Melanie Hedger knows firsthand the toll cancer can take on the body as she battles breast cancer for the second time. But when she developed sudden, abnormal symptoms, she and her treatment team suspected something beyond the expected effects of cancer treatment.
Tossing and turning at her home, repositioning herself in bed to alleviate unusual discomfort in her back and indigestion across her breastbone, Hedger began feeling increasingly ill. She contacted her oncology nurse at the UK Markey Cancer Center and immediately agreed to be seen by UK HealthCare’s Cancer Acute Treatment (CAT) Clinic.
The CAT Clinic, part of the Markey Cancer Center, provides an in-depth comprehensive evaluation of cancer patients who may be experiencing adverse reactions related to their treatment regimens, including nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, dehydration and other side effects.
In Hedger’s case, her symptoms didn’t align with typical chemotherapy side effects, prompting her care team — which included Melinda “Mindy” Rath, an advanced practice registered nurse in the CAT Clinic — to perform an EKG.
“Melanie, you’re having a heart attack,” Rath told Hedger.
Hedger was experiencing back pain, unusual sensations in both arms, indigestion, clammy skin, vomiting and extreme fatigue — she could barely sit up. Those symptoms are all potential warning signs of a heart attack, especially in women, who more commonly experience atypical or subtler symptoms.
“I felt that they’ll take care of me. I don’t know who they are, but they’ll take care of me,” Hedger said.
Hedger said things began moving quickly. Within minutes, she was transported across campus to Albert B. Chandler Hospital by a team of paramedics already on-site at the CAT Clinic — she was prioritized immediately.
About an hour after arriving at the CAT Clinic, Hedger received cardiac intervention in Gill Heart & Vascular Institute’s catheterization lab for a STEMI (ST-elevation myocardial infarction), a severe, life-threatening heart attack.
“They saved my life that day,” Hedger said.
She said her care team, including her primary oncologist, Rayli C. Pichardo Pernalete, M.D., does not believe the heart attack was related to her treatment for metastatic Stage 4 breast cancer, which she had just begun nine days prior to the heart attack. Her oncology care team has resume Hedger’s cancer medications and is monitoring her closely.
A Lexington native and alum of the UK College of Social Work, Hedger has long turned to UK for healthcare. From the births of her children and through two cancer diagnoses, her care at UK has built a lifetime of trust.
“I wasn’t scared. I was just lying there knowing I was being taken care of,” Hedger said.
Her deep connections to Lexington and UK also made her surroundings — and the people caring for her — a grounding presence during her recovery. Her father worked in city planning while Hedger was growing up, making the city and its development a significant part of her formative years.
“I grew up with maps of Lexington’s neighborhoods and communities, so Lexington is very dear to my heart,” Hedger said.
From her ICU room high in the Albert B. Chandler Hospital tower, Hedger had a view of the community she knew so well. The city skyline offered her a familiar sense of reassurance during her recovery.
“I felt at home and I felt very cared for,” Hedger said.
Hedger said she hopes her experience encourages other cancer patients to report new or unusual symptoms to their care teams and to utilize the resources the CAT Clinic has for patients who aren’t feeling well.
Rath said the clinic treats patients’ urgent care needs and treatment-related reactions for patients. This clinic allows patients to avoid a trip to public urgent care and emergency departments where immunocompromised patients may face longer wait times and greater exposure to harmful bacteria.
“The main thing is to not talk yourself out of what you’re experiencing — listen to your body,” Rath said.
Rath urged patients to contact their care teams, which can arrange a visit to the CAT Clinic. Patients may also call 859-257-4488 and press 1. The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday.
“We hear our doctors and our nurses say, ‘Don’t hesitate to call us. Let us know.’ Well, we need to heed that because that’s extremely important,” Hedger said.