Unexpected Episode

It was an interesting past week to say the least.  As I already talked about in my previous post, my appointment with my cardiologist went great on Monday. However, on Thursday night, I had an unexpected trip to the Methodist ER. Was this one step forward and two steps back?

I was working Thursday night and was dealing with some dull chest pains, they were pretty constant and it was the point where it was annoying me. I’ve had chest pains in the past; it’s just a typical thing to have. As usual, nitro would most likely solve the problem. That is where problem #1 came into play, I had switched purses that day, and I had accidentally left my nitro in my other purse. I instantly regretted not double checking to make sure I had it; lesson learned!  I had a little over an hour to go in my shift, so I told myself I would get through my shift and see how I felt. I really wasn’t too concerned because I didn’t have any other symptoms.

It was finally 11:00pm and it was time to go. As I was walking out to the parking garage, I starting to feel extremely nauseated and the next thing I knew, I was getting sick. Luckily, I had some Gatorade in my car, so I drank some of that and started to drive home. When I was driving home, I started to have some intense pain in the middle of my back and going up into my neck. At this moment, I started to freak out. All the memories of the heart attack came rushing back. I had to calm myself down and put a plan into action. I’m not going to lie, I drove past the hospital and kept telling myself that these symptoms would go away soon. However, I thought to myself how I’m such an advocate of not ignoring the warning signs and to get checked out, so why was I not listening to my own advice? I turned my car around and headed back to the hospital. I called my parents to let them know what was going on. Hearing my dad on the phone really helped calm me down.

I got to the ER and as soon as I told them my symptoms and my past history, I was rushed back into the room. Prior on getting back into the room, a male nurse brought me a wheelchair, I told him that I could walk, but he insisted that I sit. My stubbornness was kicking in. When I got back to the room, it was filled with 4 nurses and two doctors. Before I knew it, I was hooked up to an EKG and had an IV.  I swear it was within just seconds of getting into the room, and my nurse was an all-star for getting the IV in so quick, it normally takes tries after tries!  As they were doing my vitals and EKG, one of the nurses had commented that I was sweating pretty badly and my blood pressure and heart rate were elevated. This freaked me out even more. Was I really having another heart attack? I had instant tears. Luckily, the EKG showed that everything was fine. This was a huge relief and I was able to calm down. The nurses were extremely comforting and that helped the anxiety levels decrease. They thought that my levels were just elevated because I was nervous and had some anxiety.

The doctor ordered a chest x-ray and some blood work. While I was waiting for the x-ray, another doctor came in and talked to me. She had said she just went over my records and felt that it wasn’t heart related. This was the best news I’d heard all night. However, she wanted to wait for the blood results to come back and talk with my cardiologist. The chest x-ray and blood work were completed, it was just time to wait for the results.  After about 20 minutes after my x-ray, the doctor came back in and said everything came back good, she could completely rule out another heart attack! I was so relieved.

The diagnosis was that I had some inflammation in my chest wall. Back in March, I was diagnosed with acid reflex and the coronary heart disease (CHD). The combination of that and the inflammation was causing the discomfort.  The doctor prescribed me some medication and sent me home. I finally got back to my apartment around 3:00 am and took the medicine and went to bed. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally.

I received a call from my cardiologist’s head nurse the next morning. She was just calling to check up on me and to discuss what had happened. Since I do have CHD, it’s typical that I could have episodes of severe angina (chest pains). I didn’t really realize that I could have episodes, so it was certainly news to me. She told me that the nitro should take care of it. Again, that’s why it’s important to always carry the nitro! It’s a whole new learning experience of how to deal living with CHD. I’m sure it’s going to take some time to learn more information but I’m ready. Hell, if I can fight through a heart attack, I can certainly get through this.

After some sleep and medicine, I felt completely fine. I had to fight the urge of going to the YCMA to work out. I really wanted to do Zumba Friday morning; however, I didn’t think my body would appreciate it. I didn’t need another trip to the ER.

I’d like to give a shout out to the wonderful staff at Methodist, they were awesome. Not only did they help me relax, but they also dismissed one of my biggest fears that I have. I struggled with being the patient who would “cry wolf” every time that I had chest pains. Again, it’s the battle of when to seek help or waiting for it to pass. The nurses and doctors at Methodist praised me for going in and getting checked out. They said that with my previous history, it’s nothing to mess around with. I knew that, but it was refreshing to hear from the medical staff. They had mentioned that they have seen people come in when it’s too late, when the heart is damaged, and it could have simply been avoided if they came in.

It was a pretty stressful and scary time going through that on Thursday. I’m grateful that I did get it checked out and even more grateful that nothing was wrong. I cannot say enough how important it is to not ignore the signs, even if nothing is wrong in the end, it truthfully could be the difference between life and death. If I can put my stubbornness aside and get checked out, everyone else can as well.

Keep on pushing on

Well, I had my appointment with my cardiologist yesterday, and it couldn’t have gone any better. Prior to my appointment, I was pretty nervous. I was confident that everything would be just fine, but then again, why would a healthy 24 year old have a heart attack in the first place. I know that I’ve said that before, but I don’t think that question will ever leave my mind.

Anyways, as I was sitting in the waiting room, I couldn’t help but notice that people were staring at me. At first, I didn’t understand why; however, as I sat there and thought why, it all came to me. Everyone else in that room were well into their 50s or older, and then there was me, a young, 25 year old. I can almost guarantee that they were all wondering what I was doing there. I couldn’t help but smile and chuckle to myself. It brought back memories of cardio rehab program, where every session I had to explain to at least 1 person on what happened.  Yes, I was the youngest cardio rehab patient Methodist hospital had seen.

Finally, after waiting for what seemed like forever, the doctor was able to see me. The first words that he said to me were, “you look healthier, your skin color looks better.” I thought to myself, dang, I must have looked like crap the past year! He sat down and we talked about how I was feeling, what I’ve been doing, and went over the list of medications.

I had explained to him that overall, I was feeling pretty good. I talked about my exercise schedule and my experiences so far, and he was ecstatic! He was so glad and proud that I’d really changed my exercise routine in just one year. He was actually impressed that I was doing the HIIT class (see last posting about that).

He listened to my heart, looked at my readings, and said everything looked good. I did have a higher heart rate then what he wanted, but it didn’t seem to bother him. He said he would see me in another 6 months and to just keep on pushing on. I couldn’t believe it! I was bracing for the worst, but I didn’t even need to have any tests done. I was beyond thrilled, but yet shocked. I was hoping he would start to reduce some of my medications, but I need to remind myself, one step at a time.

As I was driving home from my appointment, I finally realized something. Even though I had been through something very traumatic and one of the worst experiences in my life, I was able to change such a negative situation into something positive. I know that I mentioned this in my last post, but I can officially say, thanks to the doctor, that through hard work and determination, my heart is now stronger!

I can honestly say that this not only has made my heart stronger, but it’s also made me a stronger individual as well.  It opened my eyes to a whole new world, “brighter eyes” as my mom would say. I have learned that ANYONE can turn ANYTHING bad into something good! I’ve also learned that life can change in a blink of an eye, so instead of sitting back and waiting for opportunities to happen, you need to create them yourself. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and go after what you want. Follow your dreams; there is no one that can stop you, but yourself. Even if you’re up against all odds, if you put your mind to overcome it, you can get through anything.

I‘d like to say thank-you to all my friends and family for all of your words of encouragement through this entire process. Thank-you for listening to me when I would go on a rant, giving me hugs when I needed it, a shoulder to cry on, and just being there for me all the time. I really do think that without your text messages, calls, emails, and facebook messages of words of encouragement, I wouldn’t be where I am today. You wouldn’t believe what a simple message of hope would do; it allowed me to find my inner strength to keep on moving forward.

