Alexia Lewis
A drive worth making
When Alexia Lewis, 38, suffered a heart attack the Friday after Thanksgiving, she thought it would never happen to her. The former certified aerobics instructor was at the movies with a friend when she started feeling ill, but ignored the warning signs until it was almost too late.
When the movie ended, Lewis went home and logged onto the American Heart Association Web site and read up on heart attack symptoms.
"I had heaviness in the chest and a heavy arm," said Lewis. As the weekend progressed, her symptoms persisted. "I felt those same symptoms while I was vacuuming." Lewis finally contacted her health plan Saturday evening. "I was told to go directly to the emergency room," said Lewis, who even then waited to see if the symptoms would return.
By Monday morning, Lewis found herself driving from Jacksonville's Southside to the Shands Jacksonville Emergency Department. Her biggest fear was passing out behind the wheel.
"I know that I wasn't supposed to drive myself, but I came to Shands because I knew it was a teaching hospital and I knew that I would receive the best care there," said Lewis.
Lewis was admitted into the hospital and was placed in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit the same day. Martin Zenni, MD, a University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville associate professor of cardiology, informed her that she had a 98-percent blockage in her right coronary artery. "She experienced a small heart attack; one of her heart arteries was severely, almost completely blocked," said Zenni, who removed the blockage by performing a cardiac catheterization and placing a stent into the artery.
After learning what caused the pain, Lewis had a defining moment. "I had smoked for the past 10 years," said Lewis. "That (heart attack) really woke me up, I decided that day to quit smoking and I changed my diet."
The signs
Zenni said that while it is uncommon for patients as young as Lewis to experience heart attacks, it does happen on occasion. He recommends practicing a healthy lifestyle to decrease the chances of suffering a heart attack.
"Quitting smoking, exercising and monitoring your cholesterol and blood pressure will decrease the chances of experiencing heart attacks," said Zenni.
He also suggests seeing a physician if you experience symptoms of a heart attack or have risk factors. Symptoms include tightening in the chest area, bad indigestion, lightheadedness, shortness of breath and fainting. For women, the symptoms may include upper back pain. Risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking and a diet high in excess fat. Hereditary factors include a strong family history in close relatives who experienced heart attacks at an early age.
According to the American Heart Association, a heart attack occurs when coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood develop a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances called plaque. This slows or, in some cases, blocks the blood flow, which starves the heart of oxygen, thereby triggering an attack.
The Centers for Disease Control predict that in 2008 an estimated 770,000 Americans will have a new heart attack and about 430,000 will have a recurrent attack. Approximately every 26 seconds, an American will have a coronary event and about one every minute will die from a heart attack.
Healed, comforted and educated
 Alexia Lewis and Ken Brannon, manager of cardiac rehabilitation at Shands Jacksonville. Today, you will find Lewis attending heart health education classes offered by UF and Shands Jacksonville prior to participating in an hour-long cardiac rehabilitation session. She now considers herself the perfect picture of health.
Lewis commends Dr. Zenni and his entire staff for making her experience a positive one. "They did a great job with my procedure and they made me feel comfortable. There was hardly any bruising or problems from the surgery, and the nurses were great," added Lewis, who is considering a career change. "I may go back to teaching aerobics because I now have a more vested interest in my health and I want to help others."
As Lewis begins her new quest in life, she said her testimony will always include one valuable piece of advice: "Don't ignore the signs."
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