A week after being struck by a heart attack, former San Jose councilwoman Nancy Pyle hopes people will view her story as a cautionary tale.
The retired school teacher, who went into full cardiac arrest at the McEnery Convention Center, admitted that she glossed over symptoms – fatigue, shortness of breath and spots in her vision – that presented themselves prior to the Oct. 31 incident.
"There have been little signs and I didn’t take them as seriously as I should have," Pyle said, urging people to pay attention to their bodies’ signals and get help if needed.
Pyle and her son were attending a luncheon at the convention center when she dropped into his arms.
"I remember trying to get a cup of coffee with my son," she said.
Pyle, who has a history of heart problems, had no pulse and was not breathing, forcing emergency responders to administer CPR to revive her.
"Fortunately for me, it wasn’t fatal, but it could have been – so easily," she mused.
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Today, a week after the scare, Pyle is recovering in her Almaden Valley home. She is sore and bruised by the lifesaving techniques used by the first-responders.
"I feel like I've been run over by a truck," she said.
Pyle made it a point, however, to thank paramedics for helping her, her husband for remaining glued to her side, and the San Jose community for their wishes and concern.
"Well, to me it’s like having all these wings holding you up," she said. "It was just so heartwarming and so humbling."
NBC Bay Area's Rhea Mahbubani contributed to this report.