A Long Battle Won

Happy December, everyone! I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by; it just seems to go by faster with each year that I get older. I had a breakthrough moment last week and I want to share the experience with you all. I’m hoping it can provide you with a little inspiration because it certainly has changed my outlook! Happy reading! J

As you all know, I joined the YMCA back during the summer months. I can officially say that it was by far the best decision that I could have made for myself. I’ve been doing the Zumba class regularly, but last Monday, I wanted to try something new, something more intense, I wanted to see if I could handle something more. I forced myself out of bed on Monday morning, put on my workout clothes, grabbed my powerade and headed out the door. The class that I was about to attend was called high intensity interval training (HIIT). Honestly, I didn’t know what I was about to get myself into but I was determined to try something new.

HIIT is an hour long class that is all about speed. It is said that an HIIT workout will lose up to 9 times more fat than a similar cardio workout. The class concentrates on getting faster by triggering muscles in different patterns and speeds. It consists of weights, step aerobics, push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks. I know that some other HIIT workouts will also include sprints, but there isn’t enough room at the YMCA for this particular class.

As the class was getting ready to start, I remember looking around and seeing extremely fit and athletic individuals, and I started to think to myself, umm was I ready for this? I decided to at least try it. The class started and I was doing well and before I knew it, the class was over! I, the girl who had a heart attack a year ago, was FINALLY able to keep up with other people! I had just kicked ass in an HIIT workout! I couldn’t believe it and I was in complete shock! I’m not going to lie, it was intense and there were times that I started to struggle, but I kept at it. It was an awesome experience. Now, a few hours later, I could hardly move, but it was totally worth it. I wasn’t going to let the aches and pains of muscles and joints discourage me.

As I sit here and type this, I can’t help but smile. Yes, I’m bragging about myself. However, I think I’ve earned this ‘moment’. I NEVER in my wildest dreams would have thought I would EVER be able to do such an intense workout and feel so great after it. Just months ago, I couldn’t even keep up with my cardio rehab program. I remember having numerous meltdowns and full of frustrations because I couldn’t do what I wanted to do. But now, that was all in the past. I realized that after months and months of complaining and hating everything about having a heart issue, that my heart was finally strong. I’ve been on several medications since my heart attack, and will likely be on some for the rest of my life, but it just wasn’t the pills that were making my heart stronger, it was also my determination to push myself to become healthier that aided the winning results.

One very important thing that I’ve realized through this entire journey is that if I have the will and determination to overcome something, I certainly can. It may not be easy and at times I will want to throw in the towel, but if I keep fighting through it, I will overcome it.

In one of my most recent posts, I talked about that I have a doctor’s appointment with my cardiologist, which is actually today. I mentioned that I was scared to death because I was afraid that the doctor may find something. But after having my breakthrough moment last week, I no longer have fear about the appointment. Actually, I’m excited to tell my doctor how far that I’ve come.  As I’ve said before, there very well could be tests that need to be done, just to check on things. However, I’m confident that my heart is stronger and everything is fine. Even if there would be something wrong, I’ve already been through a fight, and you better believe I’ll be ready for another!

Even though I’m being extremely positive about my appointment right now, I’m sure I’ll be a little nervous at the appointment, so I ask you all to say a prayer for me today.  

P.S. Below is a most recent picture of my family, they have been my biggest supporters and the ones that I turn to. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I cannot thank you enough, Mom, Dad, Kelly, Angie, and Red. Also a big thanks to Chloe and Cain (Niece & Nephew) for making me smile when I need it the most.

Constant Debate

I’ve had some slight chest pains off and on for the past couple of hours, so I figured this would be the perfect time to blog about my next topic that I’ve been wanting to discuss for a while now; Is this anxiety or is this another heart episode?

I know that I’ve said this before and it’s not easy to admit, but years ago I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder, specifically, panic disorder. I have been on medications and I’m doing really well. I used to have daily anxiety attacks and they were horrible. Now, I can’t remember the last time I actually had one. Basically, panic disorder is just having intense feelings of constant fear and worry. This all can lead to a panic attack, which include symptoms of sweating, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, and hyperventilation. The combination of all of this can cause someone to pass out or even think one is having a heart attack.

Prior to being diagnosed, I would have episodes and the ambulance would be called. I think this happened three or four times. Finally after seeing a doctor, I was diagnosed and was put on medication. I was ashamed and embarrassed of this disorder at first. However, over the years, I’ve learned that I’ve been through a lot to cause this disorder and that it’s okay. I’m human and everyone has problems. Actually, I’m glad that I realized something was going on and I reached out for help. It was just another step in making me a much stronger person.

The day of my heart attack, I had all of the symptoms of a panic attack. Needless to say, that is why I was so hesitate to go to the hospital. I thought for sure it was just another panic attack. However, normally with panic attacks, if you just make yourself calm down and take some deep breaths, it will get better. This wasn’t the case for me on that day. I had other symptoms; my arm and neck were going numb. I knew something more serious was going on.

After I had my heart attack, I had and still have constant fear that I will have another heart attack. I mean I had one at the age of 25 and I was overall relatively healthy. I’ve already had one, I can surely have another. All of this fear lead up to more anxiety, which only caused more panic attacks. I remember days after I was released from the hospital, I had several panic attacks a day and I struggled with it. I would literally make myself believe that I was having another heart attack, because I had such intense chest pains.

Now, the problem was how do I tell if it’s a panic attack or am I having a heart issue? Well, that’s where the magic pill, also known as nitro, comes into play. If I’m ever having chest pains, I will stop whatever I’m doing and take some deep breaths, if the pain continues, I will take a nitro. The rule is that if you take more than 3 nitro (take them 5 minutes apart), you need to get to the ER right away. If the nitro does its job and I feel better, then it’s most likely anxiety related, if it’s not working, then its heart related. I’m a strong believer of this because when I had my heart attack, they EMTs were giving me nitro and nothing was working at all, I was getting no relief. Due to the blockage in my coronary artery, I wasn’t getting relief. The only thing that cleared the blockage was a procedure that was done during my heart catheterization. The doctor simply pushed some medicine through the artery and it cleared up right away.

I’m not going to lie; I’m scared to death whenever I feel the slightest chest pains. All of my heart attack memories come rushing to my mind. Honestly, one of the first things I start do is panic. But as I just discussed, panic attacks can have the exact same symptoms of a heart attack. So it isn’t going to do me any good to freak out. I have to force myself to calm down and refer to my ‘game plan’, which was helped put together by my doctor. If I’m not feeling better after a few minutes, I take a nitro. If it goes away, praise the lord, if it doesn’t, take another. Again, I’m allowed to take three until it’s time to get to the ER.

Even though I have a “game plan” I still question myself, and that is what I’m currently working on now. I’ve got mixed emotions of having chest pains and going to the ER. I do not want to be the patient that goes to the ER with every slightest pain; I guess you could say I don’t want to be the person who cries wolf all the time. On the other side of that, I’m afraid that the one time I don’t go to the ER, is going to be the time that I do have another heart attack. The only way I know how to solve this problem and ease my mind a bit is to talk to my cardiologist about my current game plan. I’m about 80 % sure that it’s what I’m supposed to be doing, but getting his advice would certainly make things better. I also believe that with time, it’ll get easier to distinguish the difference between it as well.

I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! I’m so very blessed to such a supportive family and amazing friends. Without you all, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Thank you all for giving me the strength to continue to push myself to tell my story, even the parts that I’m afraid to admit. The words of encouragement allow me to continue my drive to hopefully help others. Even if I can help 1 person, my goal will be achieved. I ask that you all please do me a favor today, give your loved ones a hug and tell them how important they are to you, because you never know what will happen tomorrow. Love you all.

BTW, the chest pains that I've had at the beginning of this post, I no longer have. I think I just had anxiety for black Friday shopping, I've got to keep up with my sisters and mom, I'm in for a challenge! :)

Reflections

I sincerely apologize to anyone that has been following my blog, I have been terrible about updating it. A lot has happened over the past several months, so I have a lot to share. This post will most likely be a long one, happy reading!

