Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. It means that your heart is not able to pump blood the way it should. It can affect one or both sides of the heart. In my case the left side of my heart was affected. The diagnosis: In February of 2005, I began hurting in my left shoulder, I thought I had pulled a muscle and in the process finding the source of my shoulder pain a chest x-ray revealed I had an enlarged heart. I was refer to a cardiologist which confirmed the diagnosis and I was told I had dilated cardiomyopathy medical term for an enlarged heart. During my visit the doctor said that my heart was damaged by a virus. At the time my ejection fraction was 19% (Ejection Fraction) A measurement of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out with each contraction. A normal heart's ejection fraction may be between 55 and 70. A measurement under 40 may be evidence of heart failure or cardiomyopathy. Therefore I had only had 19% of blood being pumped to the rest of my body.. Symptoms: I can't really said whether I had any symptoms that would have led me to believe that anything was wrong with my heart, I was suffering from fatigue and weight gain. Those are also symptoms of an underactive thyroid which I had been diagnosed with several years before, Other symptoms of heart failure include:
Cough: can be with phlegm or dry
Pain: in the chest
Respiratory: shortness of breath on exercise, shortness of breath at night, fast breathing, or shortness of breath on lying down
Gastrointestinal: bloating or water retention
Whole body: loss of appetite, inability to exercise, dizziness,
Also common: excess urination at night, swollen feet, swollen legs, weight gain, or racing heartbeat. Once I found out that I was in heart failure I began to pay more attention to how I was feeling and noticed I did have several more of the symptoms. Treatment: In the beginning after I was first diagnosed I was started on several medications and that kept my condition from progressing. However over time the medications were not enough to keep my heart stable and in September 2009 it was recommended that I have a ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) I thought only old people had these but I was told it was necessary to prolong my life. An ICD is a battery-powered device placed under the skin that keeps track of your heart rate. Thin wires connect the ICD to your heart. If an abnormal heart rhythm is detected the device will deliver an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat if your heart is beating chaotically and much too fast. The first year after receiving my ICD it mainly paced my heart out of irregular rhythms. However Dec. 31, 2010, that all changed. At 4:30 that morning I received a life saving shock. My ICD showed my heart rate had reached 240 beats a minute. The following year I received 9 additional shocks at various times. The last time my ICD was adjusted and I didn't receive anymore. I continue to work, I couldn't imagine doing anything else. In 2012, I began experience an increase in my symptoms and it was suggested that I quit working. It wasn't until I began falling asleep at work and getting sleepy while driving that I made the decision to quit. With the help of the human resources at work I was able to go on medical leave while applying for disability, Therefore I stopping working at the end of 2012. In Jan of 2013, my cardiologist referred me to Vanderbilt Medical Center to get a new heart. This was a shock for me, even though I knew it was the last treatment for heart failure. I was monitored by the transplant staff at Vanderbilt for the next year, During my appointment in May of 2014, my doctor had told me that I wasn't in an immediate need for a new heart but to be an old women I would have to have one eventually. June of 2014 all of that changed, I was sick and breathing became very difficult. Before getting to the hospital my second ICD that I received in Dec. had shocked me 10 times. After a chest x-ray it was determined that I had pneumonia and I was admitted to the hospital, the following day my condition worsened and they transferred me to ICU and put on a bi-pap machine. From what I understand the pneumonia was life threatening and weakened my heart even more. The following August Vanderbilt decided it was time for me to go through the transplant evaluation to determine if I would be a good candidate for transplant. My evaluation was the following month, I was also presented with the possibility of having the LVAD implanted. LVAD Left ventricle assisted device which is a heart pump). I had expressed the desire to go direct transplant. I was recommended by the committee as a candidate for transplant. Then my name was placed in UNOS at status 2. In Oct 2014, I experienced a spell with a irregular heartbeat that caused by ICD to charge in case a shock was needed. The pacemaker part of the ICD was able to get my heart back to a regular rhythm. This was a cause of alarm that I needed a bridge until a heart became available. I was admitted to the hospital and had a picc line put in for me to receive a continuous IV drug to help with the heart failure. However my body did not tolerate the drug very well and the picc line was removed. While in the hospital to remove the PICC line, my doctors explain to me that my best chance of getting a new heart before my other organs started to fail was the LVAD which is a left ventricle assisted device a heart pump. I had a tentative date for surgery which was the day after Thanksgiving and it was later change to the middle of Dec. However after two additional spells with a irregular heartbeat my surgery date was moved back to the first of Dec. I was in the hospital for 13 days and able to come home to stay a month after surgery. Now my life consist of battery changes, dressing changes and weekly blood test. I have to be constantly hooked up to two power sources at all times. It could be two batteries, one battery and a home power cord or if I am in the car, a battery and car power cord. I have a pack that I wear, which holds my batteries and controller for my pump. The only time I take it off is when I am sitting down or sleeping. It is right beside me then. I can't walk off without it because my driveline that is connected to my pump is plugged into the controller. I can't take showers, baths or go swimming. After having the LVAD implanted I was placed on inactive status for three months on the transplant list to allow my body to heal and then I will be moved to active status 1B. Now the waiting for the new heart begins.
