She thought it was asthma — until it was a heart attack
- Sarah Waara
- 9 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Shortness of breath doesn't always feel like an emergency. Sometimes it feels like being out of shape, or pushing a little too hard. That’s what Courtney H. believed — right up until she couldn’t catch her breath at all.
While mowing the lawn, Courtney was out of breath. Going up the stairs, she struggled to breathe normally. At times, when she spoke, she struggled to catch her breath. Even completing simple tasks after laying down, she was having difficulty breathing. She thought it could be asthma, but it turned out to be something much worse.
“I had some symptoms, specifically burning in my chest, and thought maybe something was wrong with my lungs,” Courtney shared. “I did all of the necessary lung treatments and thought it was asthma, but I knew something else was happening. I wasn’t able to catch my breath at all, and this past September I had three episodes.”
Those episodes were a cause for concern. The first lasted around six minutes. Courtney was struggling to catch her breath and she was sweating while laying down. Just a week later, she had a breathing episode that lasted more than 20 minutes. The final episode two weeks after that lasted 30 minutes with intense pain in the back of her neck.
That’s when she knew something was seriously wrong, and she drove herself to the emergency department at Ascension St. Elizabeth.
“I knew something wasn’t right because I couldn’t catch my breath, I was sweating but cold to the touch, and I had pain in my chest and in the back of my neck. I thought maybe it was an asthma attack,” Courtney shared.
Once in the emergency department, staff took her blood pressure and said she was having a heart attack.
"I was in complete shock, and then everything moved really quickly.”
Shortly after this discovery, Courtney underwent cardiac catheterization to have a stent put in her heart. After receiving the stent, Courtney soon started cardiac rehabilitation to see how her heart would handle physical activity.
While in the program, a majority of Courtney’s symptoms disappeared but the blockage remained. Dr. Zenoun Abouzelam, a thoracic surgeon at St. Elizabeth, and his team determined it was best to undergo open heart surgery and completely remove the blockage.
On December 8, 2025, Courtney underwent a single bypass surgery to clear the blockage. Courtney had her surgery on a Monday and was discharged that Saturday.
“I felt that I had great care at St. Elizabeth, I really appreciated Dr. Abouzalem taking the time to explain everything and to answer all of my questions," she said. "I also had a few great nurses during my recovery who remained patient and attentive. Thank you. A special thank you to Kathleen Smith for her help, her patience and her encouragment to a young woman learning how to understand and to navigate her new norm."
"Thank you also to Kirsten and to Troy in Cardiac Rehab who helped me feel seen and heard throughout my healing journey. And thank you to Dr. Okrah and the team in the ER that day ... my life has been forever changed."
Today, she’s focused on rebuilding her strength, one step at a time. She’s currently working toward finishing the 12-week cardiac rehab program, is returning to work, and is visiting the gym.
Courtney’s story is a reminder that even subtle symptoms can signal something serious, and that it’s crucial to listen to your body. Click here to learn more about heart care across Ascension Wisconsin.