August: Relaxation & 100 days celebration

I was able to take a week of vacation and went back to St. Marys for our annual town festival. I was looking forward to this for a long time! Every year, the friends that I graduated with from high school get together and play in a softball tournament against other teams. This is by far my favorite time of the summer; it’s so much fun catching up with old friends! I was even more excited for this year’s summerfest because it was a time to celebrate with Andy, (fellow heart attack friend). We were celebrating Andy’s 100th day since his heart attack! It was time to realize and be proud of what we both had been through. I know I’ve said this before but no one can truly understand what it’s like unless you’ve had a heart attack. Again, I’m being selfish, but I am glad that Andy is able to go on this journey with me. He has been such a wonderful friend and certainly a blessing.  During that weekend, I did have an episode with chest pains, I had to take a nitro and sit out a couple of the games. I was frustrated and mad but had to make myself realize that I hadn’t picked up a softball bat in over two years and my body just wasn’t used to it. Although I didn’t get to play as much as I wanted to, I was just happy to be there with all of my awesome friends. Andy, on the other hand, was a champ that weekend. He was our star pitcher and you would never have known he had a heart attack.  I’m not going to lie; it was a little emotional watching him!  I of course, had to snap some pictures!



Andy pitching during one of our games.



September-October: Not so fast

Overall, I’ve been pretty healthy, heart wise, over the past several months. I did have another episode in September, but thankfully, I was okay. I’ve been doing zumba for awhile now, it’s an exercise that I find very enjoyable and it’s a wonderful workout. Well during a Thursday night class, I had a new instructor and she was pretty intense. The YMCA changes the schedule every 8-9 weeks, so there are chances that there could be a new instructor. Well, during the middle of the class, I started not feeling good.  The next thing I found myself passed out on the floor. I ended up getting my heart rate too high and my heart just wasn’t ready to handle such an intense workout. I had felt fine after a few minutes and didn’t even need to take a nitro! (big plus). I knew that I had just pushed myself past my limit. Needless to say, this was a good reminder that although I think I may be ready for a more intense workout, my heart is just not up to it yet.

November- Fear & Emotions

Heading into the month of November, I knew that it would be hard, but I didn’t think it would be nearly has hard as it was. I had my heart attack on November 8, 2011, so my one year anniversary was two weeks ago.  Let me tell you something, it was not easy. I was full of emotions (good & bad), flashbacks, and lots of fear and anxiety. The days leading up to the big 1 year were not fun at all. Thankfully, I’ve been seeing my psychologist for awhile and she prepared me with some ways to cope with it. Some of you might be thinking why is Kristy seeing a psychologist? Well, it’s one of the best decisions that I could have ever made and I’m neither ashamed nor embarrassed about it. I had a really rough time after, and still, have a hard time of understanding why I had a heart attack. I’m not going to lie, I’m mad as hell that I had one and that the doctors cannot tell me why I had one. That’s one question that I always want an answer to, but unfortunately, I will never know. I also have a huge fear that I will have another one. Talking to a psychologist really helps me get my feelings out without having the constant fear of being judged on what I’m thinking. If you know me, one thing that you already know is that I’m a very stubborn person (thanks dad and gma katt!) and I hate to bother others with my problems. I will always rely on my parents and sisters for support and can talk to them, but I don’t want to put a burden on them. I know that’s what families are for, and I’m really trying to be able to get over that, but for now, a psychologist is the best person to turn to. She has been simply amazing over the past few months and she sure does pull a lot out of me, but it’s making me realize that I am a stronger person then what I give myself credit for. The meetings are long and emotional but they are really helping. With that being said, I suggested to anyone who has issues with anything and just needs to talk to someone, seek out the help of a counselor! Don’t be ashamed of it, everyone has problems and fears.

November 8, 2012- The big day

So the big one year anniversary came, that day was filled with tears, anger, but also lots of laughter. I really leaned on my family and friends that day, and thank the lord for that. I’m pretty sure I called my mom and dad a couple of times that day, and the day before and after, and just cried on the phone. And you know what they did? They just listened and that is exactly what I needed. But again, I think the hero of that day for me was Andy. God bless him for putting up with my numerous txt messages, which ranged from anger to laughter. I turned to him the most because I knew he would understand EXACTLY what I was feeling and I wasn’t fighting the battle alone. He had turned that day that was filled with tears of sadness and anger into tears of joy and laughter! I saved those text messages from that day because I know that I can go to look at them when I need to laugh. One of my favorite text messages stated, “Best thing about having heart issues, we are told to have red wine, red wine makes me feel so fine.” He turned a negative into a positive, and who doesn’t love some wine J Oh another part of the conversations that day (some were on facebook) was we were arguing  that I may have been the youngest heart attack survivor that many people know, but was I, or Andy, the cutest?! It was the little comments like that which helped cheer me up and realize that I’d survived a year of emotions and I knew I’d be alright. Andy, I know that you are most likely reading this, and I’ve said this over and over, but I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there for me when I needed it. You’ve been my hero and I’ll always be thankful for you. I hope that on your one year anniversary that I can help you out as much as you helped me.

MY Celebration

I wanted to give myself some kind of “celebration” for my one year, a little reward to myself for making it through a year of ups and downs. I decided to splurge on something that I hadn’t had in a long time, I decided to stop by the Cheesecake Factory and pick up a slice of the Oreo cake, and was it delicious! I think this may just to become a tradition for me; a treat that I can always look forward to year after year.

My celebration-- Oreo cheesecake!

                                              

December: Anticipation, Hope, & Courage

I have a big day coming up; I have my yearly checkup on Monday, December 3. Again, I’m scared to death but also anxious at the same time. I’m sure that I’m going to have numerous tests done. I’m anxious to see if my heart is continuing to heal and hopeful that some of my medications will be dismissed. But I’m also scared that something will be wrong. (Yes, I’m just most likely making myself scared over nothing, but that’s the fear that comes along with having a heart attack). So, I ask you all to say a prayer for me that day that I will have good news. I will keep you all updated.

I’m sorry that this post is so long, but I wanted to give an update on what’s been going on over the past few months. There is a topic that I haven’t discussed, which is anxiety Vs. chest pains. That’s consumed a lot of my life lately as well, that will be talked about on my next post.

I am STRONG!

Wow! I cannot believe it’s already August 1. Where has this summer gone? I’m so beyond that the month of July is over! It was one very long and stressful month to say the least; school and work consumed my life; the reason why I haven’t blogged much lately. I finished up my second class of graduate school and so grateful to be done with the risk analysis course! It was a great course but pretty intense. I’m excited for the month of August and welcomed it with arms wide-open. I’ve have vacation, bridal shower, bachelorette party, and a wedding this month. Very busy but all fun! J

As I was getting ready for work today, I caught myself looking in the mirror and asking myself, “Who is this girl”?  Yes, I know this is a weird question to ask myself, but it sure did make me smile. At that moment, I had a flashback on everything that has happened to me. I thought to myself, damn, I’ve been through a whole lot of crap for being only 25 years old. But, I’ve been able to push myself to get through everything and I sure have become a much stronger person. Honestly, I think this moment was the first time that I realized I am a strong person. I’ve had many people tell me that I was, but this was the first time I actually believed it; it felt amazing.

I know that I’ve said this before and I’m actually still amazed that I can say it again; the hardest moments of my life are now becoming my strongest and rewarding moments. I say this because the heart attack has certainly changed me for the better. I have a totally new outlook on life and I’m becoming a much happier and healthier person.

