New life
In November 2010 I had got the worst cold of my life. I had never felt so sick. While my other symptoms had cleared within a couple of weeks, my cough just would not go away. Finally, after about five weeks, my doctor prescribed antibiotics and I felt better. Then, in April 2011, I went on a mini vacation with my son and boyfriend. I couldn't figure out why I was so tired, other than maybe I was just that out of shape. I had a very physical job at that time, but still thought that maybe I needed to just do more to get in better shape. A week later I could barely breathe. I went to the doctor, who ordered xrays and told me that my lungs were full of fluid from pneumonia. They hospitalized me and treated me for it. I slowly got better, but my heart was racing when I was just sitting in bed. Luckily one doctor didn't think I had pneumonia and ordered an echocardiogram before I was discharged. Two weeks later I was starting to have breathing problems again, and went back to the doctor...who explained to me that I had never had pneumonia. He told me that my heart was severely enlarged and barely pumping. Earlier that day I had been told that my father had died the night before from congestive heart failure, so I was already too in shock to fully absorb what the doctor was telling me. I tried to research as much as possible, and was scared when I read about the 5-year rule. My five-year anniversary is in April 2016 and I'm so glad that I'm doing better. I never accomplished my goal of getting full heart function within a year of diagnosis, but I have accepted that it's a part of my life and will be until I die. I don't dwell on the negative of having heart failure, and instead relish all the friends I have made online, who live around the world, and who have been very supportive and helpful when I was still new to the condition. Thank you everyone!
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