Artist Interrupted… by a Heart Attack!
Author Duston Spear’s debut novel, Birdgirl, launched in mid-August of 2026. She had garnered advanced five-star reviews and reserved bookstores for her launch party and readings. The book is situated, in part, in the 1970s art culture scene in SoHo, New York, the place and time Duston’s career as a visual artist was established.
Women were cast aside for male artists and used as both muse and assistant, forced to find their own audience in the underground. The grit, the color, and the strong memories she had as a young woman raised in rural Virginia who moved to the big city are brought to life in vivid detail in the novel. She generously shares her lived experience with her readers through her fiction.
Combining her talents as artist and author, Duston planned a gallery show with her latest installation, titled Artist Interrupted, pairing her novel alongside her large-scale oil paintings. She had created the installation using the persona of her Birdgirl’s protagonist, Rebekah Hunnicutt. As the date of the show approached, Duston fell ill and visited the local emergency room for treatment of pneumonia. Her focus abruptly shifted when the ER staff rushed her in an ambulance to a nearby Cardiac Critical Care Hospital with a second, more dire, diagnosis: a heart attack.
We Are Different
The leading cause of death in women in the United States is heart disease. Over 100,000 more women die from heart-related problems than all types of cancer every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The American Heart Association broadcasts that women, in general, present cardiac symptoms that differ from men.
Typically, a man will suffer pain in their arm or neck and/or complain about an elephant-sized weight on their chest. They sweat profusely and turn pale, plus find it difficult to breathe. They collapse. As a nurse, I’ve seen men with heart attacks before, during, and after their insults. Their symptoms are generally clear cut and handled with rapid attention. There is a special term for a severe heart attack – “a widow maker.”
The same type of fatal attack also happens to women but no one calls them “widower makers.” A woman’s symptoms may differ drastically, simply because of their DNA and a few other factors of note.
Genetics and Society
In general, women are different in size and shape from men and so are their internal structures. A female’s vessels are smaller, for example, and the tinier vasculature can harbor lesser blockages that elude testing or produce less obvious symptoms but still damage a heart. Many women bury their stress or pain and cope with familial demands by not prioritizing their own health.
We, as women, suffer in silence from long-term fatigue, indigestion, or the symptoms of menopause which mimic those of a heart attack. Symptoms are explained away, or even misdiagnosed, as exhaustion, the flu, or another common occurrence like a panic (anxiety) attack or severe heartburn.
Many women are on hormone replacement therapy which can contribute to heart disease. Health issues like autoimmune diseases, depression, and pregnancy complications can leave a higher risk for heart attacks in later life. In addition, cardiac tests were created with men in mind and may fail to disclose the full impact on the delicate structures inside a woman’s body.
What Is a Heart Attack?
Your heart, a muscle and a pump, requires blood flow to operate. The lungs infuse our arteries with oxygen which travels to the heart. When that process is interrupted by a blockage from a clot, plaque, or other contributor, a lack of blood flow to the heart occurs. The affected area cannot survive without adequate blood flow and will die off within a short period of time unless corrected, causing what we term a “heart attack.” Though age is a factor, so is family history. The number of heart attacks in people who are under age 40 is also growing at a rapid pace.
Medical Terminology
Heart attacks go by a variety of medical names, all of which are serious, and have similar presenting symptoms. The general ones are:
- Myocardial infarction (MI), meaning a bit of heart muscle has been starved of blood flow and died off.
- Acute coronary syndrome (ACS): If oxygenated blood cannot find another route to nourish the heart, all heart function can cease. This type of blockade can be partial or complete.
- Coronary occlusion or thrombosis: This condition occurs when the artery that is blocked supplies the heart muscle itself.
- It’s worth noting that the term Cardiac Arrest refers to an electrical malfunction rather than a heart attack though heart disease can damage the electrical circuits of the heart too.
Common Female Heart Attack Symptoms (not a complete list):
- Exhaustion, fatigue.
- Pain in one or both arms.
- Nausea, vomiting, sweating.
- Pain in the neck, back, or shoulders.
- Indigestion or Stomach Pain.
- Lightheadedness or Fainting.
- Anxiety, Fear.
Knowledge Is Power
What can women do to address symptoms appropriately? Proactive care is important. Follow the recommendations of the American Heart Association to practice good dietary habits, exercise, quit smoking, and manage stress in conjunction with regular doctor’s visits to monitor cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure changes. You can estimate your risk of cardiac issues with this calculator, but tools like this one do not take the place of the need for good medical care.
If you or someone you know (of any age or genetic makeup) has the symptoms of a heart attack, it is important to dial 9-1-1 and have trained medical personnel treat you. If your symptoms are not acknowledged, you must be your own best advocate and alert the medical team to consider the possibility of a heart attack, especially important for women.
How Is Duston Doing?
I am happy to report that Duston is recovering, slowly but steadily, in her 1842 antique farmhouse in western Massachusetts. She gains energy each day, has given herself grace to rest when needed, and is dedicated to doing what she can to reduce her future heart attack risk with dietary changes and exercise. Cardiac rehabilitation is on her upcoming schedule. She will finish her book tour for Birdgirlin the coming weeks and continues to write her second novel. She is grateful to have had a medical team keyed into her symptoms and the resource of a high-level cardiac unit nearby to evaluate her.
Please talk to your doctor about your heart attack risk and make necessary changes if possible.
Author’s Note: This essay is not medical advice and is to be used for informational purposes only. It is 100% human written.
Join the Conversation:
Have you had a heart attack? What kinds of life changes did you make and were your symptoms unusual? Let me know below in the comments or email me at nancy@nancyjfagan.com. I love hearing from readers.
Tags Medical Conditions