 Prior to the heart attack, I ate whatever I wanted, I didn’t exercise a whole lot, and I didn’t care to just sit around on my days off. That has totally changed. I joined the YMCA about 2 months ago, and I’ve been trying to go 2-3 times a week. It has been harder with the month of July, but I found time to go. I’ve fell in love with Zumba! I mean who doesn’t like to shake their booty and get a good workout at the same time? I may look like a fool when I’m doing it, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Plus, I’m learning some new dance moves and meeting some great people. My diet has changed significantly, I still to this day, have not added salt to my food. This is HUGE for me because I used to put salt on EVERYTHING. I’ve also noticed myself not really caring for fried food much. Wow. I cannot believe I just said that, but it’s true. I used to be a huge fan of chicken fingers and french fries, and now, I can’t recall the last time I had chicken fingers. I have had fries lately, but I haven’t been eating very many of them, they just don’t taste as good as they used to, I suppose it’s because that I don’t need all of that salt! I also eat a whole lot more veggies and fruit. Changing my diet and exercising has been very rewarding, not only for making my heart healthy, but also my weight loss! My weight continues to decrease and I’m fitting into clothes that I haven’t been able to wear for years. It feels fantastic! I’ve dropped 4 dress sizes in just one year – just with my change in diet and exercise.

One of the biggest improvements that I’ve seen in myself and my family has actually told me as well, I’m a much happier person. I think this is because I’ve got a new attitude on life. I don’t want to waste a single day of my life, I want to enjoy every moment of it. Yes, I do have bad days, but everyone does. Also, I remind myself that tomorrow is a new day and a new start. Before my heart attack, I wouldn’t mind spending my days off of work sitting on the couch watching movies all day, but that has changed as well. Now, on my days off I always want to do something, even if it’s just walking around at the mall or laying out by the pool. I don’t like the idea of wasting away a day on the couch. Now, I’m not going to say there won’t be days where I just crash all day on my couch watching lifetime movie network, because I know that I’ll have some of those in my future, it just won’t be every weekend.

As I type this, I have tears running down my face. I am so proud of myself for standing strong after the hell I’ve been through. People say God only gives you want you can handle, well, I’m starting to believe that now.

One thing leads to another

It has been a very busy past few weeks and life isn’t looking to slow down anytime soon. I’ve been busy with work, school, and planning a bridal shower and bachelorette party.

Although I’ve had a lot of fun the past few weeks, I also had a streak of bad luck and ended up in the emergency room three times, hospital stay, and doctors office numerous times.

My last post I mentioned that I had attended a cycling class at the YMCA and ended up having an episode with my heart. Well, it ended up being more than just a heart issue that day. Yes, my heart was okay after resting and taking my nitro; however, I ended up with a muscle injury!

A few days after the class, I could hardly move! I was incredibly sore and just thought that I had pushed myself past my limits. Saturday morning came and I was in a lot of pain and had swelling in my leg. I had talked to my parents that morning and they advised me that I should probably go to the ER to get it checked out, to make sure I didn’t have a blood clot. I didn’t even think about the possibility of a blood clot and it scared me enough where I was going to put my stubbornness to rest and get it checked out. After an EKG, blood tests, and an ultra sound on my leg, the results showed that I didn’t have a blood clot (thank the lord) but I had torn my quad muscle. The doctor gave me some pain medication and told me to rest the next few days and I was out the door. The doctor had mentioned that the blood work did show that my muscle enzymes were elevated and this was most likely due to the torn quad muscle.

The next day, (Sunday) my parents came to visit. Since I couldn’t do a whole lot of walking, we decided to stay at my apartment and just hang out. I really enjoyed this! I hadn’t seen my parents in almost 2 months so it was nice to see them.

Early Monday morning, I woke up covered in sweat, pulse racing, chest pains, and I started to vomit. I wasn’t getting any better so I decided to go to the ER. I went to the Indiana Heart hospital (they were the closest hospital) and was rushed into a room right away. They started an IV, took some blood, did and EKG, and an X-ray, all within the first 30 minutes. The results came back that I was not having a heart attack and that my heart looked good, again, I was very much grateful. There was a problem though; my blood work showed my CPK (Creatine phosphokinase) enzyme levels were dangerously high. The doctor said normal levels were around 225 or less and mine were well over 18,000! The first question the doctor asked was if I was on any cholesterol medication, and I was. He ordered me to stop taking it right away. He said that I needed to get the enzymes down ASAP so they wouldn’t cause damage to my kidneys; resulting in another stay in the hospital. For the next 24 hours, I was hooked up to an IV with fluids to flush everything out. I was also on a heart monitor, just as a precaution. I’m getting used to what I’ll continue to go through if I ever ended up in the ER or hospital stay: Heart monitors, EKGS, blood work, and x-rays. I’m pretty sure this is a standard. Blood work was run on Tuesday morning, and it showed the enzymes were coming down and my heart continued to look good, so the doctor released me. The official diagnosis was called, Rhabdomyolysis.

I returned to work on Wednesday evening (4^th of July) and was starting to feel miserable again. I had really bad body aches, vomiting, and I started to have some blood in my urine. So I was off to the ER again. I was hooked up to an IV and was flushed with saline again. I had some more blood work done and an ultra sound on my abdomen and pelvis. (The doctor had pushed around on that area and I was in a lot of pain). The doctor thought I had kidney stones; however, the test came back negative for that. I was diagnosed with a UTI and also kidney infection. I was put on an antibiotic, nausea medicine, and was told to have a check-up with my doctor Thursday morning. I did ask what my CPK values were and they were continuing to drop, that was a good sign.

I continued to vomit throughout the night and felt horrible. I called my doctor and went in for an appointment. I usually see Suzy, a nurse practitioner, but she was out of the office, so I was scheduled to see another doctor. He decided to do more blood work and told me to return for another appointment on Friday. The blood tests came back that my CPK values were still dropping, but my kidney levels were still high. He prescribed me more nausea medicine. I hadn’t been able to keep any food/water down since Tuesday, so I was pretty dehydrated and that could cause more problems.

Friday morning came, and I wasn’t any better; I had actually felt worse. I must have looked pretty bad because the nurses all commented on how miserable I looked. (Gee thanks!). Suzy was back so I met with her. She was looking over all of my test results and said she was concerned that my liver enzymes were elevated.  She was stunned. My liver and kidney enzymes were elevated, what was going on? She pressed on my liver and it hurt like hell; I immediately started to cry. She then called in another doctor into the room to discuss what to do. They both decided to run more blood work. She put me on more pain medication and another antibiotic. That afternoon the results showed that all my levels were continuing to drop, all a good sign. At this point, since my levels were dropping, Suzy decided to NOT admit me to the hospital and ordered me off work through Sunday and told me to rest. She also said that if anything got worse, to go to the ER immediately.

I slept the rest of Friday and all of Saturday. I was actually able to start to keep food and water down! By Sunday, I was feeling a lot better and was even able to venture down to the mall to get out of the apartment for awhile. I was so thankful that all of the medications were kicking in and I was well on my way to recovery.

Suzy called me on Monday and she was incredibly happy that I was feeling much better. She said that I must have had a virus that was attacking my liver and kidneys.

To sum it all up, that entire week was rough! Not only did I have a reaction to my cholesterol medication, which caused the muscle and chest pains, but I also had a viral infection. It was one thing after another.

Through all of the horror I went through that week, I learned a valuable lesson: Do NOT push myself over the limits. If I hadn’t of been so stubborn in cycling class and wanting to keep up with others, then I wouldn’t of tore my quad muscle; I wouldn’t of had the worry of a blood clot.

I’m happy to report that I have returned to exercising. I have fell in love with water aerobics and Zumba! I will not attempt a cycling class for a very long time. I’ve learned that I need to take my time and everything will fall into place. There shouldn’t be a rush to get back to 100% because I could end up causing more harm than good on trying to achieve that goal so quickly.

