"I Finally Quit after a Heart Attack" — Rose Votkevich's Story

Rose Votkevich smoked for 30 years from the time she was 21 years old. Then, one fateful day, she was forced to quit. 

A Series of Bizarre Symptoms

On October 18, 2023, Rose developed an upset stomach with gas, bloating and unrelenting pain that continued for about a week. 

"I chalked it up to stress at work and figured it would go away on its own."

Suddenly, one night, she awoke to find she could barely breathe. She also had numbness down her left arm and pain in her chest and back.

"The telltale numbness down the arm gave me great concern — along with not being able to breathe. The chest and back pain weren't too bad at first, but then the pain became severe and was accompanied by horrible nausea. I wasn't vomiting, but I was dry heaving, constantly. I didn't know all these were signs of a heart attack."

A Shocking Diagnosis

Rose called out for her husband and adult daughter. They immediately called 911, and within minutes, Rose was whisked away by ambulance to WakeMed Raleigh Campus Emergency Department. WakeMed interventional cardiologist Brian M. Go, MD, FACC, took her to the catheterization lab where she was discovered to have a blockage. 

Dr. Go explains, "Mrs.Votkevich presented via emergency medical services to our emergency department with severe chest pain with her electrocardiogram (EKG) showing an overt ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Her presentation and EKG were overt enough to take her emergently to the cardiac catheterization lab. Indeed, she had a 99 percent mid left anterior descending (LAD) stenosis, receiving two overlapping large stents. She did well."

Rose comments, "I was shocked to learn I had a heart attack from a 99 percent blockage. I'm so glad to be alive!"

A Team that Cared Enough to Encourage Rose to Change Her Habits

Following the surgery after Rose spent a little time in recover, Dr. Go visited her and discussed the perils of smoking. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is responsible for about one in four deaths from cardiovascular disease — the leading cause of death in the United States.

"Dr. Go told me, 'Obviously you have a better chance of recovery and continued survival if you don't smoke.' He and his team were point blank, and it couldn't have been more than a couple hours after the procedure, I and my husband were urged to quit smoking."

Rose was referred for an appointment with Quit With WakeMed, a highly successful smoking cessation program. The next day, October 19, she was discharged from the hospital and encouraged to schedule an appointment. That Friday, October 20, Rose received a call from the smoking cessation scheduling team. 

"When they called me Friday, I was like, 'I've already cut down from a pack to a pack and a half a day to just nine cigarettes a day. I don't need smoking cessation. I'm going to be fine. I can do it by myself.'"

Within two weeks of trying to quit on her own, Rose was extremely irritable and emotional. She became profoundly aware of the way in which smoking served as a coping mechanism for stress relief. 

The Will to Try Quit With WakeMed

"I wanted to strangle everybody in the house, and the fact that I did not is a miracle. In time, I got myself down to about five cigarettes a day, but I was miserable all the time, so I went into WakeMed MyChart and selected the first available provider for Quit With WakeMed. It was Jessica Revels, FNP."

Revels prescribed medication to block the reward of nicotine and decrease cravings and urges to smoke, preventing nicotine stimulation in the brain.

"She got me to think about my triggers. I realized I smoked when I was stressed or bored. I also smoked in connection with certain behaviors. I smoked every morning when I got a cup of coffee. I smoked whenever I was driving in the car. To become mindful of my triggers, I drank tea for a while to help break the connection between coffee and cigarettes. I changed my seat in the car for a while to break that trigger. That is how granular it happens to be with the nicotine habit. 

"By November 28, I had quit for good! It's been almost a year, and I can't believe it."

Rose continued to take the smoking cessation medications for six months though she quit within the first month because it helped with withdrawals.

"When I quit, I first had to take the cravings hour-by-hour, then day-by-day, then week-by-week, then month-by-month. I'm nearly at a whole year, and I'm sitting here sometimes like, 'Woah, I haven't smoked in almost a year.'"

Pleasant Surprises 

Rose was pleased to find that her stamina improved after she quit. She could walk up a flight of stairs without being winded. Additionally, about eight days prior to quitting, Rose had joined cardiac rehab in Smithfield to help restore her heart strength following her heart attack, and she found that after she quit smoking, she had more endurance while exercising in the program.

"It had been really hard for me to go upstairs and do all the exercises in rehab, but then my breathing became easier. I could handle the exercise reps, and I was amazed how quickly that happened after I quit smoking."

Rose also realized that since she'd stopped smoking, she could spend more time with people in settings where smoking was not allowed. When she was a smoker, others had made her aware that she smelled like nicotine. She also could not go several hours without lighting a cigarette, so she avoided many social scenes. After she quit, she decided to join a knitting group at a yarn shop in Raleigh, where she found lasting friendship.

"They do a whole community sit and knit, where people come into the yarn store, knit, chat and enjoy the yarn. I would never have done that before since it would consume two to three hours of my time in a smoke-free setting. I also became extremely aware that smokers smell like ashtrays since I stopped smoking about a month before my husband. Before, I was nose blind, but after I quit, I understood why the smell bothered non-smokers."

Rose was thrilled to find good friends with whom to socialize. She also found camaraderie with the owner who was also a heart attack survivor.

"Before I was a little antisocial because I wanted cigarettes. I would tell myself, 'I don't need nobody. I got cigarettes.' After cigarettes, I found community."

A Heart of Gratitude 

"I'm grateful for the care I received at WakeMed from Dr. Go and team. I'm also glad I tried Quit With WakeMed because in Jessica Revels, I found a true friend. She is just so kind and caring. I thought talking to her would be a bunch of condescending internet quotes from someone who had never smoked a day in her life and had no idea what I was going through, but she was never like that. She helped relieve my fears about potential interactions with the smoking cessation medications and heart medications. She helped me brainstorm ways to get around my triggers." 

Words for Those Who Want to Quit

Both pleased and surprised by her outcome, Rose urges anyone who wants to quit smoking to try Quit With WakeMed.

"Just give it a shot. I didn't think it would work. I thought it was psychobabble, but now I have a different life after cigarettes, and my self-talk has become, 'Do I want the cigarette, or do I want to live?' I want to live, so I left cigarettes. Quitting is hard for the first few weeks, but it gets easier with time."

 

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About WakeMed Heart & Vascular

WakeMed Heart & Vascular physicians bring together expert cardiovascular, thoracic and vascular surgeons who are dedicated to delivering the highest level of cardiovascular care in Raleigh, Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner and Clayton, N.C. For decades, these physicians have chosen to bring their talent and expertise to WakeMed for its reputation for excellence in cardiovascular care and commitment to providing the most exceptional patient experience.

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