First Reported March 2022

Ashley Breaux had always been the picture of health. As a nurse practitioner in Kansas City, Missouri, she understood the importance of preventive care better than most. She maintained a disciplined exercise routine five days a week, ate nutritiously, and monitored her vital signs religiously. At 34, heart disease wasn’t even on her radar.

That changed during a family gathering over the holidays two years ago. What started as playful wrestling with her young nephew suddenly became something much more serious when searing chest pain forced her to stop mid-game and sit down, struggling to catch her breath.

When Pain Becomes a Mystery

Initially, Breaux dismissed the discomfort as holiday overindulgence. She reached for antacids, and the pain seemed to subside—temporarily. But when she helped her in-laws carry luggage to their car, the crushing sensation returned with a vengeance.

The bitter winter cold provided another convenient explanation. Perhaps it was exercise-induced asthma, she reasoned. Yet as hours passed, the pain persisted, particularly when climbing stairs or during any physical exertion.

Concerned enough to seek medical attention the following day, Breaux visited urgent care. The healthcare team there had a ready explanation: her recent battle with severe flu and pneumonia had likely left her with residual respiratory issues. The chest pain was simply an aftereffect of her recovery.

Despite her medical training telling her otherwise, Breaux accepted this diagnosis and took a break from her gym routine for several weeks.

The Pain That Wouldn’t Leave

When she finally returned to exercise, the reality became undeniable. Every time her heart rate climbed above 160 beats per minute, a “searing” pain would tear through her chest and radiate down her arm. She described it as being comparable to the peak intensity of labor contractions—her entire upper body felt like it was “on fire.”

Simple activities became monumental challenges. Walking from her car to her front door required a ten-minute recovery period. Yet when she brought these concerns to her primary care physician, she met resistance. The doctor insisted her lungs were the culprit, diagnosing pleurisy—inflammation of the membranes surrounding the lungs.

“I felt crazy,” Breaux recalled. “I accepted that something was wrong, but nobody else felt that way, so it made me question myself.”

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Fighting for Answers

Breaux’s persistence eventually paid off. Her primary care doctor finally agreed to a cardiology referral, and the results were immediate and alarming. Both an echocardiogram and electrocardiogram revealed a significant blockage in her left anterior descending artery—often called the “widow maker” due to its critical role in heart function.

Within 48 hours, a cardiologist had inserted a stent to restore proper blood flow to her heart.

For many patients, this procedure brings instant relief. For Breaux, it marked the beginning of another long journey. Weeks and months passed, yet the chest pain persisted, now accompanied by debilitating shortness of breath. The symptoms were severe enough to keep her away from her nursing practice for eight weeks.

“I had a sense of impending doom, like I was going to die,” she remembered.

The Struggle to Return to Normal

When Breaux finally returned to work, everything felt different. Tasks that had once been routine now felt overwhelming and exhausting. On her days off, she lacked the energy to engage with her daughters, Charlotte and Claire, often cutting short their movie nights due to pain.

The guilt was almost as crushing as the physical symptoms. “I felt a lot of guilt that I couldn’t be active with my kids,” she said.

A full year passed without significant improvement, prompting Breaux to seek a second opinion at the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

The Missing Pieces

The Mayo Clinic team uncovered what previous doctors had missed. Breaux was diagnosed with pericarditis—a painful inflammation of the tissues surrounding the heart. Additionally, specialized imaging revealed she had early-onset atherosclerosis, microvascular disease, and endothelial dysfunction.

Genetic testing ruled out obvious hereditary factors, though Dr. Sharonne N. Hayes, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Mayo Clinic’s Women’s Heart Clinic, emphasized that genetic understanding in this field continues to evolve rapidly.

“The lesson here is to get a second opinion,” Dr. Hayes noted. “The good news is, she’s on an aggressive management program, particularly with statins, that makes it far less likely that this will progress in her lifetime.”

A New Chapter

Just six weeks after her Mayo Clinic consultation, Breaux experienced a transformation she hadn’t dared hope for. She was back in the gym, rowing, cycling, and lifting weights. While acknowledging she hadn’t completely returned to her previous cardiovascular fitness level, the change was remarkable.

“Just being able to work out routinely and not feel terrible during or after is amazing,” she said.

A Message for Others

Breaux’s experience reinforced a significant lesson she now shares with others, particularly women who often face additional challenges in having their symptoms taken seriously by the medical community.

“It’s important to be your own advocate,” she emphasized. Her story serves as a powerful reminder that persistence in healthcare can be life-saving, and that trusting your instincts—even when medical professionals initially disagree—can make all the difference.

For Breaux, what began as a terrifying health crisis has become a testament to the importance of seeking second opinions and refusing to accept answers that don’t feel right. Today, she’s not only back to caring for her patients but also actively enjoying life with her partner Brandon and her two daughters, grateful for the journey that led her to proper diagnosis and treatment.

Author: Donna Ryan is a writer from Tucson, AZ.