Captain Sandy Yawn suddenly ‘couldn’t swallow’ and having heart attack at gym class
Captain Sandy Yawn, who stars on Below Deck Mediterranean, was at the gym one day when she suddenly couldn’t swallow. The next thing she knew, she was experiencing a heart attack. During a spin class in 2018, Below Deck Med star Captain Sandy was nearing her 50th birthday and realised her heart rate was going […]
Captain Sandy Yawn, who stars on Below Deck Mediterranean, was at the gym one day when she suddenly couldn’t swallow. The next thing she knew, she was experiencing a heart attack.
During a spin class in 2018, Below Deck Med star Captain Sandy was nearing her 50th birthday and realised her heart rate was going up instead of down. She left the class, when her left arm went numb.
Captain Sandy faced heart attack
Captain Sandy Yawn realised she couldn’t swallow during a spin class, but waited, and slipped out of the room when the class ended. She called an Uber to take her to the hospital as her left arm went numb.
Noticing her heart rate was going up rather than down, she later learned she had experienced spontaneous coronary artery dissection, an unprompted tear in a coronary artery wall.
“I kept saying, ‘I don’t want to die,’ and you’re supposed to have instant relief if they put a stent in, but they couldn’t as I had a tear. So I didn’t have instant relief. I was in pain,” she told TODAY.
Below Deck star remained in hospital
Below Deck Mediterranean star Captain Sandy was in hospital for four days after the heart attack. She said both her parents, who were smokers, died of heart attacks, and that she always followed a healthy diet.
She learned she had high blood pressure and had started taking Adderall two weeks earlier to help her focus. She said those factors combined with “extreme exercise” led to her heart attack.
In February, she wrote, “In 2018, I experienced a heart attack. I am here today because of the exceptional team at Cedar Sinai in LA, as well as unwavering support of my friends, Pam Africk, and Randi Gold.”
She warns of heart attack symptoms
Now age 56, Captain Sandy only knew the symptoms she was having were indicative of a heart attack because she once heard one of her friends, who is a cardiologist, speak about them.
“Remember to check your numbers, listen to your body, and look for possible signs. Be proactive for your health! ❤️” the Below Deck Med captain has written on Instagram.