Bump in the road

I woke up this morning feeling very excited and energetic, as I was going to participate in my first YMCA class. I had looked over the schedule and decided to try out “Group Cycling Pump” class, which is not only a cycling class, but also focuses on muscle strengthening routines. I would be able to get both my cardiovascular and strength workouts done in one workout. I put on my workout clothes, laced up my shoes, grabbed my nitro, and was out the door.

This was my very first cycling class so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. My instructor, Jamie, explained to me how to set up the bike and what we would be doing throughout the hour long session. It was a pretty full class, consisting of mostly young female adults and one male adult. As I was looking around, I had a feeling I was going to be in trouble because everyone was really athletic looking, and then there was me, who had never done this class before and hadn’t exercised in awhile. However, I convinced myself that I would be just fine and would rock this class.

The class started and it was intense right off the start; within just a few minutes, I was already starting to feel the burn. I could feel my heart start to race and knew this wasn’t going to be as easy as I had previously thought. Again, I’m a very stubborn person and kept telling myself to keep on pushing through it.

After about 15 minutes, it was time to get off of the bike and do some strength training. I grabbed some weights and started doing some squats. At this point, I was already starting to feel weak. I was looking around the room and everyone else looked great and was going strong. With this being said, how could I be so tired so quickly? I didn’t want to look like a wimp, so I convinced myself to keep pushing through it. After a few more minutes, it was time to head back to the bike (the idea of the class is to keep switching from the bike to weights).

As I was walking back to the bike, I could really feel my heart pounding, pulse racing, and was getting slightly dizzy. This is the point when I knew I had to start to slow down. I walked over to my instructor and had informed her that I needed to slow down because I had a heart attack last November and wasn’t feeling the greatest. She looked at me stunned and said, “Yes, you defiantly need to slow down! You should have told me before the class started; I would have modified your routine.” I wasn’t happy about her response; I didn’t want to be treated differently just because I have a heart condition. The only reason I was telling her was because I was just going to slow my pace down.

I returned to my bike and started to work out again. After talking with the instructor, I began to feel a lot of anger; I wanted to work out just as hard as everyone else was. Well, when I get angry, I tend to work out harder and faster. I started to pedal faster and faster, and this is when everything went downhill. Suddenly I had some severe chest pain, heart was racing, and I was really starting to get dizzy. I knew that I had overdone it. I stopped, got off my bike, and grabbed my purse. I needed my nitro. I needed to get everything back under control. I was embarrassed enough, I didn’t need to cause a bigger scene by passing out. I took one pill and thankfully, it relieved the pain and I was starting to feel better. The instructor came over and asked if I was okay, I told her I was fine and that I was just embarrassed and frustrated. I packed up my stuff and headed back to my apartment.

On the drive home I had an emotional breakdown. I was mad, frustrated, and full of anxiety. I wanted to be like everyone else and be able to do the full workout. I had a dose of reality, I had a heart attack and my heart just wasn’t up to the strength yet to do such an intense workout. I was mad about this.

I decided to text Andy and let him know what was going on because I knew he would understand my frustrations.  I’m so very thankful that I decided to do that because he was able to turn my tears into a smile.  Also, Maggie (Andy’s GF) had texted me to make sure I was okay and she was also able to put a smile back on my face as well. I had also talked to my dad and he reassured me that I would be able to get back to full strength; it was just going to take some time. It’s one step at a time. I’m so very grateful that I have the support from some pretty kick-ass friends and family.

I think the big lesson that I learned today was that I need to keep reminding myself that my heart just needs some extra time to get built back up. I shouldn’t expect myself to be able to do everything everyone does; I need to do what I can do without overdoing it. Also, I’m so very glad that I had my nitro on me! It most likely saved a trip to the emergency room.

I know that there will probably be more days like this in the future, where I get a dose of reality of what happened and where I’ve been. However, I also know that I have some great people to lean on and I know that I’ll continue to push myself to get through everything. I know that with some hard work and dedication, I will kick butt in the cycling class; it’s just going to take some time and patience. The motto during cardio rehab was, “The strength it takes,” and well I’m going to live by that motto and prove to myself that I’ve got it.

Brighter Eyes

My mom told me something a few weeks ago and it has stuck with me ever since, she said, “You are looking at the world with much brighter eyes these days and is so good to see”. Through this post, I’m going to explain what she meant by it, well through my perspective anyways.

When the doctor came in and told me that I had a heart attack, I was in complete shock. During the hospital stay and even months after, I was full of emotions: anger, sadness, anxiety, fear, and frustration. I couldn’t understand why I had the heart attack and I was pretty upset that the doctors couldn’t give me a reason to as why I had one. I’m not going to lie; it was a very long couple of months. I tried to put on my ‘brave face’ but I was scared and sad. I had actually gone into depression. I was isolating myself from everyone and just didn’t care about life anymore. It continued to get worse, especially after the second hospital stay, when I was diagnosed with the coronary artery disease.

Finally, I got to the point where I told myself that I had only two options. First, I could remain depressed and sad and continue down the miserable road. Or, I could do something about it. Well, I chose to do the second option; I was going to do something about it. That is when I decided to start blogging. I wanted to get my story out, in hopes of bringing attention to the issues regarding your heart. I wanted others to know that if I had a heart attack at the age of 24, it can happen to anyone, regardless of your age or medical history.

I never ever thought that in my wildest dreams I would ever say what I’m about to say, “The heart attack has become one of the biggest blessings in my life.”  WHAT? Yes, it’s true. I say this because there have been so many positive things that have came out of this. There are many reasons and I will explain each of them; however, the biggest one is I found that I am a much stronger person then I ever thought I was. Years ago, I had another traumatic event in my life and I got through it. I had my heart attack, I got through it. Hell, I have a lot of strength and courage if I can get through all of that! There is nothing that can stop me; I was born a fighter (premature baby) and I will always be a fighter.

I decided that I was going to start watching what I was eating and I was going to start exercising more. I knew that by doing these things, it would help lower the risk of another heart attack. I’m very proud to say that I haven’t added salt to any of my foods since the heart attack! That’s a HUGE accomplishment for me because I used to add salt to everything. I also have cut out junk foods. Okay, yes, I splurge every once in awhile, but there has been a significant change from what I used to eat. I have also started exercising. I recently joined the YMCA and have signed up with a wellness coach. She is awesome and kicks my butt. I’m also taking some of the classes that they have to offer. I’m pretty excited to start taking cardio hip-hop, zumba, and strength training. Just by watching what I eat, I’m proud to say that I have lost 25 plus pounds since my heart attack! And let me tell you, there is nothing more rewarding then going to try on a bridesmaids dress and realizing that I’ve went down 3 sizes! I’m also starting to fit into a bunch of my old clothes and that’s exciting as well.

Another thing I realized that is you only live once and you have to live life to the fullest. I’ve started trying and doing more things. For example, I actually tried sushi for the first time a few weeks ago. I never would have done that before! It was actually pretty good and something that I would try again. I’ve also started a “bucket list”.  Some of the things that I want to do is go sky diving, swim with the dolphins, go to Australia, and run in a mini marathon.

I think that the most rewarding part of this journey is that I’m helping others and that feels so good. I never ever thought that just by telling my story, I could make a positive impact on the lives of others. I have the privilege of working with the American Heart Association and I’m beyond excited and thrilled to take part in such an awesome organization.

Through this journey, I’m finding myself to be a much happier and stronger person and just loving life in general. My mom was right; I certainly am looking at the world with “brighter eyes”.

One small bottle is one big reminder

I’ve been trying to figure out what I’ve wanted to discuss next in my blog and I keep coming back to one topic,” One small bottle is one big reminder.”  This isn’t easy for to me to discuss, but I’m starting to realize that if I talk about things, I’m becoming a stronger person and able to put the fear behind me.

