A Scots mum is speaking out after mistaking her major heart attack for food poisoning,

Dorothy Byres was struck down on Tuesday evening after becoming violently ill after dinner with her daughter and son-in-law.

But the 62-year-old from Edinburgh didn't call an ambulance as she feared being a 'nuisance' to the NHS.

The gran-of-two had enjoyed a meal with family just hours before
The gran-of-two had enjoyed a meal with family just hours before

She believed her sickness and 'pain all across her back' must have been from something she ate at the restaurant, reports Edinburgh Live.

Then a whole 75 minutes later the gran-of-two made the decision to call 999 and it was discovered that she was in fact having a very serious heart attack.

Dorothy told Edinburg Live: "It was 3.30am and I was tossing and turning in bed as I could just not get comfy," Dorothy told Edinburgh Live.

"Initially I thought my pillows really uncomfortable and I ended up lying on floor as my neck, shoulders and back were so uncomfortable and sore.

"I realised it was pretty weird to lie on floor but think that at the time I couldn’t really think straight as I was in so much distress.

"Suddenly I then felt sick, faint and had to go to toilet (all simultaneously) - I instantly thought it was food poisoning and had never heard that pain across shoulders and neck had anything to do with a heart attack."

Dorothy now wants others to be safe than sorry and call for help sooner
Dorothy now wants others to be safe than sorry and call for help sooner

Dorothy was so sure something she had eaten had made her unwell that she phoned her daughter and son-in-law to see if they had also felt sick following dinner - but no one answered her early morning phone call.

She continued: "I had a slight tightness in chest - like a slight muscle strain or bruise but it wasn't really significant.

"I was sick several times and decided it must be food poisoning.

"I felt so discombobulated that I couldn’t really think properly and just felt that I shouldn’t feel that horrible even if I had food poisoning and also didn’t feel better after being sick.

"I called the emergency services at 4.43am.

"An ambulance came within about 10 minutes and did an ECG confirming I was having heart attack.

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"I was taken to the Edinburgh Royal where the coronary care team were awaiting my arrival and ready to help.

"The ambulance trip must have taken around 20 minutes but I was barely aware of it - I remember leaving home, getting into the ambulance and going over some speed bumps and a couple of wails of siren and then suddenly being in hospital.

"I was slightly aware of a stent being inserted into an artery on my wrist and being asked to move head to side (as stent was guided around that area).

"I remember hearing voices saying my name and wondering where I was and who was calling me and then getting a fright when I opened my eyes and staff were all looking at me.

"I thought I’d fainted but apparently I had had to have mechanical CPR.

"Again, I have no recollection of having this procedure, I was just suddenly being wheeled into Ward 114, the coronary care recovery unit.

"By 9.30am I was on phone contacting my family to say all was well - I honestly felt fine but a bit tired (as anyone would who had been up since 3.30am)."

Following investigation nurses and doctors at the Royal identified that Dorothy's main artery to the heart had been blocked - a type of heart attack known as an ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most serious type of heart attack that there is.

An STEMI is where there is a long interruption to the blood supply, caused by a total blockage of the coronary artery, which can cause extensive damage to a large area of the heart.

Speaking to Edinburgh Live this afternoon, Dorothy says that she is glad to have made the decision to call 999 and wish she had sooner.

Despite it being just a couple of days following her severe heart attack, Dorothy says that she feels 'honestly fine', like she 'hasn't even had a heart attack' and that the biggest inconvenience are the sticky marks left by where an ECG machine was attached to her.

Now facing a month of 'taking it easy' to recover, Dorothy wants others to be aware of all heart attack symptoms (not just the main ones), telling Edinburgh Live : "My message to others is that when having a heart attack it feels really strange and impossible to think straight and make a decision.

"I pondered about calling 999 for around an hour and was hesitant to do so as didn’t want to be a nuisance.

"I’m so glad I called when I did and wish I’d called sooner.

"The staff at ERI have been beyond excellent and all agree that it is better to be safe than sorry.

"Every aspect of my NHS care has been really fantastic and faultless.

"I was wheeled into recovery about 7.00am, just two hours and fifteen mins after calling ambulance."