BUTTE — With Valentine's Day just around the corner, many people are pursuing matters of the heart. But whether you're pursuing romance or your true passion, you want to make sure that you have a healthy heart.
Frankee Angel is a pillar of the Mining City arts community. She has given her life to music and theater, both teaching and performing. She has graced the stages in bars and churches alike over the years. In the fall of 2024, art saved her life.
"That little heart was only going at 15%. I called it my barely beating heart. I said, I'm going to write a country song, 'I love you with my barely beatin' heart,' and people will love it," Angel said.
Heart attacks in women can look different than you think. This Butte woman's story could save lives
I went to choir practice, and one of the singers said I didn't look good, that there was something wrong with me. Angel was trying to lead the choir practice and getting ready to play for the 4:30 Mass when Father told her she wasn't staying for Mass.
"He says, I'm gonna have Carol take you to the ER," Angel said.
Several days before Angel was ushered to the ER, she was teaching a music student when she first experienced extreme fatigue, dizziness, and vomiting. She thought she had the flu and didn't recognize that her symptoms were common indicators of a heart attack.
"I didn't know they could go on for days. That just completely shocked me. Heart attacks can happen, I guess, for a long duration," Angel said.
Angel suffered a stroke along with two heart attacks. Now she is sharing her story so that others might learn the signs of a heart attack.
"If you've had profound fatigue that is very unusual for you for the past couple of weeks, now starting with backpain that doesn't resolve with Tylenol, nausea, vomiting, just get checked," said Becky Wozniak, a cardiology nurse practitioner with Intermountain Health in Butte.
Wozniak says heart disease is the number one killer for American women, and knowing risk factors like having type two diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history can save your life.
"The most important thing that people can do is establish a primary care provider and see their primary care provider regularly. We gotta know your numbers," Wozniak said.
Angel has advice for others who might be experiencing similar symptoms.
"Don't be shy to ask for help and don't be as stubborn as I was," Angel said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