I’m not going to lie, I wake up with fear everyday that I’m going to have another heart attack, and maybe I won’t be as lucky as I was the last time. That is by far my biggest fear and to be honest, that fear controlled my life from the moment I had my heart attack. When I was released from the hospital, I told myself that everything was going to be fine; I would put a smile on my face and not look back. Yes, I’m a stubborn girl, and I wasn’t about to let others see that I was really scared. After my heart attack, I went back to my parents’ house to continue to recover. I can remember I kept telling them that I would be fine to stay in Indy, but deep down I knew that I needed to be with my family. I have an incredible, loving, and supporting family, and there is nothing more comforting then being around them.  I was exhausted when I was released, so I spent the first few days catching up on sleep. During this time, I was also with my family pretty much the entire time. Well the new work week came and my parents had to return to work and I was by myself; this is when the battle of courageous Kristy vs. heart attack fear started.  

There were several times during that week that I completely broke down and was frozen with fear. I had called my parents several times a day, just crying and kept telling them I was afraid. The heart attack fear was winning the battle.  God bless my parents for being my rock during this whole process, they were there calming me down and telling me I was going to be okay.  I know you’re reading this mom and please show dad, I cannot say thank-you enough. Also, my sisters were beyond supportive as well. I tell you what, I have the best damn family in the world.  

After my recovery, it was time for me to head back to Indianapolis and get back to work. The family all came back with me that day and it wasn’t easy when they left.  But me being stubborn, I put on a smile and gave them a hug and they were on their way back to Ohio. The minute I shut that door, realized I was by myself, I instantly broke down. How could I be okay by myself? There wasn’t the comfort of my parents being in the next room, they were now 2 hours away. I can remember telling myself, “Kristy, you’re going to be just fine and stop the crying.” Be courageous.

I started back with work and kept myself busy over the next several months with cardio rehab. I thought everything was okay, until I noticed my anxiety had increased significantly and I started to have nightmares. I finally convinced myself that the fear of the heart attack was actually starting to control my life. How did I let it get this far? Oh yes, it’s my stubbornness again. I realized that I needed someone to talk to, not my parents, not my sisters, not my friends, I needed to see a psychologist. That decision was probably the best decision I could have made. I’ve been seeing a fantastic psychologist for about a month now, and she is simply wonderful. She’s helping me with my fear of having another attack. The appointments are not easy and they are exhausting, but I’ve really started to see a change in myself. Before I started see her, I was full of anxiety, fear, sadness, and all around just not ‘myself’. Now, I feel like I’m becoming myself again; I’m much happier, anxiety has decreased, sadness has disappeared, and I’m learning to take control of the fear. The fear will not control me.

In my last post, I’ve wrote about having to carry around ‘nitro’ and how, Andy, and I were able to joke about it. I’m sure most of you know that after you have a heart attack, your expected to carry nitro with you at all times. At first, I carried it with me; however, that changed.  The nitro tablets are very small and they come in a very small bottle, which is then placed into a bigger bottle. I would carry it in my purse and then I took it out one day and didn’t put it back in. This is where the fear part comes in, again. After talking with my doctor, I had realized that the reason I didn’t carry the nitro with me was because it was a reminder to me that I did have a heart attack. It may sound dumb but if I didn’t have it with me, I couldn’t see it, so I wouldn’t think about my heart attack. It’s that plain and simple. So you may be wondering why I actually carried it with me when I attended my friends wedding a few weeks ago. Well, I did carry it because I knew that Andy had to carry it as well. That gave me courage. If he had to carry it then I would as well. That weekend was miraculous to me. With all the joking that we did with regards to the nitro, it actually gave me the courage to face the fear of the little bottle and carry it with me now. So what I have to carry it with me? Who cares? I’ve realized that if something would happen again and I didn’t have that little bottle, there could be more problems. Also, you’re only cool if you have to carry nitro. Okay, only Andy would understand that, as we are the HBK’s. (Heart break kids). In all joking aside, I’m learning that it’s okay to have fear, but only if I control the fear.

"Need to laugh moment"

A heart attack is a very serious issue and something not to joke about; however, there comes a time where you need to be able to relax and just talk about it without fear. I had this moment last weekend, and to be honest, it felt so good to just talk about it and actually have a few laughs from it. It was my “need to laugh” moment and it was great and I’ll share that experience with you all.

I mentioned before that one of my good friends, Andy, had a heart attack about a month ago. He went through the same thing that I went through; however, he actually had a stent put in. He’s doing great and will continue to recover just fine. Last weekend, I went back to St. Marys for the weekend and went to a friend’s wedding. The wedding and reception was in Columbus, OH, so I tagged along with Andy, his girlfriend Maggie, Kylie, and Paul. During the car ride to Columbus, Andy and I talked about our experiences with the heart attack. We were kind of “comparing” our stories. I know I’ve said this before and I want to say it again, I sincerely appreciate EVERYONE for their concern, thoughts, and prayers during my heart attack. I LOVE that everyone is so caring; it means the world to me. But having another person, who went through the same thing that I did, is selfishly, totally awesome (I certainly wish it wasn’t due to a heart attack and wouldn’t wish it on anyone). I say this because Andy knows exactly the feelings that I’m going and have went through. It’s incredibly nice to have someone to talk to about this, knowing that he went through it as well.

As we continued to Columbus, we started to talk about medications, and this is when the laughter started. We were comparing medications and that we each now had “pill packs” to keep our all of our medications organized. We talked about how we had to carry nitro with us 24/7…now, this is where it really got funny. But I tell you what, it felt so good to laugh. Everyone started joking about who would get out the nitro if someone needed it. It may not seem as funny to everyone reading this, but it was so funny.

Also, Andy and I kept referring to us as the “HBK’s” – heart break kids and that got a lot of people to laugh as well. Prior to going to the reception, Maggie, (bless her heart for putting up with Andy! Jk!) made sure that we took our medications before the night started. Again, we got a good laugh about that as well, as we had a ‘pill party’ before the reception.

I never thought I would be able to joke with others about what happened, but I’m so glad that I had that opportunity to do that with some awesome friends. Through all the tears, fear, and emotional stress, I was actually able to put a smile to my face, with regards to the heart attack, and I’ll always be thankful for that.  Actually, it was almost a sense of ‘normalcy’ being around Andy, because he was doing exactly what I was doing and having the same emotions that I had. With that being said, Andy, I thank you very much making me smile and able to put some laughter into all of this.

I know as I continue through this journey, I’m probably going to have some more struggles and fear; however, I know that it will pass, and a smile will return to my face. I know this because it’s happened before, but with support from my family and friends, I’ll push through it all again. *Strength it takes*

Heart Attack Survivors!

Not again..

Wow! It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged and there’s a lot of information that I want to share. So where shall I begin? I think I’ll share my second heart episode that I had this past April. Once again, I was at work and was experiencing some severe chest pain. I didn’t know what to think.  To be honest, ever since my heart attack last November, I’ve had an increased issue with anxiety, due to the fear of having another heart attack.  I was having some difficulty trying to determine if I was just having an anxiety attack or was it another heart attack.  The chest pains started around 8:00 am and continued for the next hour. I was heading to a staff meeting and was hoping that the pain would ease up. It did not. I went back to my desk and grabbed my nitro and went back to the meeting. I took 3-4 nitro pills and the pain was actually getting worse.  One of my coworkers, who was sitting beside me, knew that something wasn’t right and I told her to call 911. She got up and left the meeting and I walked out as well. The medics arrived and gave me some more nitro, oxygen, and did an EKG, all while I was sitting in the EOC (Emergency Operations Center). They told me that my EKG looked okay but I would be going to the hospital.  By this time, my anxiety was uncontrollable, because I couldn’t believe I was going through this a second time. The medics tried to calm me down, but I was pretty freaked out.  They took me out to the ambulance, where we sat there for what seemed like forever. They were trying to get an IV started, but I have tiny veins, and after several attempts, they decided it would be better to get me to the hospital then to keep trying. The entire way there, I was giving them all my medical history, etc. It turns out that 2 of the 4 paramedics that came, were actually with me during the last heart episode. I explained to them that I did actually have a heart attack and they were in disbelief.

