Patient Stories: Meet others who have experienced stent implants.

Jan Schulz
Two blockages in her heart

Jan Schulz, a vibrant fourth-grade teacher, experienced tightness in her chest while at school. Assuming it was a result from being upset with a student, she ignored it and went on with the day. Later that same week, at a Thanksgiving dinner, Jan got the feeling again and contributed it to the holiday meal. "I thought it was from eating too much," she said. "One of my sons brought me some antacids to help me feel better. After a while, the feeling was gone."

The next day, Jan went Christmas shopping and again had trouble. "I had to stop and catch my breath during the walk from the car to door," Jan said. "I just ignored it." Over the next couple of weeks, Jan noticed she had difficulty breathing while going up stairs and thought she was catching something.

She continued to ignore her discomfort until she happened to overhear some coworkers talking about another's husband. "They said he had a pain in his elbow and he went into the hospital," Jan said. "His doctors discovered he had coronary blockage and he ended up having stents placed."

Jan was taken aback. "I thought, wow, he was only having a pain in his elbow and I have been having chest pains," she said. "I wonder if I should get it checked out." Jan called her doctor and made an appointment for the next day.

Even at the doctor's appointment, Jan was still in denial. But a stress test revealed something was wrong. Doctors scheduled a nuclear stress test the next day.

While lying there, Jan still couldn't believe it could be her heart. "I kept thinking how embarrassed I'd be if they didn't find anything and they had to go through all this trouble,: she said. There was no need for embarrassment: "I was told I had some blockage and needed to come in for an angiogram. Even after that call, I was still reasoning with myself that I was OK."

Jan's angiogram revealed that she had two blockages in her heart. In some cases, patients aren't good candidates for a coronary stent. Jan's physicians decided she was and they placed a drug-eluting stent to relieve one blockage and treat the other with medication. Use of coronary stents carry risks including the potential for serious injuries, side effects and even death.

The realization hit her hard. Jan soon realized that the procedure was the easiest part of all. "All at once you become afraid about what you can or can't eat, getting enough exercise, and on top of that, there is an emotional toll of knowing you have heart disease that you have to live with for the rest of your life."