In Her Own Words: Marg’s Patient Journey from Emergency to Cardiac Care

“My heart was beating so fast I thought it would burst right out of my chest.”

73-year-old Marg May never thought she would be facing heart failure. She had always been active, spending her days gardening and playing with her grandchildren. Thankfully, Southlake was there when she needed us the most. After feeling exhausted for weeks, Marg’s symptoms suddenly escalated. When she couldn’t catch her breath, she decided to see her doctor. He sent her straight to Southlake’s Emergency Department.

From the moment Marg arrived at Southlake, she knew I was in good hands. “The emergency team took immediate action to stabilize my dangerously high heart rate, saving my life for the first time,” says Marg.

Then Southlake’s leading edge Cardiac Care Team took over. Marg was diagnosed with atrial flutter, a type of abnormal heart rhythm that can lead to cardiac arrest. They identified that she needed a procedure called a cardioversion, which is a low-energy shock treatment to correct her heartbeat. During the many diagnostic tests to prepare Marg for the procedure, they also found a damaged heart valve that required open-heart surgery — the second time Marg’s life was saved.

But her story doesn’t end there. The night before she was to return home, Marg’s heart stopped. Two Southlake nurses, Shannon and Kim, performed CPR for over 12 minutes to restart her heart and save Marg’s life for the third time.

“There is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be here today if not for Southlake,” says Marg. “Southlake is more than a hospital to me. It is where my family started — my daughter and grandchildren were born there — and it is where I got a second chance at life. Every extra minute I get to spend making memories with my family is a gift from Southlake and its donors.”