text: Honey my mom also has emphysema. She started having pain in her arm & shoulder so she went to the E.R. She ended up having to have angioplasty because the pain was being caused by a major blockage in 3 of her coronary arteries. I would not wait. It's better to be safe than sorry. Women experience symptoms of heart related problems differently than men. If she has a serious coronary problem, Thursday may be too late.