Lauren+W.

My name is Sharon West and I am a survivor of a heart attack. I experienced my heart attack about two years ago, on October 13, 2008. I had just walked in the house from my son’s baseball game. My husband and I were telling jokes, excited that our son had just won his game. All of a sudden I got this random ache in my arm. I thought it was nothing. But then it spread up to my upper arm and intensified. It was an awful, sharp pain. I knew something was wrong, but I had no idea. I waited and waited, just hoping for it to go away. But it never did. It got to the point where I was having difficulty breathing. I became really hot and started to sweat. I had no idea what was going on. My husband rushed me to the hospital where I spent two nights with him. When they delivered the news that I had suffered from a heart attack I was shocked. I thought they were joking. I thought I was too young and too healthy to have a heart attack. I kept asking myself how this could have happened. I was told to go home after those two nights and rest. I was still in shock. The doctors gave me medication to take which I still take to this day. When I returned home I was told not to exercise for a month or two so my heart could repair itself. Now I exercise everyday and try to keep my heart strong and healthy. If this had ever happened again I wouldn’t have just waited for the pain to go away. I would have asked my husband to take me as early as possible. And I also believe this experience has changed me in many ways. It taught me to always live in the moment and not to worry about tomorrow. No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. I didn’t when I had my heart attack. It made me realize that you really don’t live forever, and it’s important to live life to the fullest.media type="file" key="Down_And_Out.mp3"