The body's final signal: a mysterious, endless cough saved a woman's life.

For over a year, Constance Meyer’s life was overshadowed by a relentless, harsh cough that baffled her doctors, annoyed those around her, and resisted all attempts at treatment. The 71-year-old violinist, an accomplished performer involved in creating soundtracks for major films and collaborating with world-renowned musicians, found herself at the center of a medical mystery, with the actual cause surprising even seasoned doctors, reports The Washington Post.

Meyer was diagnosed with conditions ranging from asthma to acid reflux, but none of the prescribed treatments provided long-term relief. It was only a chance encounter that revealed the true cause of Meyer’s symptoms, ultimately helping to save her life.

Meyer had long feared cancer, a shadow looming over her family. Her mother and grandmother died young from ovarian and breast cancers, respectively. However, despite her family history, she had not tested positive for BRCA mutations—genetic markers most associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. A committed vegetarian and hiking enthusiast, she took pride in her health, monitoring her cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

So, when she developed a dry cough in early 2023, without any cold or infection accompanying it, she assumed it would resolve on its own. Instead, it worsened, waking her at night and interfering with her work. Her long-time therapist diagnosed her with "asthmatic bronchitis" after a normal chest X-ray and prescribed inhalers and steroids—treatment that provided fleeting relief, after which the cough returned with renewed intensity.

Months passed before Meyer sought a second opinion. Her new doctor ordered an echocardiogram, which showed no signs of heart disease, and referred her to a pulmonologist and an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist. The pulmonologist, who consulted her via telemedicine, conducted tests suggesting mild interstitial lung disease, while the ENT suspected acid reflux and added antacid medications to her growing treatment regimen. However, the cough remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, a CT scan incidentally revealed calcification of the coronary arteries—a potential sign of heart disease. This detail, overlooked in favor of asthma and reflux theories, would later prove to be the missing piece of the puzzle.

It wasn’t until the summer of 2024 that a new figure entered the scene: Megan Kamath, a cardiologist specializing in heart failure and transplantation, whose young daughter had just started taking violin lessons with Meyer. Kamath immediately noticed what others had missed: Meyer coughed while walking around the room but not when sitting still. Medical instinct kicked in, and suspecting the cough had a cardiological origin, Kamath ensured Meyer was urgently scheduled for an appointment with a cardiologist at the University of California, rescheduling her previously planned visit.

A stress echocardiogram revealed abnormal results, leading to a CT coronary angiogram—a specialized imaging test that yielded a shocking revelation. Meyer had an 85-99% blockage of the left anterior descending artery—a condition typically associated with what is known as "widowmaker" heart attacks, notorious for their high mortality rate. Despite the absence of classic symptoms of heart problems—no chest pain or numbness in her arms—Meyer’s persistent dry cough was a warning sign from her body.

On September 17, 2024, she underwent angioplasty, during which a stent was placed to open the critically blocked artery. Almost immediately after the procedure, the cough vanished. A subsequent CT scan confirmed that her lungs were healthy, dispelling earlier concerns about lung disease or reflux. Later, Kamath reflected on how easily Meyer’s condition could have been entirely overlooked. She noted that symptoms of heart disease in women often present differently than in men, and the medical system's tendency to overlook them remains a persistent issue.

Now, Meyer looks back on this experience with a sense of gratitude and shock. For several months, she unquestioningly followed her doctors' advice, believing everything they told her was correct. Since then, this experience has changed her approach—she now speaks more openly about her health, advocating for herself as fiercely as she once did for others.

A month after the procedure, she made a small yet symbolic decision: she canceled an appointment with the ENT who had mistakenly attributed her symptoms to reflux. It was a moment of newfound self-confidence, a quiet acknowledgment that her health, much like her music, is something she no longer wants to neglect.

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