After I arrived at the hospital, I was surrounded by numerous doctors and nurses. It was all too familiar for me, and I was really starting to freak out even more. I had a heart monitor on and an IV started with just a few seconds after arriving. They had told me that my cardiologist was going to be notified that I was in the ER and he would be down shortly. I was in a lot of pain, so I was finally able to get some pain medication. The head doctor came in and said that my EKG looked good so they were unsure of what was going on. A few minutes later, a nurse came in and said that I was going to have another  catheterization  done. I questioned her on why they were going to do that, since my EKG looked okay, she said that since I had a heart attack, they always follow this procedure. I had asked her if I was going to be admitted and she said that I would be for sure. At that point, I knew that I had needed to call my parents and let them know what was going on. Just like last time, my mom wasn’t in St. Marys and it would be a while before they would arrive. I assured them that I was going to be okay, I was just scared. They said they would be on the road ASAP.

My cardiologist met me in the cath lab and started the procedure. The last time I had this done, I fell asleep.  This was certainly not the case this time, I was wide awake. When they started the cath (which was done through my wrist) I could feel it and screamed in pain. The doctor ordered some more morphine and some relaxing medications.  The meds helped and I was able to calm down and they were able to continue with the procedure. The doctor said that everything had looked good and was actually healing nicely.

I don’t remember much after the cath was done, due to all the medication. I know that my parents arrived and we were waiting for a room to open up. I spent the next few days in the hospital, on the heart floor, being monitored and trying to figure out what was going on. The entire hospital stay is pretty much a blur to me because I was on so much pain medication. I was also on anxiety medications. I was having a really hard time understanding what was going on because I was having pain but it wasn’t my heart. The doctor ordered several more tests.  I was finally dismissed from the hospital Thursday night. I ended up being diagnosed with inflammation in my chest wall cavity, inflammation on my stomach lining, and a hiatal hernia in my esophagus. All of those combined together created the severe chest pains. I was given more medication and that eventually solved the problem.  Several weeks later, I was also diagnosed with coronary artery disease.

It’s now June 8, and it’s been 7 months since my heart attack. I still struggle on what I’ve been through and I think I always will. However, one thing that I have learned through all of this is that you cannot take life for granted. I’ve also learned that I cannot live each day with the fear of having another heart attack, because that’s only going to cause more anxiety and panic. I need to relax and enjoy life and what it has to offer me. I’ve also found a lot of strength in myself that I never knew I had. I survived a heart attack, I can survive whatever else life will throw at me.  

Lesson to be learned: Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence, and face your future without fear.

The strength it takes..

While I was in the hospital, I had a visit from a therapist from the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit.  He went what the program had to offer me and I was very interested and signed up. I was scheduled to start the program a few weeks after a few weeks of more recovery time.

The cardiac rehab would not only allow me to improve my health through exercising, but it also had a lot more benefits, which included the following: increased my overall knowledge of my heart (how it works, blood vessels, the parts of the heart, etc), improved my blood pressure, weight loss, and provided a great support group and kept me motivated to make important lifestyle changes. All of these things would allow me to decrease the risk of future cardiovascular problems.

The program consisted of an hour class 3 days a week. There wasn’t a specific timeframe of when the program is completed, it’s all based on your recovery speed. The hour long class was split up into three different sections: walk on treadmill for 30 minutes, use the NuStep for 15 minutes, and then weights for 15 minutes. Like all exercising, it’s important to warm up and cool down, so that was also incorporated into the routine as well.  Also, there was an actual educational class on Wednesdays. The class was only 30 minutes long, but we talked about all issues about the heart. I had the privilege to sit down and talk with a nutritionist and also a pharmacist. I was astonished of all the information that I learned through the program. It was incredible!

Before every workout session, I had to get hooked up to a cardiac monitor. This was known as an ECG (electrocardiography). This monitor traces the heart’s electrical activity at rest and during exercise. The abnormalities during the exercise may indicate something is going on with the heart. I went through countless sessions, and I still do not know how to read it the results on the monitor. Blood pressure and heart rate was also taken before and after the exercise.

There were several TVs on the walls, so while working out, I was able to watch TV. Also, there was a screen that showed my heart monitor, so the nurses and therapists were tracking it closely.

I can remember the first day of rehab, afterwards I was so tired. I didn’t realize how weak I’d become since the heart attack. I was on the treadmill and walking a very slow speed, no incline, and I was so tired. I experienced some chest pain, so I had to slow down my pace even more. I was so angry at myself for not being able to do what I wanted to do, but I had to remind myself, it’s one step at a time.

The cardiac program was a struggle for me, there were several session that I was experiencing severe chest pain. After talking with my cardiologist, he had ordered me to stop the program and have a stress test done. I was pretty freaked out again. I was scared to find out what was going on, but I had a lot of trust in my doctors and knew they would do what’s best for me. I had my stress test done and it showed that the area surrounding the damaged part of my heart was still pretty irritated. The doctor put me on some more medication and said to give it some more time to heal. Praise the lord that’s all it was!

About 2 months later, I was allowed to return to the program. To my surprise, I found the program to be a whole lot easier than what it had been before. I just needed some more time to heal. I had increased my speed and incline and was feeling great. Again, I’m stubborn, and the therapists and nurses wouldn’t allow me to go as fast as I wanted. I had to keep my heart rate under a certain level, and this made me mad, but I got over and pretty quick because I knew that I had to listen to them. They weren’t going to budge. They would be just as stubborn as I was.

During one of my last classes, I had a pretty good scare. I was working out and feeling great. I usually attended the 4-5 classes on MWF, but I had Friday off and I went to the 11:00 class. There was another lady in the class, who was also pretty young. Through talking, I found out that she was a roller derby girl. Well, during weights she wanted to try out some different exercises, and I thought well heck if she can do it, then I certainly can. WRONG! After we got done doing some pretty extensive exercises and were stretching I suddenly felt very ill and sick to my stomach. I told the nurse that I didn’t feel good and before I knew it, I hit the ground and passed out. I found out that my heart rate had dropped significantly within a few seconds and caused me to black out. The nurse had told me I was doing too much and my heart just wasn’t ready for it. After resting for awhile, I felt good enough and was allowed to go home. (They won’t allow you to leave if you are having issues). That day I learned an important lesson, my body wasn’t ready for such an extensive workout, and I needed to take a step at a time.

One of the greatest accomplishments came at the end of the program, I was RUNNING! I couldn’t believe it, just 4 months ago I had trouble just walking at a slow speed, but now I was running! The cardio staff said they’d never seen a patient run in the program before. I had to remind them that I was only 25 years old and most of all the other patients were well in their 50s or older. They acknowledged that, but said it was a huge accomplishment. I felt wonderful!

I finally graduated from the program in March. I was beyond proud of myself. I was able to prove to myself that I can accomplish something, as a long as I put my mind to it. It was such a bittersweet day on “graduation day”. I was thrilled to have successfully completed the program, but I was sad to leave the wonderful staff, especially Mary.  I leaned on Mary a lot throughout the program, she was the cardio nurse and was ALWAYS there for me when I had questions and would allow me to vent my frustrations to her. I think she’s a lot like me, stubborn, so when she didn’t have answers to my questions she would always find out the answer no matter what it took. I enjoyed going to rehab because I knew the staff would be there to support me, but also push me to becoming a stronger and healthier person. I will always be grateful for IU Methodist Cardiology Rehab Staff!

Lesson to be learned: Take advantages of rehab programs, they can truly help you out. Not only are they educators, nurses, and therapists, but they will become your friends and one of your biggest fan groups. They made me realize that I had “the strength it takes” and I hope everyone else fighting through a health condition can realize that as well.

