Contacts: Carrie Burkett | carrie.burkett@mainehealth.org | Tim Kershner | timothy.kershner@mainehealth
NORTH CONWAY, NH — February's American Heart Month takes on a special meaning at MaineHealth Memorial Hospital as care team member Christie Cannell shares her journey with heart disease. Her story is an important reminder that heart disease—the leading cause of death for women in the United States—often hides in plain sight for women.
At 55 years old, Cannell’s heart disease diagnosis was one she did not see coming. Like so many women, she was juggling work, family and other priorities. She knew something was wrong, but nothing jumped out as being urgent enough to need immediate attention. Her health remained on the back burner.
“I was feeling pretty lousy for a few years—nauseous, lightheaded, no energy,” Cannell recalls. “I was active outdoors, joined a gym, adjusted my diet. I tried everything to get healthy and stay healthy and I kept waiting for that euphoric feeling everyone talks about with exercise, but it never happened. I just felt awful.”
Cannell saw specialists about her symptoms, but the answer did not become clear for some time. “I thought all my symptoms were caused by menopause. I wish I had been the squeaky wheel sooner,” she says. “Maybe if I had, I wouldn’t be in the position I am now.”
In July, Cannell was diagnosed with heart failure. Sarah Petersen, MaineHealth Cardiology North Conway nurse practitioner, explains, “Women are much more likely to not have those classic symptoms of chest discomfort. They may just have jaw discomfort, left arm discomfort, back discomfort - and sometimes there will be no discomfort at all, with symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea and/or fatigue. So, it's tough.”
Petersen explains that premenopausal women have some degree of protection from heart disease. “Once they go through menopause, they lose that level of protection and ultimately suffer heart disease more frequently than men.”
Like Cannell, many women dismiss or ignore these symptoms while focusing on others. “You need to ask more questions if something doesn’t feel right,” Cannell urges. “Advocate for yourself.”
Petersen has heard this before from her patients who hesitate to speak up about their symptoms. “I always tell patients who might feel silly about coming in and having something assessed-look at all the very sophisticated things we have to do to figure it out. We have to do an EKG; we have to do blood work. Sometimes we have to do stress testing or ultrasounds of your heart. It takes a lot for us to be sure, so don’t feel like you have to know for sure what is going on before you bring it to our attention.”
Since her diagnosis, Cannell has embraced her treatment plan, including a combination of medication, a pacemaker, cardiac rehabilitation, and a structured program for individuals at MaineHealth Memorial Hospital Cardiopulmonary Rehab after heart events or procedures. The program combines monitored exercise, personalized care and health education in a group setting to help participants regain strength and manage risk factors.
“It is amazing to see the progress of our patients through their 36 sessions with us,” says Cheryl Battles, supervisor of MaineHealth Memorial Hospital Cardiopulmonary Rehab. “Like others, Christie [Cannell] was nervous at first with what she could do. Our patients often have had a significant procedure or diagnosis and come to our program with that trauma. Over the course of her time in our program, she increased her confidence and pushed herself to reach new goals.”
“I think you can't understate the emotional impact of being diagnosed with a cardiac illness,” says Petersen. “It can be a scary new diagnosis. For Christie [Cannell], we hope to see some real improvement with her most recent intervention of a biventricular pacemaker.”
MaineHealth Cardiology offers several services in North Conway, including consultations, imaging and diagnostics. Patients can see a cardiologist in North Conway and receive follow-up care with a cardiology nurse practitioner.
If you happen to be on the MaineHealth Memorial Campus on February 7, you may notice that many care team members wearing red. The day is known as “National Wear Red Day” and is part of the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign. The goal is to raise awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, causing one in three deaths each year.
While her journey has been challenging, Cannell is determined to help other women recognize the importance of listening to their bodies and seeking answers. “I wanted to make others aware of what I had experienced so I posted about my diagnosis on Facebook. I had friends reach out to me saying they were experiencing the same things, and they plan to talk to their PCP. If my story can help someone else, that really means a lot to me.” Her optimism and resilience serve as an inspiration for all women to take their heart health to heart.
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About MaineHealth Memorial Hospital
MaineHealth Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed Critical Access hospital serving the Mount Washington Valley of northern New Hampshire and western Maine. MaineHealth Memorial Hospital has earned a reputation among local residents and visitors for providing quality, compassionate and personalized care to its patients.
MaineHealth Memorial Hospital includes a robust array of health care services including primary and specialty care services and therapies, emergency care, a birthing center and surgical services. Its care team of 525 includes physicians and advance practice providers who are among the more than 2,000 providers who are part of the MaineHealth Medical Group. Memorial patients have access to onsite care in oncology, cardiology, vascular and pulmonary medicine. MaineHealth Memorial Hospital also partners with several local organizations to provide outreach and educational services supporting the health of our patients and community.
MaineHealth Memorial Hospital is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.” As part of the MaineHealth family, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital is able to offer patients a comprehensive network of care that includes world-class specialists, a Level 1 Trauma medical center, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services.