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.