2025 Go Red for Women Class of Survivors: Andrea Alexander

Working every day of the week at two jobs, Andrea Alexander had a heart attack at 52. Now, she encourages other women to take small, consistent steps to create big health changes, know their family history and pay attention to what their bodies are telling them. 

In 2021, Andrea Alexander, then 52, was as an occupational therapist working seven days a week at two physically demanding jobs. As an empty nester, she was also focused on her own health, eating a mostly plant-based diet and exercising as much as possible. 

“I think I found my purpose in moving,” Andrea said. “I found my purpose in being busy. I think we, as women, believe that we are superheroes. We think that we can carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, and we can’t.”

While getting ready for work one day, she started to feel dizzy and have chest pains. However, she wanted to push through. 

“The pain wasn’t bad pain,” she said. “It was as small as gentle heartburn, but I felt it in my chest every time I walked. I’ve gone to the hospital with chest pain other times and have been told, ‘Don't come back until you feel like there’s an elephant sitting on your chest.’” 

Since her symptoms were mild, she brushed them aside and spent the next four days continuing with her active lifestyle.  

But then the symptoms returned. This time they were too overwhelming to be ignored. 

“My sister, who is a pharmacist, told me she thought I was having a heart attack,” she said. “I think I was irritated more than anything. I felt sure that she was wrong. I know what heart attacks look like, and I thought, ‘I’m not having one. I’m just not.’”

But a hospital visit told a different story. An electrocardiogram, or EKG, helped diagnose that she was having a heart attack. During an exercise stress test the next day, she couldn’t raise her heart rate. The results were crushing for Andrea, who previously could run long distances easily. 

“I was in tears,” she said. “It just didn't make any sense to me. I think when the test ended, I practically collapsed into the arms of the people who were testing me.”

She was transferred to another hospital, where doctors attempted to put a stent in her right coronary artery. The procedure failed because her artery was 90% blocked. After a week in the hospital, she was sent home with medicine and some harsh realizations about her recovery.

“When I got home, I wasn’t able to walk to the mailbox,” she said. “I was someone who could lift 300-pound men at work; now I couldn’t make it across the street. I think despair is what accompanied my diagnosis and recovery. All I wanted to do was lay on the couch. I didn’t want to get up and do anything.”

Luckily, her loved ones rallied around her. 

“I got stronger slowly,” said Andrea, who lives in Beaumont, California. “My ex-husband took good care of me. He made me keep striving to take walks to the mailbox.”

Andrea received a stent in her artery seven months after her heart attack when the blockage had reduced to under 80% thanks to her hard work and lifestyle changes. Also, at her sister’s urging, she got tested for elevated lipoprotein(a), a genetic risk factor for heart disease. It was high, confirming that she had to be even more vigilant about her health.

So, she followed her doctor’s orders, which included taking her medicine, eating healthy and exercising. Her hard work paid off. She received great news at an appointment with her cardiologist last year.   

“My moment of triumph was hearing the doctor say, ‘Your arteries are wide open,’” she said. “That meant the world to me.”

Now 56, Andrea motivates other women to take small, consistent steps to create big health changes. She also encourages others to lean on their loved ones and examine their family history, something she struggled with because her parents both died at age 58. 

“Doctors ask me, ‘What is your history of heart disease? Did your parents have heart disease?’” she said. “Well, I don’t know if they had heart disease, they died too early to know. When you know your history, you can see what to expect in your life. If you’re not paying attention to those signs, you’re likely to leave earlier than you want to leave.”

“I’m here today to tell you don’t wait,” she said. If something doesn’t feel right, get it checked out.” 

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