Ricochet by Judy Fridono

Author:Judy Fridono
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Riding, wave, hope, dog, inspires, millions, love, respect, kindness
Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.
Published: 2014-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Everything Happens for a Reason

“If you don’t have a reason for your heart to keep beating . . . it won’t.”

Dr. Mehmet Oz

As Ricochet continued to ride the waves and fund-raise for many different causes, my life took an unexpected and terrifying turn. At the time, I was undergoing infusion therapy for common variable immune deficiency. The therapy for this autoimmune disorder involves using an IV to administer immunoglobulins, which are antibodies normally produced by red blood cells. While I was supposed to be treated with the infusions for the next several months, I started suffering from severe headaches, nausea, and high blood pressure, and I couldn’t see how I would be able to continue.

One night in bed I felt the slightest bit of pressure in my chest. Since I was recording every possible side effect of the treatment, I called the doctor the following day to report it. Apparently it was enough to alarm him because he suggested I come in for an EKG the very next day. When the EKG came back abnormal, I was sent for an echocardiogram. I’d always known I had a mitral valve prolapse, a heart problem in which the valve that separates the upper and lower chambers of the left side of the heart doesn’t close properly. But when the results of the echo came back, they indicated that my condition had become much worse. Yet never could I have expected the cardiologist’s words: “You’ll need a valve replacement in about a year or two.”

I was shocked.

The cardiologist suggested I see a cardiac-thoracic surgeon. The surgeon performed an esophageal echocardiogram that revealed the valve was flailing and had severe regurgitation. He suggested robotic surgery in the next six months.

My mind went into overdrive, and I sought a second opinion. Bad news went to worse news. This time, the doctor recommended a cardiac catheterization, which involves passing a thin catheter tube into the side of the heart, usually from the groin or the arm, allowing him to take live images to monitor my heart. The procedure itself was daunting, let alone what it revealed. The images showed that I had four blocked arteries. Not only did I need a valve replacement, but I also needed a quadruple bypass, which couldn’t be done robotically. And I needed it . . . immediately, even though I didn’t have any symptoms. The doctor told me it was critical and highly recommended I schedule surgery within two to three weeks.

Open-heart surgery. No! I couldn’t even think about it. A doctor cracking open my chest on an operating table? The thought was petrifying.

I felt like a walking time bomb. I was fifty-two; my mother had died of a heart attack at age fifty-four. It seemed like I was on the same exact crash course. The thought of developing heart disease just like she did had never occurred to me. Even though it’s a hereditary condition, for some reason—perhaps denial—I hadn’t added it to my list of worries.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.