Sadness, Anger, Anxiety, & Hope

I planned on blogging about my cardio rehabilitation Program, but that can wait. I'm not going to be lie; it's been an emotional past week. I've had several break downs, lots of anger, and a whole lot of anxiety.

Last Thursday morning, I heard some news that was very much unexpected and very shocking. One of my good friends from my hometown area had a heart attack. When I found this out, I couldn’t believe it and completely broke down. He is also in his 20s, so he's also pretty young to have had a heart attack. He had some chest pains and went to the hospital in St. Marys. I'm from a small hometown, so the hospital isn’t that big and doesn’t have all the capabilities that other hospitals do. He ended up being careflighted to a bigger hospital, which has a cardiology unit. He had a 100% blockage in one of his arteries and had to have a stent put in. He was in the hospital for a few days to recover and was released to recover at home. He is doing well and will continue to recover. The doctors still do not know why he had a heart attack, and like me, they may never know. The lesson that I want everyone to learn from this is that you CANNOT ignore the warning signs. Thank the lord my friend didn’t ignore his signs and got help right away.

I felt a whole lot of emotions when I learned about my friend. It was so hard to believe. I was overwhelmed with emotions and had cried several times. It brought brought back all of my memories of the day that I had my heart attack. I was angry and upset. I hated that he was going through the same thing I did. I hated that his family was also going through what my family had been through. I hated that the doctors couldn’t give him an explanation. I hated everything about the situation.

I knew that he would have a long road ahead of him and he would also probably have some melt downs like I do (You know guys can't always be tough :) ). However, I also knew that he would be a MUCH STRONGER person after going through this. I also think that he will be a great advocate of being heart healthy. I also knew that his family would become a stronger family too. These simple facts made me smile.

I know that everyone in my life is supporting me through all of this and I know they will continue to do so. I cannot thank my family and friends enough for being there for me. Everyone's support is simply amazing. However, I know I'm being selfish when I say this, but I now have a friend, who's been through the same exact thing that I've been through, who knows exactly what it feels like. It will be nice to be able to talk to him about it all. I know that I joked to him about being heart attack buddies, but it's the truth! Heck if both of us can get through a heart attack, we can get through ANYTHING!!

I had another very emotional day on Sunday night. I think it was one of the nights that I had cried the most in an hour, but this was a GOOD cry and it felt so damn good. On Sunday morning, my sister and two cousins participated in the mini-marathon in Pittsburgh (Steeler County!!!). This was the first mini for my sister and cousin, my other cousin does them all the time; however, this was her first time walking in it. I'm going to share with you the story from my cousins blog:

   "We had an awesome pace and felt that we could get to the finish line in 3 hours.  Our race goal was to get it under 3:15.  At mile 6 we felt that we would be able to complete this task as we were on target, but the hills were ugly and the sun was hot.  You could tell the excitement was starting to change around mile 9.5 all that matter to us now was the finish line.

I told the girls that the last three miles is always the hardest part of a race because everything starts to hurt and the mind starts playing tricks on you.  That is when it started to change for one of my cousins.  I was getting worried as miss fast walker asked if we could slow our pace down.  I took the water I had and poured some over her back.  She looked like she was fading and I didn't want her to drop this close to the end.

We slowed our pace down, I knew we would not get to the finish line for our 3 hour mark but I knew we would finish under 3:15.  I kept telling the girls come on we only have 1.3 to go, we got this.  The struggle continued and I knew we had to walk for something.  I said... okay girls let's do this last mile for Grandpa (God Bless him in Heaven on May 5th he has been gone for 14 years).  I prayed to Grandpa and asked him to send us the strength we needed to get to that steel finish line. 

I believe our crazy loving Grandpa helped all three of us because once we saw the finish line we knew no doubt we would reach it.  One of my cousins started to cry because all her hard work paid off.  Both of them never knew they could do something like this but deep down I knew they had the heart to do it.....after all we come from the same blood.  I even got teary eyed under my glasses because i was proud of what they accomplished.""

There was something about this experience that my sister and cousins had that sparked something in me. I had been through a heart attack and now dealing with coronary heart disease, but I told myself If I can get through that then I can push myself into truly becoming heart healthy. I was done feeling sorry for myself and was going to do something about it. I wasn’t going to allow the heart attack and heart disease run my life anymore; I was going to do something about it. With that being said, I'm determined to accomplish some big dreams and goals, and one of them is to participate in a mini marathon. I want to feel the accomplishment and the emotions of crossing the finish line.


Lesson to be learned: Be thankful for each and every day. If you have a health condition, try not to let it ruin and run your life. Enjoy life and all that it has to offer.

One simple change...

It was really hard for me to accept the fact that I did have a heart attack. This wasnt a nightmare it had really happened. I knew that I never wanted to go through it again, so lifestyle changes were a must.

One of the first things that changed was my diet, and let me tell you, I was NOT a happy person about this. Why? Well because my new diet would become a "low-sodium" diet. I thought how in the world am I going to be able to do this? I was the person who added table salt on almost everything, it was just natural for me to do so..I would add it to pizza, popcorn, pasta, veggies, pretty much everything.

The low sodium diet started the very first night in the hospital, as my menu was specifically for this diet. Lets just say that I didn’t really eat all that much because the food just tasted so boring to me, had no flavor and I REALLY wanted my salt..but that was not an option. My cardiologist put me on a strict diet, I was only allowed 2,000 milligrams (1/2 teaspoon) of sodium per day!

I had a hard time understanding why a low-sodium diet was needed. Well, during my cardio rehab program (discuss that in another post) I learned exactly why it's a bad thing. First, if you eat too much sodium it can cause your blood pressure to rise and cause some fluid retention, especially in your legs and feet. Since this leads to high blood pressure, your heart has to work harder, and this eventually strains your blood vessels and heart. The heart now has to work harder to pump enough blood and oxygen to the rest of your body. Also, over time, the blood vessels can become hard, and when this happens, the blood has a hard time flowing through the artery. All of this can lead to heart attacks, stroke, and kidney failure.

The average American eats five or more teaspoons of salt each day. This is about 20 times as much as the body needs. In fact, your body needs only 1/4 teaspoon of salt every day. Astonishing, isn’t it?

Well, since I was on a new diet, it was time to purchase new groceries. After I was feeling good enough to walk around, my parents and I went to Kroger, where we spent several hours in the store. We went down pretty much every isle looking at the food labels, and it was beyond my imagination how much sodium there actually already was in food! I was quick to find out that many of my favorite foods had too much sodium. I was very frustrated and didn’t know how I'd ever be able enjoy this diet. I was quick to learn I would now be eating a lot of frozen chicken, frozen veggies, and fresh fruit. There would be no canned food in my future.

It's been almost 6 months since my heart attack, and I'm very PROUD to say that I HAVE NOT added any salt to my food. To be honest, I don’t miss my table salt at all. I've been using a lot of pepper. I know that Mrs. Dash. is a good substitute for salt. I have tried it a few times, but cannot find a flavor that I like yet.

I've adapted to the low-sodium diet pretty well. Again, at first I really thought it was going to be impossible, but in all reality, it's not bad at all. Yes, there are times that I break the rule eat something that is considered high in sodium, but I figure that is okay, as long as I don’t do it all the time (remember, I'm stubborn!). I could never ever give up on chicken fingers and French fries. :)

The purpose of this post is to hopefully make everyone recognize the importance of really watching your sodium intake. By just changing this, it can greatly reduce your risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or any other illness that is caused from high blood pressure. Next time you’re at the store, take a look at those food labels, and I guarantee that you’ll be just as surprised as I was.

I found a good website that has a guideline for a low sodium diet:

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/guidelines_for_a_low_sodium_diet/index.html

Mrs. Dash website:
http://www.mrsdash.com/