NI woman's 'complete and utter shock' at suffering heart attack age 24

When Rachel West from Co Fermanagh suffered a heart attack in April of last year, it was the last thing she ever expected to hear, particularly as she was just 24 years of age. Before her health scare, the Newtownbutler woman had been working in London as part of her training to become a teacher

“I contacted the GP out of hours service, and they advised me to go to A&E. I had various tests and was monitored overnight and the next day I was sent home with some medication and a follow-up appointment for the following week to do a treadmill test. At this stage, the words ‘heart attack’ hadn’t been mentioned.”

“The news came as a complete and utter shock; I was only in my early twenties. The medical team were also quite shocked because of my age.” She explained: “I wanted to do something to bring my year of recovery to a close and move on with my life. I was talking to my sister one night and the idea of a 100 miles walking fundraiser for charity came up. It seemed like a good way to try and do something positive after everything I had been through.

Talking about her fundraiser, Rachel said: “I walked 100 miles throughout the month of April, through rain, hail, and shine! I did most of it outside but on the days it was really wet and windy I went on my treadmill to make sure I kept my step count up. One day I did 6k on the treadmill so that was a great day!

“Now, I am much more conscious of my lifestyle, and I am eating a healthier diet, keeping on top of my walking and exercise etc. This, coupled with my medication, should help keep me in good health going forward. I am lucky that my heart hasn’t been permanently damaged from the heart attack, but it has still been a difficult time.

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