Heart attack victim makes plea — don’t smoke

Don’t smoke — that’s the message one heart attack victim would like to give you.

Joan Viera used to smoke one to two packets of cigarettes a day until she gave up in 1985, 27 years ago.

“I am sure the heart disease I have is from smoking,” she said.

“I wish I had never seen a cigarette.”

Ms Viera had her first heart attack in 2010 while her husband was being treated at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for Alzheimer’s disease.

Pain

“I had these terrible pains in my chest, in between my rib cage in the centre and could feel the numbness in my arms. My jaw also felt strange,” said Ms Viera.

“Someone took me to hospital and I spent 10 days in the ward, doing tests.

“My husband was in another ward at the time and it was very difficult for him because he thought I had abandoned him, that I was trying to get away from him.

“I think some of the heart attack was brought on by tiredness and stress, but the one bit of advice I would give anyone is, ‘Don’t smoke’.”

Today, Ms Viera, 79, of Warwick, has to transport an oxygen kit around with her whenever she travels.

“Everything is so much more difficult now.

“I’m on oxygen off and on when I can’t breathe, and I have to take it with me wherever I go.

“The oxygen concentrator unit, tubes and accessories weigh about 10lbs and I have to take a carry-on bag onto aeroplanes.”

By 1990 Ms Viera said she had undergone four heart bypass operations, and by 1991, five coronary angioplasties.

In 2001 she then had another two heart bypass procedures as well as an aortic valve replacement.

“Since then I’ve had three heart attacks, so I’ve really had my share,” she said.

“But I thank God I’m still alive.”

Ms Viera now follows a strict healthy diet, but this excludes green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus and lettuce.

“You have to be careful in what you eat, and I can’t eat these foods because they interfere with my blood thinners (medication). I also have to stay away from fried foods.”

She said she also suffers from COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), which makes it difficult for her to breathe.

“Having heart problems is bad enough but when you also have COPD, it’s no fun.

“My lungs are damaged from smoking so I also have to use a dry powder inhaler for this. It’s also why I’m on oxygen.

“Having heart disease has affected my quality of life but I try to keep pushing on.

“It’s been a very long haul. Sometimes I get dizzy so I have to be very careful in what I do.

“Everyone has their own vices and it’s hard to change from that, but the best advice I can give is, ‘Don’t smoke’. I hope this will help some people.”