Brenda McMurtrey
renda McMurtrey hasalways been aware of the heavy toll that heart disease has taken on her family. Her father had a heart attack when he was just 30 years of age, and an aunt had a heart attack when she was just 39 years old. This family history was “always in the back of your mind. You think to yourself, I’m going to die at 39,” remembers McMurtrey.
When Brenda was 30 years old, she started to experience a swelling in her legs. The swelling was a new and unexpected change and with Brenda’s family history, she was alarmed and scheduled a cardiology visit. At the appointment, Brenda learned her heart was performing at just 40 percent. The test result was surprising to everyone, including the medical team, because Brenda “looked healthy.” She was immediately prescribed medication and her heart function improved. Brenda returned to daily life.
Fast forward to age 48, Brenda started waking up in the middle of the night with “panic attacks.” It felt like her heart was going crazy and she was suffocating. Again, noting the new development, Brenda immediately scheduled a cardiology appointment and went through a battery of tests. On her follow up visit, Brenda learned she had an arrythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, on the left side of her heart. The medical team felt she was a good candidate for a procedure called ablation. In a catheter ablation, radiofrequency energy is used to destroy a small area of heart tissue that is causing rapid and irregular heartbeats. The team felt Brenda should schedule the procedure immediately because, if she delayed, she could eventually decline into congestive heart failure.
“It was a relief to know that there was not only a diagnosis, but a possible solution,” noted McMurtrey. Brenda had the ablation in 2021.
After the procedure, Brenda felt better. She went from having the attacks all night long, to slowly getting back into a normal heart rhythm. Today, Brenda’s heart is functioning well, and she’s returned to work and her life again.
Brenda shares her story to encourage women to advocate for themselves and their health.
“You know your body best, so speak up if something is different or not normal for you.” She also notes that women are not always heard when it comes to heart disease. “If someone doesn’t listen to you, speak louder.”
BBrenda’s father had a heart attack when he was just 30 years of age, and an aunt had a heart attack when she was just 39 years old. This family history was “always in the back of your mind. You think to yourself, I’m going to die at 39,” remembers McMurtrey.