Jaye's Story

One random Sunday morning, I suddenly felt an excruciating, cramp-like pain in my chest, a burning sensation I had never experienced before. The pain spread to my shoulder blades, and both arms went weak and floppy. I collapsed onto the bed, desperately trying to ease the pain, but nothing worked. After several minutes it began to subside, but the experience had terrified me.

I went downstairs to my husband and son. My husband took one look at me and asked if I was okay. When I described what had happened, he said, “What… like a heart attack?” We both dismissed the idea, I was reasonably young, fit, and healthy.

Throughout the day, a dull ache lingered in my chest, as if I’d been punched. The next morning, I knew something was still wrong. When I arrived at work, a colleague urged me to get checked at the hospital. Despite abnormal tests (bloods and ECG) and elevated blood pressure, I was told everything looked “normal.” I was repeatedly asked if I was anxious, if I suffered from indigestion, or even if my tight polo-neck jumper could be causing the throat tightness. My raised troponin levels were labelled “not elevated enough,” and I was sent home, reassured that nothing was wrong with my heart.

Two weeks later, it happened again. Another hospital admission. More tests. More uncertainty. As I was preparing for discharge, once again told nothing was wrong, it happened a third time, this time while I was in the shower. I pulled the emergency cord. Staff rushed in, dragged me out, and prepared me for a 12-lead ECG. This time, the evidence was undeniable. I later learned the ECG showed marked and significant ST elevation. A few days later, I finally received my diagnosis, coronary artery spasm (CAS).

Today, CAS continues to shape my daily life. Medication helps, but the spasms still break through, often triggered by stress, cold weather, illness, or missed doses. Life looks very different now, but I’m here and I’m learning how to live with a condition many people have never even heard of.

That is why the work of Heart Research UK matters so deeply. Their research, education, and commitment to patient voices help people like me feel seen, understood, and supported. As a proud member of their Patient and Public Network, I hope that by sharing my story, others will feel less alone and more people will understand the importance of funding lifesaving heart research.