Mother of Three Enjoying Life With Her Family After Surviving Cardiogenic Shock

Jenna Tanner is a writer and full-time mother of three from Broken Arrow, OK. In March 2022, at the age of 46, she experienced fatigue and chest pain. Initially, Jenna thought she caught the flu and ignored her symptoms. Two days later, she suffered a heart attack and passed out while home alone. When she regained consciousness, she tried crawling to her phone but passed out again. When she finally reached her phone, she called 911 and crawled to the front door. Once paramedics arrived, they transported her to Hillcrest Hospital South in Tulsa, OK. She was taken to the catheterization lab in cardiogenic shock with a reduced ejection fraction of 20 percent and a complete blockage of her left main coronary artery. Dr. Stanley Zimmerman implanted the Impella CP^® heart pump before placing stents. After a few days of support, Jenna’s heart function dramatically improved to 45 percent, and Impella was weaned and removed. After spending 10 days in the hospital, Jenna returned home to her family. Since her heart event, her function has returned to normal (55 percent).

Today, Jenna enjoys swimming with her children in their backyard pool and visiting restaurants with family and friends. In the future, she plans to focus on writing, advocating for women’s health, traveling and spending time with her friends and family. 

As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary. There are potential risks, these risks need to be discussed with your doctor and recovery takes time. The success of this procedure depends on many factors, including your physical condition and your body’s ability to tolerate the procedure. Use care in the selection of your doctors and hospital, based on their skill and experience.