That's not indigestion darling, it's a heart attack

Leonie Fryar had to work extremely hard to save her own life. Over a four day period, she repeatedly knocked on doctors' doors despite being rebuffed as having nothing more than reflux.

She was 39, in a demanding corporate job and in pain.

Over the preceding years, she had devised a schedule to cope with her job. Monday to Thursday, she was abstemious, getting up at 5am and doing a full work-out at the gym before a 10 to 12-hour day in the office.

Friday and Saturday nights she let go, smoked and drank whatever she felt like.

Fryar's case illustrates the bias informing the perception that heart disease in Australia is a male issue. She didn't recognise the symptoms and neither did two primary care doctors. supplied

But she had begun to feel increasingly puffed in the gym. One Sunday evening she felt so awful, she went to bed.

A few hours later, her chest pain was unbearable and she asked her husband to take her to the 24-hour medical clinic near their Melbourne home.

The doctor examined this petite, lively woman, diagnosed reflux, suggested antacids and sent her home.

The next morning, Fryar dragged herself to work but by lunchtime the pain drove her to see her family doctor. He confirmed reflux and suggested she take something stronger.

As she was fit and under 40, trim and a size eight, he suspected nothing else.

But on Tuesday morning, she was no better and now afraid she may have something sinister – on account of her heaving smoking – she returned and asked for an X-ray.

It was duly conducted and that afternoon, came back clear. It was a relief she didn't have lung cancer!

On Wednesday, barely able to walk, Fryar went back to the family doctor and this time he did an electrocardiogram in his rooms.

The results didn't look good and he picked up the phone. The cardiologist could see her the following day.

By Thursday morning, she was beside herself. The cardiologist grasped the problem immediately and sent her directly from his rooms to hospital.

Couldn't she just go home and pack a bag? No, he said.

Two major vessels were blocked. One was 99 per cent occluded and the other 95 per cent.

Later, he told her any further delay would have been extremely serious, if not fatal.

Now an accounts executive ‎at the technology research company, Gartner Australasia, Fryar lives with two stents and a damaged heart.

On high alert, she's aware that without notice she could have another event.

Her case illustrates the bias informing the perception that heart disease in Australia is a male issue. She didn't recognise the symptoms and neither did two primary care doctors.

Now, as a Director of the Victorian Board of the Heart Foundation, Fryar is passionate about eliminating this bias.

Australian Financial Review