my poor broken heart

i'm finally getting around to doing a post about my heart.  if you already know all this, i won't feel bad if you don't read it.

i moved in with my parents on april 11th.  all my belongings, except a few things, went into storage.  it was an exhausting day, so i was feeling tired.  my asthma had been bothering me for a couple of days.  i was using my inhaler a lot (i rarely use it anymore).

on april 12th i worked at the store in the morning, and i tried to finish up at my house with cleaning and getting the last few things out in the afternoon.  when i got into bed that night, i was having trouble breathing.  i had to use my inhaler.  i felt a lot of tightness/pressure in my chest when i laid down.  i would sit up and breathe a little easier.  i still thought this was my asthma. my inhaler was not helping, so i finally went to go see if one of my parents was still up.  i thought it would be best to go to the ER and have a breathing treatment.  i didn't know what else to do.

my dad got dressed, and we went to the bellaire emergency clinic.  it's a full service emergency room.  i had taken alex there once.  i told the lady in admitting that i was having an asthma attack.  they took me back right away.  i was weighed and asked a lot of questions.  they listened to my chest.  i didn't quite understand why i wasn't given a breathing treatment right away, but they ordered an x-ray and catscan. the x-ray showed that there was fluid in my lungs.  the doctor said it was my heart, but they would know more after the catscan.

my heart? wtf?  i'm 35 years old.  i don't have a heart issue.

when you're in the ER there is a lot of waiting.  they weren't even busy, but i waited a lot.  they started an IV line.  i got the catscan.  we waited some more.  my dad was pacing a lot.  i was nervous.  finally the doctor came in and said my heart was swollen and there was indeed fluid in my lungs.  he said i was going to a hospital and asked where i wanted to go.  my response?  "The best one."  more waiting for the ambulance.  during that time, i was given a drug called lasix.  it helps get the fluid out.  it causes you to go to the bathroom A LOT.  when given it by IV you start urinating right away and frequently.  it wasnt' fun.

what else wasn't fun?  the ambulance ride.  it was only about 15 min to methodist hospital, but i had to go to the bathroom SO very bad.  i went right before getting in the ambulance, but not too long after being loaded up i had to go again.  i almost didn't make it to the hospital.  i kept telling the lady i didn't want to pee in her ambulance.  long story short, i made it to the hospital and they took me right to the bathroom.

so i was admitted.  i weighed 189 lbs.

i'm not going to make this a super long post by writing a day-by-day recap.  first of all, it would be boring.  i was in the hospital a week.  second of all, i don't remember it all.

they did an echocardiogram which is an ultrasound of the heart.  my heart function was below 20%.  they wanted to do an angiogram so they could see if i had a blockage.  they had to wait to get the fluid off my lungs so i could lay flat.  it took a while to get rid of all that fluid.  i was on the lasix twice a day by IV.  they were finally able to run the test.  i did not have a blockage.  what a relief!  i was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.  my heart was not pumping correctly and was a little enlarged.  that is why my lungs filled up with fluid.

i changed my diet, which was a VERY difficult change.  i cut sodium and watched my calories when i first came home.  i'm a bit more relaxed now about it, but i have not gone back to my old ways of fast food all the time.  it has now become a treat.  i'm on 6 medications for my heart.  i found out the other day that i will be on two of those for the rest of my life.  as my heart goes back to "normal" i will get to stop taking some of the others.

i now weigh under 150 lbs.  i've lost over 40 lbs.  i look good and feel good.  i just need to get some clothes that fit!