Tina's Story

Being treated as a person rather than a diagnosis was the right medicine for this heart attack survivor

While swimming across a lake, Boulder resident Tina Pittman Wagers suffered a sudden heart attack caused by a rare cardiac condition. Watch the inspirational story of how this clinical psychologist reclaimed her active lifestyle—and became an advocate for helping other survivors.

“It was such a scary time in my life and my family’s life, that I felt an enormous amount of relief that I was in the hands of someone who was knowledgeable and an expert," Tina says about Molly Ware, MD, her cardiologist at BCH's Boulder Heart.

Just as important, she says,Tina forged a personal connection that was vital to her recovery. "The first thing Molly asked me was, 'Tell the story of what happened to you,'" she recalls."I knew immediately I was in the hands of a doctor who would treat me as a person with a life—not just a diagnosis."

Tina had suffered a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), an under-diagnosed condition that occurs when a tear forms in a coronary artery wall and causes a heart attack. SCAD affects mostly women, many of them younger and with few or no risk factors for cardiovascular disease. To learn more about this condition, visit SCAD Alliance, where Tina is now a board member.

Tina Pittman Wagers and Molly Ware, MD

Boulder Heart has three full-service cardiology clinics conveniently located across Boulder County, in Boulder, Lafayette and Longmont.

To schedule an appointment, please call 303-442-2395.
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.