American Heart Month raises awareness about cardiovascular disease and the necessity of livesavers, like knowing CPR. In light of this, I want to share my story with heart problems.
It all began at nine days old when doctors heard a murmur, or, as described by Mayo Clinic, “sounds – such as whooshing or swishing – made by rapid, choppy (turbulent) blood flow,” in my heart during my first pediatrician visit. Further testing proved I had a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), which is a hole in the lower chambers of the heart. This hole allows blood to pump into the lungs and not the body. VSDs can raise the lung’s blood pressure and put strain on the heart.
However, my doctors did not take immediate action as they wanted to see if the hole would close on its own. I was given Lasix twice a day which, according to Pediatrics Cardiology Associates of Houston, was used to lower the amount of fluid in my lungs that the blood flow from the VSD caused. This was a scary discovery for my parents as it posed a lot of uncertainty about my future. My doctors eventually decided after a few months that I would need open-heart surgery to close the hole. While unlikely, there was always the possibility of surgical complications that could be fatal for me. Even though the odds were good, my parents still had to deal with the fear that I would experience the rare, worst case scenario and they would lose their only child.
On Jan. 5, 2010, I had my open-heart surgery at WVU Children’s Hospital in Morgantown at the age of 10 months. Before surgery, my mother gave me a Minnie Mouse stuffed animal that I still cherish to this day as it reminds me of all I have overcome. A patch was placed over my VSD to aid in the growth of tissue to seal the hole. I was sedated for two days following surgery to allow my body to recover and to prevent me from pulling out the many tubes and monitors I was attached to, which was upsetting for my parents to see. In time, I awoke without any complications or severe pain and was moving around fairly quickly. I was discharged on Jan. 11 and returned home with parents who were relieved to put my health problems behind us.
I remain free of complications to this day and am forever grateful for the wonderful opportunities my surgery has given me. But my story is only one of thousands that have and continue to happen. There will always be a need for healthcare workers and I appreciate all working and aspiring ones. Without them, my life would likely look very different.
I urge all who are struggling with heart problems to keep fighting as you never know the great life you could have on the other side of it all.
