I've been married for 19 years to my high school sweetheart and have 5 sons. They are Michael, age18; Matthew, age 16; Mark, age 14; Adam, age 10; and Christopher, age 8. I am a nurse, no longer practicing, and a paralegal.
I was diagnosed 2 years ago after being treated for 2 years for what was thought to be asthma. I was correctly diagnosed after being brought to the Emergency Room in congestive heart failure! I had no clue that I had a serious problem until that night, then it all made sense. The profuse sweating, the "gurgling" that awakened me several times each night, the shortness of breath, exhaustion, inability to climb stairs and almost every other classic sign of heart failure. The chest x-ray showed a large heart and fluid in my lungs. The good part was they gave me Lasix and a K-tab that night. I lost 4 pounds of water in less than 8 hours and could actually breathe. At that point I had an EF of 25%.
The cardiologist I went to the next day gave me 2 weeks on meds and rest to see if I continued to feel better. Since then I've had a cardiac cath and heart biopsy. My EF at that time was 20%. I was placed on medication and participated in a cardiac rehab class. I have echocardiograms about 4 times a year and my meds are adjusted regularly. I stay active, completed classes to get my degree in Business Administration and I work part time. My biggest problem is shortness of breath, which I experience several times a day. They now say I have cardiac asthma and I use an inhaler several times a day. I continue to work. I refuse to let this illness destroy my life. I put my life into God's hands.
| 0.125mg digoxin | Daily |
| 80mg Lasix | Twice a day |
| 20meq K-tab | Twice a day |
| 10mg Vasotec | Twice a day |
| 25mg Metoprolol | Daily |
| Meds for systemic Lupus | |
Marion -- April 13, 1999
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