|
Evelyn eveysue@hotmail.com age 38 Married to Rick 2 children: Krista, age 21 and Nicole, age 10 one grandchild Christopher |
In March of 2003, our daughter Krista delivered a handsome baby boy. Christopher is the light in every day for me. I always wanted a boy, but after Nicole we decided she would be more than enough. I met my husband Rick at a low point in my life and he was the roots that myself and Krista needed. He is a wonderful father and a very proud grandfather.
About my condition, after many scary episodes of palpitations and shortness of breath, I decided I was gonna go get it checked out. My first EKG was abnormal so they did another one that was also abnormal. I was then put on a 24/7 holter monitor. After my PCP got the results back, he said I should see a cardiologist but being the mom and future grandmom I am, I said okay but we are going to wait till after the baby is born.
My cardiologist appointment was April 25th. Dr. Joni Summitt said we are going to run some tests - first a thallium stress test. So for 2 days I had to drive 3 hours to Mount Pleasant, Michigan by myself because I hadn't told anyone, especially my mom. With the job I had, it was easy to hide. I did inventory for different places around Michigan. I don't really remember all the results except the good part, which was that I had no clogged arteries.
In the process of the appointment I was put on 5mg Altace per day. Next came the echo, which showed an EF of 17%. Dr. Summitt decided I had idiopathic DCM with valve regurgitation. She wanted to know more, so a heart cath was scheduled for June 9th, I was put on Toprol-XL and sent home.
May 13th was my first Club Med trip and because of not knowing everything, they kept me overnight - ewww! I spent the summer of 2003 in and out of Club Med, not really sure if I was having a heart attack or not. In June the results of my heart cath were told to me - my arteries are clear but my left ventricle is only working at 17% and there are a few seconds of reguritation.
I don't think I've ever been so scared in my whole life. I swear at that time fifty million things were running through my head and not, "Am I dying?" but more of "I just became a grandma and what about Nicole, how would she get along without a mom?" By then it was time to tell my whole family except I wasn't completely prepared for all their questions. My mom to this day thinks that I just ate something that didn't agree with me - see why I didn't tell her anything in the beginning?!
My palpitations didn't ease so when at the end of May I went to Dr. Summitt, she suggested I give up my job. That was totally okay by me since I was starting to refuse anything over 4 hours. After a lot of thought, I called up and resigned from my postion. A few months later, hubby and I decided it would be for the best to sell my car, and turn off my cell phone and pager, which only made sense since we were down to one income and I would be at home. Ya know, I was sure that being home all the time would be the hardest thing for me but, it turns out the hardest part was giving up drinking my water. I used to be the type that carried a water bottle with me everywhere I went.
In August Dr. Summitt said I needed to go see a colleague of hers in Lansing, a CHF specialist named Dr. Voice. He immediately took me off Toprol-XL and started me on Coreg and a diuretic. He also upped my Altace to 10mg a day. I lost almost 10 lbs in one week and started feeling a bit better. His idea was to see me for 6 months and return me to Dr. Summitt, my regular cardiologist. He said he didn't see any reason for me to not get compensated in no time, which I found quite unusual, seeing that my EF was so low.
In October, I came down with bronchitus and have had 2 bouts with sinus infections in November and an ear infection in December of 2003. At the end of October of 2003, the doctor wanted me to get up to 25mg of Coreg twice a day but apparently my body didn't agree so after almost 4 weeks I finally got adjusted to it.
At this point the biggest change has come from inside of me. I look at things differently and if God wills, I wake up in the morning and I start by telling myself it's a good day. With this disease, I've been through lots of changes but it has made me remember something I learned in church many years ago, "God doesn't give us more than we can handle" and "That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger."
Sure I've had my bad days, but at least I'm here to have bad days. I'm not always positive about this disease but that too does pass. I try to be strong for my husband and the kids but most of all for myself, because I need it more than they do some days.
I'm looking forward to Spring this year here in ole Michigan so I can again return to some of the things I used to do. I know I won't be able to work my garden like I used to, but a little bit a day is better than not at all. If anyone is interested in sharing stories you can find me at eveysue@hotmail.com. I'm also in Yahoo as rozebud8. Please give me a buzz and we can chat. Take care and God bless and may you be having a good day, Ev.
Evelyn - February 28, 2004
All information on this site is opinion only. All concepts, explanations, trials, and studies have been re-written in plain English and may contain errors. No one here is a doctor. No information on this page should be used by any person to affect their medical, legal, educational, social, or psychological treatment in any way. This web site and all its pages copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Jon C.