If you read the blog entitled "The Heart Truth" you will find information about heart disease in women. You really should read it to see if it may help you or someone you know. Now I should robably explain why it was so important for me, personally, to share this information.
My children were born 6-3-03 and I began to get extremely ill when they were about 3 weeks old. Doctors couldn't figure out what it was until one night I went to the ER because my feet and legs were swollen to 3 times their normal size, I couldn't lay down, and I damn sure couldn't breathe. They did several tests and discovered my lungs were full of fluid and my heart was surrounded by it.
Then several cardiologists came into my room and sasid I have congestive heart failure...I said WTF is THAT???? They said your heart isn't working right we want to do more tests. They did more tests after putting me on lasix (water pills they make you pee A LOT). They discovered my heart was EXTREMELY enlarged and weak. A normal hearts ejection fraction is 55-70%...mine is 15% which they determined after an Echo (echocardiogram which is a sonogram of your heart). Then they did a heart cath and found that my heart was PERFECTLY healthy (no blockage or narrowing of the arteries). AWESOME NEWS!!!!!!!
After everything they did they determined that my heart is the way it is from being pregnant, nothing more. So they put me on what seems like a million meds to try and compensate for what my heart can not do on it's own.
Then they come to me almost 1 year later and say we have been waiting on research to prove that an ICD (Implantble cadiac difibrilator) would do someone with your condition some good...IT CAME THROUGH and it may save your life one day I said DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! So I have had that for a little over 2 years.
My most recent visit to the cardiologist provided some wonderful news. He said my heart sounds better that it has ever sounded before!!!
I wanted to jump up and down. In fact, after I walked out of the office I did. I stood there in the parking lot jumping up and down screaming "THANK YOU GOD THANK YOU" For everything that has happened to me in the last three years could never be completely contained in a blog it may be hard for you to understand why such a simple statement could bring such excitement.
I don't share my story for pity or sympathy, I share my story because maybe some little piece of information may help you or someone you know. And to show that TRULLY Through God all things are possible and it is without a doubt that if He brings you to it He will bring you THROUGH IT!!!
Much Love,
Daddy's Girl
