Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection

Voices of SCAD Written Stories

Experiencing a life-changing event such as a SCAD, has a huge impact on those who had the SCAD as well as their families and friends. Finding a lack of information about an uncommon and poorly understood condition can be difficult and may add to the strains of recovery. Reading others stories can be an enormous help.

DISCLAIMER: The stories posted are personal stories from people whose lives have been touched by SCAD and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of SCAD Research, Inc., as it is information provided by third parties. The information presented here and on the SCAD Research, Inc., website as whole is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. If you have any complaints about any content, please email scadinfo@scadresearch.org so that we can address any concerns.

Are you kidding me?

September 23, 2023

I always fancied myself as someone who ate healthy, exercised, and took care of myself. I had a hectic life that I always managed well. I am 129 pounds, 70 years old, walk 3-4 miles a day, at a fast pace. I ran 6+ miles a day from age 27 to 47. I thought I […]

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The Light at the End of the Tunnel

June 20, 2023

I had retired as a registered nurse consultant in 2018 and was having a glorious time being active and carefree with my husband. We traveled some, did a lot of gardening, hiked, and swam in our pool. I was always bad about going to the doctor, but when I did go, there were no big […]

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23 year old female in perfect health

June 16, 2023

I was laying down watching a show killing time before it was time for me to get ready for work. After I got dressed, my heart started to hurt. It wasn’t bad at first but then, my back, armpits, arms and jaw all became numb. Immediately I looked up my symptoms and it lead me […]

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Normal health 58 yr old pickleball player

May 17, 2023

I’m a healthy 58 year old woman. I worked with my husband for several hours lifting, pushing and pulling heavy objects in my husband’s car barn on during morning to early afternoon Sunday, April 23, 2023. Monday morning, I played pickleball for 2-3 hrs. Monday evening I had a sharp chest pain with numbness down […]

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32 & scad

April 22, 2023

My name is Whitney, I am a mom to a 11 year who keeps me very busy. He has just turned 9 in May of 2021, May 1st in fact. His dad and I had been separated for 5 years at this point but are still great co-parents and friends for our son. Gary (my […]

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Still Ticking

February 22, 2023

March 28, 2018 started a little slower than most mornings at our house. Jim had already headed off to work. The kids were on spring break and 4-year-old Claire had her bestie over for their first-ever sleepover. I was starting to pack for a last minute, quick family trip to the Galena/Dubuque area the following […]

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Lupus with a side of SCAD

February 11, 2023

Hello all! Im Amanda, on 10/19/21 at age 38 i was dx with Systemic Lupus, just over a year later 10/27/22 at age 39 i woke up not feeling the best but having lupus im used to this, as the day progressed i started to have a squeezing achy pain in my right shoulder that […]

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It couldn’t happen to me until it did

February 9, 2023

I was a seemingly healthy 58 year old whose annual biometric screening assured me that I was in great shape. One morning I woke from a sound sleep with a strange pain between my shoulder blades that seemed to be moving. This followed about five days of vague congestion and dizziness. My husband insisted I […]

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Scad Survivor – The Day that Changed My Life

February 5, 2023

November 27, 2022, the day that changed my life. I’m a healthy 44 y/o women with no health problems prior to SCAD. I’ve been a nurse for 22 years, 13 of those years I worked in the Emergency Room. I’ve had a number of patients suffering from heart attacks and even bypass surgery (CABG), but […]

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Rude Awakening

February 1, 2023

I was awoken one Saturday morning to an odd feeling in my chest, neck and arm. Thinking I had slept in an odd position, I tried to stretch this odd feeling out. It didn’t change. I woke my boyfriend and told him something was wrong. We were dressed and in the car within minutes, heading […]

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