In a year that saw her win her fourth national championship as a head coach and bring the first ever women’s basketball title to LSU, perhaps the most impactful thing Kim Mulkey did was visit the doctor.
With the Tigers beginning practices for their first campaign as defending national champs, Mulkey revealed to ESPN that she had a potentially life-saving heart procedure during the offseason.
Mulkey said she had two stents inserted into an artery that was suffering from 95-99% blockage, a discovery that was made after an appointment to address what she classified as a small, nagging issue. That initial appointment and subsequent follow-ups led to the discovery of the blockage.
“I never even felt bad,” Mulkey said. “I’m still kind of in shock that we accidentally found this. So my message in sharing this is, if you're over 50, go get a stress test.
“I’ve had some of my former teammates tell me, ‘We’re going to do it.’ That's why I share these things. I’m an open book if it’s something that can help people. It’s just a great lesson for all of us who think that it won’t happen to us.”
Mulkey’s initial doctor’s visit was to address some tingling in the tip of the middle finger on her left hand. With no other symptoms, she was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, but while there she asked for a scan of her neck to insure a 2018 disc-replacement surgery had no residual ill effects.
That’s when plaque was discovered in her carotid arteries, which led to a visit with a cardiologist.
“He said, let’s put you on the treadmill and do a stress test,” Mulkey said. “Then he said, ‘I don’t like the way this isn’t pumping faster; it looks like there’s a little blockage going on. We’ve got to do a cath.’”
Mulkey received a left heart catheterization with coronary arteriograms, then the insertion of the stents.
“You’re awake for the procedure,” she said. “Then they told me, ‘You were 95-99% blocked in one artery.’ And I said, ‘Doc, why didn't I feel bad in any way?’ He said, ‘You’re what's called an asymptomatic patient. You’re the ones that can die suddenly and drive cardiologists crazy.’
“I asked if I was likely to have had a heart attack without the procedure, and he said, ‘Yes, eventually,’” she continued. “I said, ‘Will I feel any different now?’ and he said, ‘No, because you didn’t have symptoms.’ And I feel fine, just like I did before. But it’s really encouraged me to tell people that if you can, get your heart checked.’”
Mulkey was prescribed a beta blocker, a blood thinner and a cholesterol pill to help keep her arteries clear in the future. She also had her team take CPR training on Tuesday.
With a clean bill of health, Mulkey is prepping LSU for their November 6 season opener in Las Vegas against Colorado.
