WOODLAND, Calif. — A Woodland mom, Belinda Loney, survived two heart attacks. She had her first when she was six months pregnant with her sixth child.
"At that point, they weren't sure if it was stress or what it was, so they treated it as a minor heart attack," Loney said.
According to the CDC, every year, more than 800,000 Americans have a heart attack. If it happens outside of a hospital, your chances of survival are about 10%.
About 10 years later on April 8, 2021, Loney realized something was off. She had experienced shortness of breath, which she attributed to her asthma, and back pain, which she said is chronic. Regardless, she asked her mother to take her to a Woodland hospital.
"I remember handing my ID to the clerk and that's it. It shuts off," Loney said.
She would wake up in Sacramento at Mercy General Hospital three days later. She was transferred there where doctors implanted a small device called "Impella." It's known as the world's smallest heart pump and ended up saving her life.
Cardiologist Dr. David Lao performed the surgery that day. He said it's important to know that signs and symptoms of a heart attack can be vague, especially in women.
"You always need to trust your gut instinct, if you're feeling very poorly, and your symptoms are quite severe, and you feel unwell, I don't think you should take a chance and wait for your primary care doctor to call you back. I think you should go straight to the emergency room," Lao said.
Loney's recovery took about two months.
"They were surprised that I came around as quickly. I had to learn how to walk, I had to learn how to eat, I had to learn how to swallow," Loney said.
Today, she says she's still having trouble finding the right words at times but is very grateful for the outcome.
"Go in. What is it going to harm you for 20 minutes? Go, go in, at the very least they can rule it out," Loney said.
Watch more in ABC10 | Staying ahead of heart disease: Know the signs and symptoms
