her ejection fraction was 10%. She received a heart transplant in February 2025; genetic testing found a cardiomyopathy-linked gene, prompting family testing. Migdalia warns that women’s heart-attack symptoms are often nonclassic—jaw pain, nausea, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, and back pain—and that women are dismissed more often than men. Her advice: trust your body, persist until someone listens, and seek another provider if necessary.
Shanelle Dawes, 44
At 35, Shanelle was active and healthy but experienced intense nausea, sweating, and chest pain one evening, which she initially blamed on a stomach bug. After unexplained rapid weight gain and recurring pain during a walk, she went to the ER and was diagnosed with a heart attack. She required emergency open-heart surgery—coronary artery bypass grafting—to treat multiple blockages. Recovery was difficult, but community support helped. Shanelle urges women not to normalize constant exhaustion or ignore unexplained symptoms like sudden nausea, unexplained sweating, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, or rapid weight gain. If something feels serious, call 911 — it’s better to be evaluated and be wrong than to be right at home.
Females may experience unique warning signs of cardiovascular disease. Following a heart-healthy lifestyle and monitoring key markers can reduce risk.
Early warning signs
Chest pain or discomfort remains common for both sexes, but women can also have:
– Unexplained or extreme fatigue
– Shortness of breath
– Nausea or indigestion
– Dizziness or lightheadedness
– Pain in the neck, jaw, back, or stomach
– Sudden sweating or fainting
– Unusual or rapid weight gain
– Subtle stroke signs like sudden vision changes, balance problems, or severe headache
Monitoring heart health markers
Know your numbers and discuss them with your healthcare provider. Important measures include blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, body weight/BMI, and other risk factors like smoking, physical activity, diet, and sleep. The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 is a helpful checklist for reducing heart disease and stroke risk. Advocate for yourself: if symptoms don’t feel right, keep pushing for answers, and seek emergency care for sudden, severe, or rapidly worsening symptoms.
